It’s hard to believe that Virgin Interactive Entertainment has been around for almost twenty years, but it’s a fact, since they are the publishers of Reach for the Skies, by Rowan Software. Reach for the Skies is a 1993 release for the personal computer running the MS DOS operating system, as well as the Amiga and Atari ST. It is a flight simulator that plays out mainly like a first person shooter. It is somewhat historically accurate and exploits all of the great aerial theatres of the second world war as settings for all the action.
This combat fight sim is mostly about the Battle of Britain, and gives you the opportunity to fly as either a British ace in the Royal Air Force or a German dogfighter in the Luftwaffe. Not only can you pilot the planes from the faction you choose to represent, but you can also become a controller and select which sorties to deploy at what time. The battle is divided into four distinct stages.
There are a total of eight planes in the simulation, from Hurricans and Spitfires to Ju88s and BF110s. Each plane offers a unique view from its cockpit and offers different flight specifics, including
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gauges, characteristics and ordinances. Overall, it does a realistic job of simulating the eight planes involved in the game.
