Okay, hopefully you're reading this in the most recent order? So if you're you'll see this as one of the latest and most up-to-date reviews?

Firstly a little about me. My username is Mysticpuma and I am one of the team of modders who go by the name "Team Fusion".

Since the simulation was abandoned by the developers (in a pretty bugged state) our modding group of community members, all flight-sim enthusiasts, have been fixing, patching and adding to the simulation COMPLETELY FOR FREE so that players will get to experience the true version of the software that should have been released.

IL2: Cliffs of Dover is a masterpeice in the flightsim genre BUT due to financial constraints was released in a working but bugged condition. Since that release there were two official updates from the developers (applied automatically when installed using Steam) and these fixed a host of issue....but not all!

As I mentioned before, Team Fusion are all members (unpaid) of the Flight Sim community who have given 1000's if not 100's of 1000's of hours of their time so that the Simulation becomes one of, if not the, ultimate WW2 Combat Flight Sim.

The detail that has been created, improved, fixed, upgraded has been vast and this also includes multi-player netcode, now allowing huge online battles to take place.

Our team are currently working on completely new aircraft, completely new flyable aircraft (and variants of existing), shipping, vehicles, mission builder objects, effects, sound, new map(s), a new map tool builder and much, much more........and will be given to the community COMPLETELY FOR FREE!!! No paid expansion, no micro in-game charges, the patches, fixes and updates are FREE!! All made by community members for community members.

Whilst I could sit and type for hours about the changes and fixes here are just a few features and video links that should give an idea of the level of depth Team Fusion have and are going to in an effort to give you the Flight Sim enthusiast, the best experience possible:

Firstly a link to our videos on the VImeo page (we have now moved to Youtube). These should give you an idea of the level of detail in the software, what has been updated and where we are heading:

https://vimeo.com/teamfusion/videos

Next our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/TeamFusionMod/videos


If you don't have time to scour through all the video here are links to 3-4 highligh clips:

A Taste of Fusion. This video clip gives an oversight of the history of the software and what happened since it's release (don't worry....it's not a documentary!) :

https://vimeo.com/88650686

Some of the effects work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf4zV2gWL-c

and this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBxOQe99Vv8

New ships (and features):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58dq-Hpye1A

New aircraft:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzymlVgixcU


In finishing I'll just say that hopefully this information is of use to you. Yes the sim was abandoned due to financial constraints....but for just a tenner, once you apply the Team Fusion (FREE, did I mention FREE?) patches the software is completely playable on Windows 7 (64-bit) upwards including Windows 10. It has a thousands of new features, fixes, effects, etc, etc and we are also (and have a working version) looking to utilise Oculus Rift support after upgrading the software to use DirectX 11.

AND IT'S FREE!!!!!!

For more news and updates the best place to visit is the ATAG Server where Team Fusion are based and can be found here:

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/

The Team Fusion Facebook page is here:

https://www.facebook.com/teamfusionmod

There are also some other great servers and forums out there including the Air Combat Group and Storm of War and these use this software with the Team Fusion patches and regluarly have hundreds of online players taking part:

http://aircombatgroup.co.uk/forum/index.php

http://www.stormofwar.org/phpBB3/

If you take the time to go through the videos and visit the forums linked to you'll see the software is far from abandoned, it is true to say that the 'Vanilla' version is bugged (but not unplayable, just frustrating), BUT, by downloading the FREE Team Fusion patches, you will have access to one of the best WW2 Combat Flight Sims available and that is still be worked on, updated, having new maps and features added......AND ALL FOR FREE.

Team Fusion are made up of our community and are building and creating this for our community.

Cheers, Mysticpuma

Cliffs of Dover is an excellent World War 2 flight simulator, recreating what it is like to be a British or German combat pilot during the Summer of 1940. HOWEVER, it is excellent only if you use the Team Fusion patch. Let me make that clear. Cliffs of Dover should have been an excellent product from the first. Its vision and the designed scope of improvement over other WW2 flight sims was, and still is, truly next generation. However, the sim was a commercial flop - for a variety of reasons.

