Ил-2 Штурмовик: Битва за Сталинград

I love planes especially military aircraft, especially soviet aircraft i love ww2 aircraft in general the most and as such , especially soviet ww2 aircraft, as such i esspecially love this game

Right from the opening menu, IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad hits you with a sense of authenticity that’s hard to shake. The aircraft sounds snarling engines, the creak of stressed wings, the hum of cockpit dials are so lifelike it’s uncanny, and the interiors are a love letter to detail. This isn’t just a game; it’s a time machine, and the realism hooked me instantly.

The title itself, Battle of Stalingrad, isn’t just a catchy name it’s a promise of historical weight, and the developers at 1C Game Studios delivers. The single player campaign is the soul of this sim, plunging you into one of World War II’s defining clashes: the brutal 1942-43 air war over Stalingrad. It’s clear they poured serious research into this. You’re not just flying random planes you’re part of squadrons with real histories. Take the Luftwaffe’s Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG3), formed in 1939 and thrown into Stalingrad with their Bf 109s to dominate early skies, only to face the Soviet 434th IAP and their Yak-1s as the tide turned. Later, you’re piloting the IL-2s of the 8th Air Army’s Shturmovik regiments, hammering Axis lines during the counteroffensive. The game lets you dig into each squadron’s past when they were formed, their combat legacy, even their insignia proudly displayed on the fuselages. It’s a history nerd’s dream, and it makes every mission feel like a chapter in something bigger.

The realism extends to the gameplay too. This is no arcade flyer flight mechanics mirror the real capabilities and quirks of these warbirds. I used a joystick, and while the controls took time to master (stalls and spins were my early nemeses), they clicked eventually, delivering a rewarding challenge. The visuals are just as authentic: scarred Stalingrad terrain, swirling blizzards, and planes so detailed you can count the rivets on an IL-2’s armored hide. The soundscape cannon bursts, engine strain, flak pounding the sky wraps it all in visceral immersion.

The campaign’s pacing can drag at times, with some missions feeling like reruns, but the historical depth kept me invested. You’re not just fighting; you’re reliving Stalingrad’s turning point, from the Luftwaffe’s initial edge to the Soviet resurgence. Multiplayer’s a wild ride too dogfights with real pilots are heart pounding, though server quirks can disrupt the flow. The aircraft lineup, from the nimble Bf 109 to the rugged IL-2 (my personal favorite for its ground-pounding grit), ties perfectly into the setting, each plane a star in this historical epic.

Replayability hinges on your love for the era those squadron histories and dynamic battles beg for repeat flights. It ran smoothly on my system, with only minor stutters in the thickest scraps. For the price, it’s a steal if you crave authenticity over casual thrills. The developers’ research shines through every insignia, every unit rotation, every mission briefing feels pulled from the archives.

What I adored most was how it honors Stalingrad’s legacy the campaign’s depth, the squadron lore, the sheer weight of flying in history’s shadow. Drawbacks? The steep learning curve and sparse tutorials might ground newcomers. I’d give it a 9/10 a triumph for anyone who wants to soar through a meticulously crafted slice of World War II.

Just had an update and now I cannot select a map in the quick start system. So I cannot play the game anymore.

Every update forgets binds and now I need an account to just play offline. On top of it I signed up but still cant logon. Kinda pissed. Actually gameplay is great for old plane combat

It's the best WW2 simulator out there. Just pick the right DLC for you. Don't go crazy.

ถ้าจะเล่นเกมนี้ พวกมึงต้องทำใจกับการที่ มองศัตรูไม่ออก หาไม่เจอ พยายามยิงฝั่งเดียวกันเอง มึงมองไม่ออกหรอกครับ เครื่องบินแม่ง ระยะจะเอาดากกันอยู่ละ เห็นอยู่ pixel เดียวไอ่หำ แต่มันสนุกตรงนี้ล่ะ ชอบความ simulation เครื่องมีให้เล่นพออยู่ บางแผนที่อาจได้เล่นแค่ bomber ที่มีให้

สรุปสั้น
- simulation ในห้องเครื่องทำมาดี
- Graphic Engine บัคเยอะ (มองไม่เห็นเครื่องบินหน้าเมฆ)
- ส่วนใหญ่จำเป็นต้องใช้อุปกรณ์ ในการเล่น ( Joystick/Controller )
- คนไม่มี DLC ต้องทำใจหน่อย เพราะเครื่องมีให้เล่นในแต่ละแผนที่ ไม่เยอะมาก

I have been playing the il2 series since the excellent 1946 (which I highly recommend).
Cliffs of Dover was a much anticipated but disappointing sequel. However the battle of stalingrad series is an excellent return to form. I really can't praise the game enough.
I have played in vr too and it really adds to the immersion, though you need a fully configured hotas to play like that regularly.
I've bought most of the add on games. I wish the series was less Russian focused as that air war doesn't interest me so much.
If you enjoy ww2 air war games, this is it. Dcs may dominate modern jet and helo gameplay but it is a poor ww2 platform. Also I think il2 does a much better job of making war flightsim fun, whereas dcs can feel sterile. Perhaps il2 flight models are not quite as sophisticated as dcs, or perhaps dcs has gone too far with modelling every cockpit button. Overall I find il2 to have the better balance of gameplay vs dcs sterile system modelling. Plus for ww2 milsim il2 bos is far far better than dcs (not to mention much cheaper as I don't need to buy several dlcs just to play a ww2 scenario).
The developer has done an excellent job and the continued excellent dlc content is a great sign of continued effort by the developer.
Chef kiss😘

Serious WW2 flight combat simulation (click almost every switch / button /etc). It is not an easy flight sim (although you can make things easier), and it will require some effort to learn how to fly the plane in a manner that lets you shoot anything. There is increadible depth here, if you want to manage your plane's engine mixture, prop pitch, engine cowels, in addition to flying, shooting, etc... then this game will let you do it. Expect to have to watch some youtube videos for flying your plane - and how to best dogfight in that specific plane. The old arcade style - pull all the way back on the stick and turn - will put you into an unrecoverable spin... and even if you don't spin out, most planes this won't do you well in the fight. Learn real life manuvers and use those...

