The F-22 Lightning is quite possibly one of the most exiting new planes to come out in years. The F-22 can cruise at supersonic speeds for hours without consuming inordinate amounts of fuel. At subsonic speeds the F-22 has maneuverability comparable to the F-16, and with the weapon’s bays closed has a tiny radar signature when compared to other planes with this performance. The ordinance load of the plane is very respectable and as a dual task aircraft, the Lightning can perform both strike and intercept missions with equal efficiency.

Novalogic intends for the game to appeal to novice and expert alike with a simple game and simple controls. There is a quick mission editor, network play with cooperative and competitive missions. Not considered a grognards game.

Modes: quick start, five campaigns

Missions: There are five campaigns with eight or nine missions each. The campaigns will be located in different geographic hotspots in Burma, and perhaps in Siberia and Serbia. Missions will be primarily air-to-air since that is the primary mission of the F-22. You do not waste a 100 million dollar aircraft on a mission that might get it killed by a $25,000 piece of hardware, so missions are going to be high altitude and high priority.

Several games have given cyber fighter jocks a chance to fly the F-22, Advanced Tactical Fighters and Jetfighter III are two of the most notable of these.

Graphics: Special Voxel Space 2 is an improvement on the older Voxel Space, which is more highly detailed and provides an even more realistic rolling hill environment, that is more like real terrain, which is almost never flat and translucent cloud layer which you can rise above, hide in, and attack from. Will feature desert, jungle, island, coastline, mountain, and rolling hills terrain. Resolutions of 320x200, 400x300, and 640x480 are supported. Beautiful rendering of the plane, including retractable landing gear, opening weapon bay doors, moveable flaps, ailerons and airbrake. NovaLogic’s new polygon engine supports high density texture mapped polygons with hazing and light sourcing. Seasonal effects such as snow should be expected. SVGA with 3 graphic resolution modes.

Views: Multiple camera angles that feature fluid panning views around the cockpit and external panning views of aircraft and objects.

Enemies: Modern aircraft such as the Russian-built MIG-27 and SU-27 jet fighters, tanks, airfields, buildings.

Weapons: AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, JDAM 1000-lb. bombs, M61 20 mm cannon.

Cockpit displays: Accurate console displays, aircraft schematics and actual flight dynamics provided by Lockheed and Boeing, manufacturers of the F-22.

Artificial intelligence: ?

Wing person commands: ?

Controls: Four multifunction displays (MFDs) can show a variety of information, including threat display and alarm, target information, stores, and more. Support for major throttle, rudder, and flight type joysticks.

Sound: 16-bit stereo, Dolby Surround Sound including combat sounds, such as explosions and fly by noise and extensive helmet chatter.

Editors: Quick mission editor only.

Multiplayer: Free for all (FFA), and cooperative over modem, null and phone, and network play for up to 8 human pilots. Cooperative campaign mode, a personal bias of mine, was not reported to be supported.

Preview reference:
Christine Grech Wendin, PC Games, volume 3, number 8, August, 1996, pg. 35.
PC Gamer, volume 3, number 8, August, 1996, pg. 50.
PC Gamer, volume 3, number 8, August, 1996, pg. 19.
Computer Gaming World, August 1996, pg. 76.
D. Atkin, Computer Gaming World, number 144, July, 1996, pg. 42.
Denny Atkin, Computer Gaming World, number 146, September, 1996, pg. 50-63.