World War II, the last bastion of proud patriots, the remembrance of bygone days for which we are endlessly thankful of the sacrifice of those who endured the onslaught of the German war machine.

The period has been covered over and over again in the video game universe and once more for good measure. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey picks up the mantle left by its previous iterations and the myriad of other hopefuls trying to do service to the heroes who fought on the beaches, the seas and in the air.

Published by 505 Games, Birds of Prey covers the European theatre, from the white cliffs of Dover to the pastures of rural Russia, dogfighting it's way through the advance of the Huns as they rampage across the lands. The Germans, world renowned for their cut-throat clinical precision were obviously an inspiration to the developers of IL2: BoP, as the game appears to steadfastly follow this mantra, much to the detriment of the experience.

The developers, Gaijin Entertainment, appear to have focussed much, if not all, of their attentions on the simulation aspect of flying rather than aiming their cross-hairs at creating an enjoyable adventure for the gamer. What they inadvertently created through this approach is an overwhelming lack of soul or connection to the fragmented missions and campaigns. This, no doubt, stems from the developer's roots being firmly cemented in the dedicated recreation of piloting, which has brought it a small but hardcore fan-base of PC Flight Sim lovers.

Though a noble idea to replicate the true nature of flying, Gaijen would have fared much better had they not made the jump between difficulty levels quite so obtuse. "Arcade" is definitely one for the casual gamer, with absolutely no challenge involved, rarely any damage taken and weapons so powerful you need only hit an enemy fighter once and they will begin their terrifying spiral to the ground. "Realistic" instantly introduces you to stalls and spins, where for inexplicable reasons the mere turning of your plane can cause you to plummet from the skies while attempting to thrust each stick in the hopes of levelling out before you get a face-full of forest.

"Simulation" however is a step too far for regular gamers. Unless you're well versed in flight simulators and the previous versions of IL2, you might as well not bother playing these levels, unless of course you have hundreds of hours to waste. It literally pits you, in only your cockpit view with no HUD or help against the filthy Huns as they fill the crimson skies around you. The fact that in normal modes the planes are hardly noticeable as they zoom past seems to have escaped the creators as they attempt to make this possibly the most challenging mode ever.

The game revolves around shooting enemies out of the skies, dropping bombs on ground based bad guys and also trying to trying to tame the wild beast of the controls. As someone very experienced in first person shooters and war games, I find it depressing that the developers decided to implement such a cumbersome and annoying control scheme, clearly forgetting the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Imagine, if you will, that you're used to using the left analogue stick for moving and the right one for gaming. "No!" I hear you exclaim, a look of confusion and surprise slapped across your face. Now imagine that a developer who should know better decides to swap those common and accepted controls, a shocking proposition I know, who would be stupid enough to do such a thing! Oh right, Gaijin Entertainment.

If you've played pretty much any game with planes or fighting, especially WW2 games, you'll be used to running around and strafing with the left analogue stick while controlling your view with the right stick. Unashamedly this has been discarded for a strange and uncomfortable method of using your right thumb for changing speed and controlling the rudder with the left stick being utilised for pitch, roll and yaw. Perhaps it's simply my old age or potentially my lack of Tom Cruise flying skills but I found the game more difficult to master than riding a wild bull while drunk on Jack Daniels.

I guess all this might have been barely acceptable had the camera been easy to manipulate so you could better plan and evade the other fighters, but alas, the right stick also doubles up as a control for the camera, but only once you've clicked and held the stick in.

On the whole, the decisions made by the developers when creating the control scheme were foolish to a major extent. While trying to bring a decidedly PC series to the more casual market of console gamers, it would have suited them best to appeal to the wider audience who are used to the common, more regular controls.

It's not all terrible though, the left trigger helps focus and zoom in on your targeted enemy making it much easier to fly your plane into a path where you can intercept them with a stream of bullets. This of course takes for granted that you've mastered the aforementioned ridiculousness in order to chase and down the enemy fighters.

The graphics too, are at a satisfactory standard, with the regimented dose of flare lighting and good helping of colour and design choices in the planes. There are also some great little touches, such as your screen becoming doused in petrol when you shoot a plane down from behind and get caught up in its trail. Visually the game is engrossing and exciting, explosions aplenty, smoke and debris shooting in all directions ending with splash-downs in well rendered, rippling water.

The combat can be feverish and hectic, truly matching up to the expectations of ferocious dog fighting one would expect from a game based during the tumultuous times of the Battle of Britain. Features such as the dynamic damage shown on your plane and the fact that your wings can be sliced off when flying through the chunks left behind by a recently destroyed enemy help to give you a sense of urgency.

Unfortunately, at times during massive conflicts there are screen hang ups and lag which detract from the infrequent enjoyable moments, suggesting that perhaps not enough attention was giving to weeding out little bugs. The reticules and colours too, which are supposed to be for deciphering the world around you, are sometimes hard to recognise against the ocean filled and sunlit backdrops, adding to the bewildering affair even more.

The sound also has an interesting combination of good and bad aspects as well. In the outer view of your plane things sound natural and absorbing, the whir of engines and screeching of planes narrowly flying over you are master-strokes. On the other hand when flying from the cockpit view everything sounds dulled and almost as if you're under water.

All things considered, the game seems very much a slapdash and unpolished attempt at creating an approachable to the general gaming public. Whilst I understand the reluctance of the developers to diverge from their long established formula of simulation and realism, they certainly could have made more of an effort to include the rest of us in their endeavour.

If you have, or intend to, invest a massive amount of time in learning all the delicate intricacies of the IL2 series, then by all means give this latest addition a stab. However, if you simply wish to play an engrossing and hair raising thrill ride in the skies, you'd be much better off queuing up on the aircraft carriers in Battlefield 1943 for your chance to fly a plane for 30 seconds. Trust me, you'd get more fun in that short amount of time than playing Birds of Prey for hours.

Reviewed by Andy Howells for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).