More than anything, the effect its release had on the flight simming community was to generate at first epic anger, and later, epic sighs of disapointment. We all had high hopes, but they were decisively dashed after the initial boot-up of what has become known as IL-2 CloD. Frame rates when the sim was first released were slide-show poor, stability was enough to make Job tear his hair, and menu navigation was inexplicably difficult. These and a myriad of other major issues kept anyone from feeling they got their money's worth. Most who had purchased Cliffs of Dover, eagerly expecting the best WW2 sim experience possible, quickly shelved it after vigorously (and justly) lambasting the developers online. The issues with which this product first shipped are unacceptable for any entertainment product if it is going to succeed. And, therefore due to the quality, or lack of it, succeed IL-2 Cliffs of Dover did not. The vision was there, the scope was there, the basics were there - but the execution left all the positives absolutely irrelevant.

Now fast forward in time to the present. Over the years since release, a series of patches from the developers have addressed many issues in the software, partly to silence their critics, but also in an effort to salvage their reputation for further software development. The most recent developer's patch, however, came with a statement: No More Work Will Be Done. Although the official patches fixed many issues, serious flaws still remained unaddressed. Seeing that CloD had been abandoned by the developers, a small group of historically-minded flight sim enthusiasts took it upon themselves to fix the glitches that remain, adding content as well as restored functionality. The result has been, literally, a game-changer. Frame rates are at 60FPS on modern machines, flight modeling is impressive, software stability is great, and the single player campaigns have even been re-written. Multiplayer is fantastic. 50 to 100 human pilots routinely fly together, in one server, over the English channel and French and English countrysides, re-enacting the dramatic days before, during, and after the Battle of Britain. You can find your aerial combat fix nearly any day or night on the ATAG (TF) multiplayer server. Team Fusion continues to poll the community for needed changes, and to add more content and bugfixes regularly. Their forum, and their patches, can be found at: http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=91

I highly recommend IL-2 CloD if you are a serious WW2 flight sim enthusiast. To date, it has the highest degree of period engine and flight modelling that a complete WW2 flight simulation product has delivered. You will feel as if you are piloting a piston-powered, 1200 horsepower, state of the art (for 1940) aircraft into realistic and deadly combat using nothing but a compass, high-power guns, crosshairs gunsight, and your wits. It is not an easy sim. It is a realistic one. If that is what you want, you have found it. Just make sure you use the TF additions. -Venturi

This is the best WWII combat flight sim out there at present..BAR NONE...It is the most complete WWII fighter pilot experience you will get....I have tried other WWII flight sims on the market and they are all very arcade like...This is the REAL DEAL...I have flown this sim over 1000 hours and I am still amazed at how real it feels, how good the landscape looks, the flight characteristics, the damage models, it is breathtaking!..and it is still being improved

When this sim originally came out it had flaws that put a lot of people off and gave bad reviews on sites like this. Unfortunately this has marred what is now quite literaly a brilliant sim. Its taken a while (2 years actually) but for those of us who gave this sim a second chance we have not been disappointed. For that reason I feel that I should make people aware of what they are missing if they don't get this game, but don't take my word for it..checkout the recent youtube videos..

The online experience is probably the best part of this game...To fight in the skies over Kent and the Pas-de-Calais in real time, scan the skies for enemy contacts, wing with a buddy and engage a deadly foe, it is exhilarating. You can change your shells to whatever shells were available at the time, you can change convergence settings so that your bullets hit exactly the same point, you fuel up to what amount you need which will influence your aircrafts balance and weight. The dogfight tactics are still the same from 1940, the flight characteristics are different for each aircraft and at different altitudes too....You can also fly bomber runs in 1940 bombers and take control of every manned gunning position as you try to fend off hungry attackers.

Even for new players there is plenty of help on youtube with 5 minute startup procedures, and how to dogfight in every flyable aircraft, you can be up and flying in just a few minutes. The best online server is ATAGS and they also have a website (link at bottom of this review)to checkout which is a must for new flyers with questions. Most importantly a large group of WWII aircraft enthusiast program techs have taken this sim and are constantly modifying it for a more complete experience. They are called the Team Fusion (TF) and they also use the ATAGS website as their base for discussion. The issues that once surrounded this game have now been resolved and the TF are now dedicating their time to making game enhancing changes like contrails and reflective cockpit canopys. Thats where this sim is at now.

