I have always had a soft spot for flight Sims of any kind. They say that if god had intended man to fly he would have given them wings, but then why do we get brains big enough to give ourselves wings?

The latest commercial helicopter sim available is Empires and Razorworks follow up to last years stunning Apache Havoc, Comanche Hokum.

The game is based around 2 helicopters, the RAH-66 Comanche, not due to come into service until 2006 and the ageing Russian KA-52 Hokum from 1995. The RAH-66 Comanche is equipped with the latest sensors, Stinger and Hellfire missiles with an impressive three barrel Gatling gun which fires at 1,500 rounds a minute! The KA-52 Hokum has a standard outfit, with the advantage of 12 laser guided Vikhr anti-tank missiles.

This game is compatible with the prequel game Apache Havoc, which means you can fly all four helicopters in the same game. I may never have had the opportunity to fly either helicopter (no-one has ever flown the Comanche), but I feel that if I had then this is how they would look and feel. The attention to detail on the helicopters is amazing, every turn, every roll, I pull on my joystick is met with perfect response on screen (even if I did crash into my wingman!). In the missions I see real-time tactics being played out by the AI on both sides, and each looking as if it were fighting in the war the mission was based around.

There are three campaigns Yemen, Lebanon and Taiwan. In each campaign you get a main screen where you can watch the war pan out and only take missions that you feel suited to or feel you can handle (If you do not know what to do, the manual has detailed guides on flying the helicopter of you choice). The missions are all the types you would expect Recon, Support and Cover so you do not have to go into combat before you are ready, you can fly Recon missions and admire the graphics.