Coming from 1C Game Studios, Korea. IL-2 Series is the latest flight sim in the beloved series and the successor to the 2014 title IL-2: Sturmovik. This time, the players are invited to climb into the cockpit of early jet fighters and experience what it is like to be a pilot during the Korean War, taking part in legendary aerial battles.
Another important addition comes with the fact that for the first time in the series, IL-2 supports gamepads in addition to joysticks and HOTAS control systems, giving players even more options. The game also supports VR via OpenXR and OpenVR if you are looking for extra immersion.
Korea. IL-2 Series is my first time with the franchise. At first, it had been mildly overwhelming to see the inside of the cockpit with all the available buttons, tumblers, levers and whathaveyou, but it is also ultimately the best entry point if you were looking to jump in. Even if, or likely when, you find yourself left alone with the craft and the voice in the radio telling you to lift off and pause, wondering “And how do I do that? WASD doesn’t work!” Oh, sweet summer child.
The developers have certainly done their homework when it comes to the balance between realistic simulation and accessibility. The controls are easier to rebind, though you are still likely to suffer without a proper stick to help you take the reins.
The developers have chosen an incredible time period to set the game in, moving the action away from WWII and into the early 1950. It gives players a chance to witness the collision of the late-stage piston aircraft and the first-gen jets like the F-86 Sabre, giving stage to engaging aerial dogfights during a less explored conflict.
According to the developers, the game takes place on the largest map in the series’ history, covering an area of over 200,000 square kilometers. The Korean Peninsula has been recreated based on historical maps and documents from the 1950s.
When creating the map featuring dozens of airbases, hundreds of settlements, ports, dams, transport hubs and more, the devs have accounted for historical landscape changes, ensuring that the player experience will remain as close to realistic as possible.
The map also comes with season changes, each with its own visuals, making the world feel alive rather than the sandbox for aerial fights. On the ground, you can also leave the cockpit and take a look at your plane and the airbase, giving the game a small extra charm.
Despite the initial hiccup with taking off, the physics and attention to details feel incredible. Each aircraft is modelled beautifully, inside and out, and feels different in flight compared to other options. However, just flight is not something you can surprise players with anymore, not after IL-2: Great Battles, War Thunder or Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Where Korea. IL-2 Series really shines is the actual aerial engagement. Just the skies, the plane, you and the spike of adrenaline when you know: you have them, despite your opponent trying their best. Admittedly, despite spending hours trying to tame the warbirds, I’m not yet good enough to say I’ve experienced that feeling often. The “not quite”, however? Yeah. That was plenty. But, unlike real life, here you can re-do the same maneuver until you finally nail it, until you feel the aircraft respond just the way you want it to – or run, if this is not your idea of fun.
And when you manage to down another plane – or go down trying – you will get to witness the game’s damage model in all of its splendor. I can’t help but wince seeing such beautiful, realistically-rendered planes come crushing down, losing bits and pieces and catching fire.
The game also arrives with the Commander Career mode that will see you managing an entire squadron. The developers have also revealed that they are working to significantly expand the variety of combat scenarios, aiming to double them by the end of the year.
Additionally, despite the player contribution that primarily affects only the player and their air unit, the war unfolds as it did within the historical context. But sometimes players are looking for opportunities to change history – and to that effect, the developers have announced the beginning of work on something called the Dynamic Campaign, a new game mode in which the player’s actions will affect the course of the conflict as a whole.
However, for every good point that you can bring about Korea. IL-2 Series, there’s also a “but”.
The aircraft is designed beautifully, the developers clearly love and respect what they’re doing and bringing to the game. But there are only 8 planes – with two of them (La‑11 and F‑84E Thunderjet) only being available as a part of the Premium and Deluxe editions or purchasable as a separate DLC. Overall, the $80 price tag seems a bit too much at the moment.
The Commander Career mode is great, with 15 historically-accurate missions recreated from the combat logs of the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing and the memoirs of its pilots… But the AI spoils the impressions. Both when it comes to the radio transitions, and to the behaviour of other aircraft in-combat. The developers have already revealed their plans when it comes to the pilot AI and radio communication system, you can check them out in the dev blog.
The game is visually stunning… But even a mid-range PC might struggle with the optimization and frame rates. I have not tried the VR mode, so I cannot comment on it.
There is also the absolutely stunning Museum mode. No buts. It lets you study any bit of tech in the game, beyond even the aircraft, in great detail. Zooming in, moving some parts, taking a closer look at ammo and pilots. I could spend at least a couple of hours just marveling over every little thing.
To sum it up, Korea. The IL-2 Series is arguably the best and most accessible entry in the series to date, especially for new players thanks to the control-binding wizard.
The developers have used their experience from working on the previous IL-2 titles and DLCs, and put their all into creating a gripping, immersive and deep simulator that is equally rewarding and challenging. However, at the moment, the game has too many “buts” that prevent me from recommending it to everyone.
If you truly love history of aviation, military simulators or are ready to spend hundreds if not thousands of hours in dogfights in multiplayer, Korea. IL-2 Series is a must. But if you’re sitting somewhere in the middle and are just looking for a deep but relaxing game to spend several evenings in, you’re likely to run into difficulties.
At the moment, Korea. The IL-2 Series sets up a great foundation but can still use some hotfixes, content patches and discounts.
