From Russia with Love
Question: How often do we hear of the imminent demise of the PC as a gaming platform? Answer: Lots. Yet it's games like Eagle Dynamics' hyper-authentic, crazily detailed helicopter flight sim DCS: Black Shark that prove exactly why PC gaming must continue.
In Black Shark, you'll find stuff that simply does not exist outside the PC environment. Stuff like a flight model that truly reflects the painstaking minutia involved in piloting -- and even starting -- one of these mega-complex monsters. The campaign and mission builder offer so many options and so much customization that the game would score a ten on the replayability meter even if it wasn't set up for future plug-in modules featuring other bladed and fixed-wing aircraft or the involving, no-charge multiplayer component. You'll rarely, if ever, find this level of graphical detail, where the term "every nut and bolt" isn't an exaggeration, in a typical 360 or PS3 flying game.
Black Shark sounds great, from the whine of the engines to the whirr of the blades, the whoosh of outgoing missiles and the thunk of the cannon. Radio chatter is authentically compressed, and even the background and menu music suits the mood. No complaints here. Black Shark sounds great, from the whine of the engines to the whirr of the blades, the whoosh of outgoing missiles and the thunk of the cannon. Radio chatter is authentically compressed, and even the background and menu music suits the mood. No complaints here. Longevity and replayability is virtually assured. The mission editor is fully customizable, far past that of the vast majority of games and sims on the market. Granted, it's complex and time-consuming to learn how to customize, but you can ultimately control virtually every possible facet and add enough surprise elements to keep you on your toes throughout.
Nor is it recommended for anyone who isn't willing to put in a ton of research and an equal ton of practice. We're talking days or perhaps weeks here folks, just to stop yourself from flip-flopping about like a demented Frisbee. Granted, the game delivers distinct "Simulation" and "Game" modes, with the latter being much, much easier and much more forgiving than the former, but even in Game mode Black Shark is sober and thoughtful rather than wild and wooly.
More than that, playing in Game mode really defeats the purpose and the intent (and all that hard work) of the developer. Just check out the Pilot's Manual, which, at nearly 400 pages (even the Index is seven pages) is nothing short of massive. That it needs to be as massive as it is in order to thoroughly explain the intricacies of the game is testament to the incredible number of realistic variables Eagle Dynamics has modeled. That Eagle has taken such great pains to lay everything out so that a truly interested, obsessive pilot has virtually no guesswork makes the game feel more like an actual military trainer than a hunk of software for the home user.
We don't say this to scare away prospective players; we say it merely to stress that anyone who contemplates undertaking Black Shark fully understands what they're getting into. We may, however, want to scare or at least warn those who use either Windows Vista or a slower PC. As Eagle Dynamics says in the Quick Start Guide: "Because of the way Windows Vista handles memory, we strongly recommend not playing missions with large unit counts spread over a large area when using Vista. Windows XP however can handle such missions much better, but even Windows XP can crash if mission sizes are made too large." Consider yourself forewarned.
To its credit, Eagle offers an impressive number of Training sessions to better help acclimate newbies. And truly, these sessions deliver oodles of information. Moreover, they allow the student to take control of the chopper at any time. However, players would have been much better served had the Training component taken us by the hand and guided us through, confirming actions when they are correct and advising when they are incorrect.
Instead, the instructor speaks to the player rather than with him, continuing to offer information in exactly the same manner whether we've taken the controls or have simply opted to sit there and listen. We would have vastly preferred hands-on lessons that walk pilots through the various facets of the game, especially considering that it's one of the most difficult flight sims in quite some time.
So, what makes the Black Shark such an interesting case study? For starters, it's Russian, and we all know that Russian-built military vehicles hold a certain intrigue and mystery to us Westerners. Moreover, the Black Shark (more correctly known as the Kamov Ka-50) is one of few gunships designed for a single operator. Thusly, it makes a great subject for solo gaming.
But arguably the most important distinction between this and other attack choppers (or helicopters of any description) is its rotor configuration. The Ka-50 has no tail rotor. It instead features a contra-rotating co-axial rotor system wherein two sets of horizontal blades are mounted, one atop the other, on the main shaft. This allows the Ka-50 to perform some pretty impressive aerobatics such as barrel rolls and loops.
