Rise of Flight: seven years up in the skies

Rise of Flight, or RoF, celebrates its 7th anniversary of battles in the skies during WWI. With a free-to-play version that opens to an expandable world of planes and content, its probably the most realistic flight simulation covering that period of time.

Take to the skies in an era when names like Manfred von Richtofen, James McCudden, Georges Guynemer and Eddie Rickenbacker were famous. It’s a war torn Europe recreated in a simulation allowing users to experience daring air combat at the dawn of aviation.

Rise of Flight transports you to a time when courageous pilots fought each other for control of the sky high above the bloody trenches. In aircraft made of canvas and wood they battled to the death. While some survived to become legends, most met a fiery fate. Do you have the skills and the courage to become an Ace?

If you don’t, like me, don’t worry. Rise of Flight still offers you a unique experience, simply for what it offers of beauty, detail of the aircraft models and the sheer experience of flying machines that seem reproduced with respect for reality. Even if you just use the free-to-play airplanes and areas, you’re in for a unique experience, which you can take further if you feel the scenery setting and action appeal to you.

The simulation features many legendary fighters like the Nieuport 17, Sopwith Camel and Fokker DR.1 as well as groundbreaking aircraft like the Felixstowe F.2a flying boat and gigantic S-22 Ilya Muromets bomber designed by Igor Sikorsky. In terms of playing modes you can choose from Quick Mission, Custom Single Missions, Campaigns, or try the Career mode and be assigned different squadrons and participate in realistic combat missions, meeting famous aces in the sky and building your pilot career day by day.

The deeper you go into the simulation the more you understand its value. There is something magic in the sensation of flight and aerial combat action with top-rate flight models, physics, damage system, atmospherics, sounds, visuals and ballistics that real pilots approve! And you can share that experience with friends, using the multiplayer servers. Scenarios include both dogfight and cooperative missions, and the built-in server browser allows users to easily connect to their favorite servers.

To celebrate the 7th anniversary, RoF has a special sale, from April 28th, 2016 till May 2nd, 2016, with 66% OFF! There are 35 additional flyable aircraft available for purchase along with additional content from the Steam store in the form of content packs. These packs include not only airplanes and additional theaters of war, but other helpful items such as Field Modifications and Weapon Modifications for your aircraft which can help you be a more effective combat pilot. The Rise of Flight universe continues to expand with new flyable aircraft and game updates added on a regular basis. The sky knows no limit.

The special sale is also available directly through the RoF store, for those who do not have a Steam account to play. The range of airplanes available costs from $1.69 to $2.30, making this a good occasion to buy some more airplanes for your collection.

Whatever you do, give RoF a try. As I mentioned above, the graphics are fantastic. With large terrain maps with over 150.000 square kilometers of historically recreated territories of both Western and Eastern WWI fronts with seasonal textures, flying high above or low and slow is a exciting experience. Impressive visuals with High Dynamic Range lighting, blinding sun glare, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, starry nights, realistically modeled rain and oil drops on pilot’s goggles are some of the eye candy you will encounter. Additional effects include high-g blackouts and red-outs, wounded pilot simulation with blood spots, ringing in the ears and controllability difficulties. But that’s if you take the warpath. If you’re just a virtual tourist like I am most of the times, it’s the grandeur of the scenery that will make you take up to the skies.

Note: article first published in April 2016 in a Wordpress blog that I decided to move to Medium this March 19, 2017