There's something especially uplifting about stumbling upon a special work of art where you weren't expecting one. Like a book you picked up only because you liked the cover, but WOW you feel so lucky that you did. Something like a random documentary on Netflix that really blows you away and turns you into an anti-SeaWorld activist for like, a week.
Video games are unique like any other medium. With games, it can be tough to find something that blows you away unexpectedly, only because you've seen so many trailers and screenshots, and read so many pre-release impressions that you know what to expect by the time you actually get your hands on it. At least, that's what happens with me.
IL-2 Sturmovik and Birds of Steel, both for the PS3 and 360, are two games that slipped through the cracks of pre-release hype but certainly deserve your attention. Obviously it's not a surprise that a couple of WWII flight sims never graced the cover of Game Informer, but if you can appreciate a game that just oozes passion and dedication, these two are worth a shot. This is pretentious as fuck but drink some wine or sip whiskey or whatever while you play these games. Smoke a cigar, not that I would but it seems like something one might do while one blows up Messerschmitts from the warmth of one's couch. In HD.
Attention history buffs: Dudes. DUDES. Listen to me when I say that I promise you'll find at least a few things to enjoy in these games. Both of them offer a nice variety of missions and a pleasingly obvious attention to detail, although it's important to note that Birds of Steel has the much more exhaustive collection of airplanes. IL-2 also focuses solely on the war in the Europe, whereas BoS offers tons of great missions in the Pacific (including lots of aircraft carrier landings, or crashes rather).
Gaijin Entertainment cut no corners in developing either game. The controls aren't the most intuitive you've ever played, especially in combat, but flying digital airplanes is only fun if there's a chance they might digitally crash or get digitally shot down, and not on purpose.
Everyone can enjoy a sharp attention to detail, or at least appreciate it. And like I said before, if you have a special interest in history and World War II then these games will make your blood pump. If flight sims aren't your kind of thing, or you're not the kind of person who would get a kick out of spotting the Reichstag while rolling and diving high above Berlin, it's not like IL-2 or Birds of Steel will convert you. But if you're open-minded and looking for something that falls outside the realm of "same old shit", it's worth giving these titles a chance. Plus, both games have been out for several years now, so you'll likely be able to buy them pretty cheap.
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