The aircraft fly well, but their avionics packages don't work the way the documentation claims. The lack of a robust campaign is hardly the weakest point of the game.
The desert campaign isn't dynamic and doesn't attempt the sophistication Combat Flight Simulator 3's shoots for, though it does have a randomizer to generate different missions. There's only one campaign and it's set in a desert setting - although the sim's planes would have been perfect for Vietnam scenarios. Strike Fighters needed a lot more time to cook. The planes are generally great, but there's considerable distance to go to build a complete combat simulation, and for the rest of the game it's all uphill. These Cold War era jets haven't been modeled much recently, and it's a real eye-opener to handle their roll inertia. Each aircraft also has a distinctive flight model, and these beasts don't hesitate to lose speed and stall under violent maneuvering. Moving rudders and ailerons aren't new, but seeing the A-4's side-mounted speed brakes and leading-edge slats in action should bring a grin to any simulation nut. The aircraft models look beautiful with accurate color schemes and insignia, crisp detail, and articulated control surfaces. The sim is set in the 1960s and gives players jets like the venerable F-4 Phantom II, F-104 Starfighter, and A-4 Skyhawk to fly. Strike Fighters pays fair respects to things from the past. The publisher and developer took the time to keep working on the title, and while the results show promise, the current retail release of Strike Fighters is still an incomplete product. And, this is actually Strike Fighters' second chance! The title made an initial appearance in a special Wal-Mart edition that was, at best, an alpha release. Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator 3 is a disappointment and Strategy First's Strike Fighters is half a game in a box. The genre is already subject to a much-publicized loss of popularity and many flight sim makers aren't doing much to defend their niche. It's a rough time for flight simulation fans. Players will encounter the following aircraft: F-100 Super Sabre, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Martin B-57 Canberra, Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Cessna L-19 Bird Dog, MiG-17 "Fresco", MiG-19 "Farmer", MiG-21 "Fishbed", Su-7 Fitter, IL-28 Beagle, Tu-22 Blinder, and An-12 Cub. Advanced features such as colored point light-sourcing, specular highlighting, multi-layer textures, bump mapping, and reflective environment mapping are all supported. The terrain engine utilizes both fractal and digital elevation maps, and the graphics engine runs in 32-bit color with a high polygon count. Missiles and early guided weapons are available late in the game, but are unreliable and players will have to rely on their trusty machine guns. Players will engage in dogfights with enemy planes and undertake search and destroy missions involving ground targets. The setting is the 1960s, a primitive but rapidly changing period. Strike Fighters: Project 1 is a combat flight simulation game featuring the famous and versatile McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.