If you want to fly online with us (and I would highly recommend the dogfighting online as its so much more full on than offline)...you must install the patches that can be found on the ATAGS website..and also for any questions...link to website here:

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/forum.php

So my advice is to ignore any review earlier than 2013 as Cliffs Of Dover is as different now to when it was released as night and day and is nowhere near comparable with those early reviews.

Fun game 10/10

However there issues that everyone should know about.
If you are a windows 8, 8.1, 10 user. You will not and i repeat will not
be able to run this game after purchasing it. I will leave a link in my review for the patch
if you are interested in getting the game. Also this game isn't like WarThunder you need to get a
Joy Stick because there is no mouse joy aka mouse flight.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>patch below<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
http://teamfusion.theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/

Installation of TF patches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xewfAma7GJA

Grab mod 4.0 or install all the patches.
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overall thoughts this game is fun from a simulator perspective yes in the new series
they added tanks officially even in the older game as well. The flight models as well as damage models are very well put together and i have to say with and without multiplayer this game is fun. even the older series has people still playing it and even bigger youtubers. I am glad this game is getting attention even from this post i wrote a few years ago and it hit me i never truly made a actual review all i did was like here is how you play this game on newer OS. anyways it worth buying yes and yes it also worth getting the DLC even i havent gotten it yet but i will one day.

As a commercial airline captain and a former USAF "Hog Driver" (A-10 pilot) I have to say "IL-2 Cliffs of Dover" has kept me occupied on many nights off. The aerodynamics of each aircraft get about as close to accurate as a flight sim. can get. My only issue with this sim. is that you're limited to France and England, I wish there was more map.

I have been flying Cliffs of Dover for well over 400 hours now and I cannot recommend it enough. If you like World War 2 history and have an interest in flight simulators, look no further: this is the game you’ve been waiting for. You will relive the Battle of Britain like you have never seen it before. You will find yourself crammed into a claustrophobic cockpit and fight for either the Royal Air Force, the Luftwaffe or the Regia Aeronautica Italiana. If you are an aviation buff, you will be pleased to find an impressive selection of aircraft used during the battle, even less known aircraft like the Boulton-Paul Defiant, the Supermarine Walrus, the Short Sunderland, the Dornier Do-17 or the Vickers Wellington. Of course, not all of these aircraft are flyable yet but the iconic planes like the Spitfire, Bf.109, Hurricane, G.50, Blenheim IV, Ju-88, He-111 and Br.20 can be flown. You can fly online with up to 100 people, which makes for very impressive battles with friends and foes.

The story of Il-2 Cliffs of Dover is a long and complicated one. When Ubisoft and 1C Game Studios dropped support for the game, a merry band of volunteers decided to create a free mod in order to fix the many issues Cliffs of Dover had back in the years 2011 to 2013. They became known as Team Fusion, and they keep modding CloD to this day and are slowly expanding the game to a whole new level. Sound mods, graphical fixes, performance improvement, flight model adjustment, new flyable aircraft, additional war theaters… these guys transformed this sim from the buggy-and-barely-playable-piece-of-junk mentioned in early reviews to what we have today. The difference between pre-mod and after-mod is mindblowing and it is the only way to play this game, trust me.

The strength of the game is that it is a happy medium between the complexity of a study sim like DCS and the accessibility of an arcade sim like War Thunder. You can jump into a cockpit and fly like you’re really there. You need to keep your engine temperatures (oil and water radiator) in check by maintaining proper RPM and manifold pressure settings (which are controlled by prop pitch and throttle controls) that should come with any cheap joystick you can buy on the market. Just like in real life, your aircraft will be prone to stall, spin and attempt to kill you if you do certain types of manoeuvers. You will learn how to takeoff and land by maintaining proper rotation and approach speeds. You will also learn how to navigate using either a magnetic compass or a gyro compass, just like they did in the 1940’s. You can also do high-altitude bombing with the real bombsight and autopilot controls if you like more advanced stuff. And if you think this stuff is too hard to learn, have no fear. There will ALWAYS be someone to explain these things to you if you ask for help. How do I know? Well, simply because I gave up on this game three times before Team Fusion finally modded the game and I asked for help on the ATAG forums (more on that later). These guys taught me everything I know and it is my pleasure to train new guys on a regular basis.