Graphically, Black Shark is stunning. Outside, the viewing distance is so huge that Eagle hasn't over-populated it for fear of frame rate hassles. Yet the aircraft and ground vehicles and ground installations are impressively detailed and go far, far beyond the basics. Indeed, each little truck and jeep and tank is adorned with little drivers, little headlights, little tires with little treads, and even little rear view mirrors. It's an awesome show to be sure, especially when you use your joystick's POV hat to do smooth-scrolling 360-degree sweeps of each of your enemies.
But the Ka-50 is the real star, and Eagle has pulled no punches to make sure we know it. The design job on the exterior of the aircraft is amazing, especially the jaw-dropping intricacy of the rotor system, and the special effects are to die for. The smoke of launching missiles and the translucent haze produced by engine heat are particularly noteworthy, as is the damage model.
This level of realism is only heightened inside the cockpit, where every button, every toggle, every switch, every switch cover, every lever, and every nameplate and display is perfectly rendered. Moreover, you can use your POV hat to scroll anywhere in the cockpit – something you'll need to do quite often considering many of the controls are mounted to your side and rear – and then use your mouse to activate and de-activate virtually everything. Ah, we love the smell of a fully interactive cockpit in the morning.
Sadly for those gamers with older PCs, Black Shark puts a serious strain on the system. Though it does offer numerous graphical de-tuning options, those who want to enjoy it in all its glory will need an uncluttered, power-packed machine. Otherwise, it's a trade-off between pretty images or smooth frame rates.
Neither does the game load or unload quickly. We spent upwards of a minute on several occasions waiting for a given mission or component to load, at times feeling the game had crashed. It never, ever did, but the waiting game was often a hard one to play.
On a more positive note, those of us lucky enough to have two or three monitors hanging about will want to avail themselves of the game's multiple monitor setup, wherein each screen may be used for a unique perspective.
In the battlefield, the game, when played in Sim mode, is as difficult as they come. Missions range from patrols to all-out attacks to payback to all things in between, but it's the Ka-50 itself that's perhaps your most prominent foe. There's just so much to remember, and then so much more work involved in putting it all into practice inside an environment where death seemingly lurks around every tree.
Curiously, Black Shark won't allow you to crash into a tree, but it leaves just about everything else open to your interpretation. And as if you needed one more reason not to die, remember that the game won't allow you to jump into your wingman's chopper when you do.
Longevity and replayability is virtually assured. The mission editor is fully customizable, far past that of the vast majority of games and sims on the market. Granted, it's complex and time-consuming to learn how to customize, but you can ultimately control virtually every possible facet and add enough surprise elements to keep you on your toes throughout.
Our online forays were brief because we seemed to hit the servers when they weren't exactly busy, but we found few glitches or frame rate issues to mar our experience. The options are many when playing Black Shark over the Internet, and we expect the diehard flight sim community will flock here, making multiplayer an interesting place to be for quite some time.
Closing Comments
If your idea of gaming doesn't involve study, if it doesn't involve reading and learning and the challenge of working hard to accomplish goals, do not buy this game. If quick reflex action is your thing, do not buy this game. And if you use Vista, do not buy this game (unless you don't mind leaving some of its potential behind). But if you're willing to log the necessary hours, train like a real pilot, and memorize the daunting complexities of one of the most difficult war machines every concocted, the rewards are many and the sense of authenticity will blow you away.
Neither does the game load or unload quickly. We spent upwards of a minute on several occasions waiting for a given mission or component to load, at times feeling the game had crashed. It never, ever did, but the waiting game was often a hard one to play.
On a more positive note, those of us lucky enough to have two or three monitors hanging about will want to avail themselves of the game's multiple monitor setup, wherein each screen may be used for a unique perspective.
In the battlefield, the game, when played in Sim mode, is as difficult as they come. Missions range from patrols to all-out attacks to payback to all things in between, but it's the Ka-50 itself that's perhaps your most prominent foe. There's just so much to remember, and then so much more work involved in putting it all into practice inside an environment where death seemingly lurks around every tree.
Curiously, Black Shark won't allow you to crash into a tree, but it leaves just about everything else open to your interpretation. And as if you needed one more reason not to die, remember that the game won't allow you to jump into your wingman's chopper when you do.
Our online forays were brief because we seemed to hit the servers when they weren't exactly busy, but we found few glitches or frame rate issues to mar our experience. The options are many when playing Black Shark over the Internet, and we expect the diehard flight sim community will flock here, making multiplayer an interesting place to be for quite some time. 
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