F-22 Interceptor
System: Genesis
Release Date: September 1991
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Flight Sim
You’re in the cockpit of the 21st century’s jet fighter of the future in F-22 Interceptor! You’re on your own and you’re going to have to save the day over four different theaters of war. Lucky for you, the F-22 is a destructive beast of a machine. So be prepared for an onslaught of missions that you need to perfect in order to keep freedom free for everyone. Can you save the world from total destruction?
After choosing your difficulty level from Cadet, Training, and Combat, you then choose which campaign you want to play. The US campaign gets your ears wet as you learn about the different capabilities of the F-22 and the enemies you’ll be fighting. Each mission is a bite sized piece of the overall campaign, which is nice, because you don’t get burned out on extended missions over huge maps. You begin by taking off, which means hit your afterburners and pull up. You’ll get your first of many cutscenes.
The F-22 is equipped with a limited number of rounds for the cannon, which will be your main weapon. Blowing up enemy planes causes their pilots to eject. You’ve also got an armament of missiles attached, which are useful for taking out targets. Some of them are heat seeking, while others are guided by you. Many enemies also have missiles, which you need to be ready for by dropping chaff when you’re alerted to a launch. You can run out of ammo and fuel, which will use one of your lives if you don’t hook up with a fuel tanker. Luckily, connecting up with a mid-flight refuel is easier than you may imagine. Landing is also done properly, but you can crash if you hit the ground too early.
Controlling the plane is actually pretty intuitive. I found myself rolling and climbing to target my enemies with the greatest of ease. This made me feel accomplished quickly. It is important to be careful that you don’t pull too many Gs, though, as the screen will blackout as blood drains from your head and red out as the blood rushes to your head. The sun can also cause a glare that blinds you for a moment. If you’re having trouble, or want to make a change to game rules, you can do so on the fly. I made it through the US and Korean campaigns in just under two hours, but decided not to do the Iraqi or Russian campaigns.
Instead, I took advantage of the option to create my own mission. You can choose which country it takes place in, how many waves of opponents you’ll face, and then set the enemies you’ll fight. You then get to choose your weapons load out from 7 different combinations of missiles. I cleared out all three waves with almost no ammo left. The last mode for you is the Ace’s Challenge dogfight gauntlet. You take on the top pilot from all four countries, then a series of two on one battles, culminating in a four on one. Win this to prove your air superiority.
Graphics: 2.5
I like the textureless polygons that are state of the art! There does get to be a fair amount of slow down when many enemies are in the play field.
Sound: 2.5
The song that plays while you’re in the air isn’t offensive and the sound effects didn’t upset me.
Gameplay: 3.0
Short, simple missions won’t overwhelm or frustrate. Controlling the plane actually feels decent.
Difficulty: 3.0
I played on easy, but I was able get through without using all my lives.
Fun Factor: 3.0
I had a real good time ruling the skies and would do it again.
Overall Rating: 2.8
F-22 Interceptor earns a B. This is easily the best flight sim dogfight type game I’ve come across. Try it and enjoy.