Cliffs of Dover wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for the efforts of Team Fusion, but I must also mention something else about CloD. There is a sense of fellowship in its online community that is unique and has no equal anywhere else. ATAG, also known as the Air Tactical Assault Group, is an online community where it all started. ATAG hosts the most popular online server and their forums are THE place to go if you want to learn how to play this game. There is a virtual Flight School where people request lessons with volunteer teachers. People can join Virtual Squadrons, discuss History, create multiplayer events, online campaigns, and have lots of fun on Teamspeak (which is a must if you want to fly online and coordinate with your fellow pilots). Whether you are a flight sim veteran or someone who has never even seen an aircraft, there is always place for you among the skies of Dover. If you like competition, you will find in multiplayer some of the finest virtual pilots with thousands of hours under their belt. If you want to learn how to fly from scratch, you will find someone to teach you the basics, from how to start your engine and get your butt off the ground to advanced techniques on how to shoot down enemy planes in flames. Guaranteed.

Overall, Cliffs of Dover is now living up to its promises and it is a real blast to fly. There is nothing more intense in the history of gaming than trying to shake that Messerschmitt off your six o’ clock. The next Team Fusion patch will include (for free) a new theater, new flyable planes (among them the mighty Wellington bomber) and all sorts of new goodies.

And If you don’t believe me, here are some videos of the game in action.

The Killer Angels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNBEK49_isc
The Beginning of the End
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6u4JxgE2S4
W for Wimpy – The Vickers Wellington
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMqw4b6HJ3Y
No. 71 Squadron Chronicles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adj4kcbgTkw
Band of Blennies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fHIsTyu5Bk

A very good simulation of the Battle of Britain with everything that fought in it. There are a few bugs, but the ATAG patches are the absolute best solution to them as the game simply becomes awesome when the patch is installed. Overall, the game deserves more than its "Mixed" review average...

This sim is the best WWII filight sim I have ever flown and I have over 25 years experience in flight sims from way back in the 80's until now. The game in itself had some issues that made alot of people put this sim back on the shelve (I almost did as well) But the community rallied, a mod team was formed under the name Team Fusion and this sim came back to life and went way above and beyond it's expectations. The realism and immersion are top notch and the community is one of the best in the gaming world and very helpful and patient with newbies. Even now in early 2014 the game is still being modded by TF and getting better all the time with new content, updated and better fps friendly graphics partical and visual effects. The flight models and damage models have been revised and more historical and are still getting better with each new patch. You can now take control of tanks and ground pound (wip) and the next mod release (coming very soon) you will be able to take control of flak guns and defend your base from enemy stafing it. This game will still be here in ten years no doubt and just keep getting better as it goes. The ATAG(AIR TACTICAL ASSAULT GROUP) server is the best host for this sim and there are always people on it willing to help newcomers out and get started. I have over 1200 hous on this awesome sim and will probably get to 10,000 plus in the next 5 to 10 years. And the best thing is the price is right, for under $20 you can't go wrong. Although now with the TF mods it sould be worth at least $60 and probably more. I definitely recommend this sim to any flight enthusiest out there.

Not a horrible sim, but was marred by a horrendous release. It's now very good and is actually really fun with the Team Fusion Mod. Get this on sale for sure.

UPDATE 7-7-2014: The game is now well worth a purchase at its full price now that it's gone down. Installing the latest TF Update will provide you with a criminally underrated flight sim. It's awesome.

11-1-2014: Just a test, Steam reviews seem weird.

The game now comes with the Team Fusion mods built-in, direct from Steam. So--no more downloading and installing a whole parade of mods just to get the game to work.

Instead, it works right out of the box.

So, if you've been thinking about trying CloD, now's the time. It's one of the best flight sims ever, has a large and active online multiplayer community, and the price is right.

Give it a try.