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In an odd way, one of the hardest thing is knowing what to buy/download.

First - There are Battles, which include a map for each, several planes for each, and a sandbox type 'campaign' in each (randomized battles in the timeline/battle where you create a pilot, join a squadron, and fly missions until they die...seeing how many days you can make it and how far through the battle you can go).

Second - there are one off collector planes you can buy that give you (typically) one or more specialty plane for you to add

Third - you can buy campaigns for planes, more of a traditional campaign for a plane, where you get a dozen missions in a row with a story.


These all leave over 50 expansion modules and steam doesn't do a good job of allowing you to filter what you are looking for...and the IL2 website isn't much better. Ironically when you are in game seems like the best place to get an idea of what you want - then go to steam and find that specific module.

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This game is fantastic in VR (although the setup is slightly challenging to get right). And realistically the best way to play this game IMO. Get a good HOTAS and a VR headset and then go fly. Not required, but this will add so much to the experience.

haha funi plen go brrrrrrrr

In all seriousness, this game is pretty amazing. It really makes you feel like a fighter pilot, and brings you closer to the aircraft than many other games. It feels amazing to fly your favorite warplanes (for me its the Spitfire MkIX and the Fw 190 A-6.) All the aircraft are wonderfully modeled and sound like the real planes like the Mustang, which I have seen fly before. This game is 100 times better then the hellhole known as War Thunder.

Two planes crashed into each other during a dogfight right next to my cockpit, scattering debris everywhere. Most immersive game experience I've ever had/10

At first this game was awesome. But in a few months time I am seeing that it taes about an hour or so of messing around with settings, controls, inputs, and track IR to get anything to work> its not a game, its a project every single time to get it running. I am honestly so tired of dealing with so many issues when I have bought either standard or top of the line equipment to run on this thing and I am plagued with problems all around.

If it had better joystick support that didn't involve an hour of setup to get your joystick working, and better VR controls, it might have a better business model than milking the same 300 people with hugely overpriced DLC.

I always say that if i could travel back in time, I would go back to the year 1938 and enlist in the Army Air Corp, but since time travel isn't possible yet I guess i can live my fighter pilot fantasies in for IL-2 Sturmovik in VR.

On a real note, I spend ~$600 for a flight stick/throttle/MetaQuest VR on a whim, and worth every penny. As an aspiring pilot, this is exactly what I need.

It is a giant learning curve, but it is worth every bit of it in the end.

Phenomenal in VR (Meta Quest 3 with OpenXR). You can almost forget you're not in a real airplane. In fact, the other night, after turning off the engine, I tried to climb out of the cockpit. :)

Definitly a must have if you are into WW2 simulation games

i think this game is fantastic, and very realistic

war thunder but fun

Coming from around 120 hours in IL-2 1946 I had high hopes, and was not disappointed by the game in terms of how it plays. I'm not a fan of the way the content is broken up behind so many paywalls, but I think developers actively look for any reason to put the modules on sale as they VERY often run deep discount sales, so what started as notable gripe turned into a small critique.

This game is amazing! The game is very open ended when it comes to customization and how YOU want to play it. Don't want a hyper realistic flight sim? You can tweak the difficulty in various ways to accommodate that wish. Do you want to control pretty much every aspect of your plane in a brutal unforgiving sim that isn't too far from the real thing? You can absolutely do that too. I think this game has something for everyone and they just keep adding new stuff to do and new planes to fly, and it seems that they aren't slowing down anytime soon.

It has a steep learning curve and is almost impossible to shoot anything down. But eventually its worth the effort.

A great addition to any pilot's game library.

its not without flaws, but its an amazing experience. I starting play war bird games young with aces of the pacific in the early 90's, and this just makes the mental view i had as a young gent become real.

with a quality hotas setup with pedals and I also cant express enough to have a head tracker. really make the environment come alive. If you have these items or working towards them, i whole heartly recommend getting this sim. Its alot of fun with some amazing detail.

best WW2 flight sim out there hands down.

Its a great simulator for people who like history and planes if you have a flight yoke, rudders and throttle instead of using keyboard the experience will be even better

Honestly i'd never have gotten into this had i not invested in a Flight stick. I do own VR (Quest 2) However i've been playing this at a native 4K on my OLED screen. It's been such a visual treat and for only having a 3060ti. It's super optimised compared to modern releases.

I've a fair bit of Flight Sim & Even some Space Shuttle 2007 experience behind my belt but the game was only around 10 pounds. The Lightly used Airbus Thrustmaster Stick cost 31 pounds from ebay & Another 12 into the normandy DLC.

In the next few hours i might even check my current career and see if there's planes i need. I can complete the entire Normandy deluxe collection for 26 pounds instead of the 52 non sale price.

I've invested way too much time into this game the past few days. Its seriously addictive and i've not even touched VR or any multiplayer aspects. I'm more of a relaxed gamer and prefer single player so i can always pause when needed.

The campaigns really make this work though. I'd have never got 20 hours on the base game in a matter of 3 days if i didn't really enjoy myself. Eventually i'm going to try VR and based on how easily i can run a fluid 60fps at 4K I'm positive my Quest 2 can handle 80hrz with some reduced settings for details i'd miss in VR such as grass and probably shadows from Ultra to Medium or high.

I'm already considering either investing another 16 into one of the WW1 packs. Or completeting the Normandy Deluxe bundle but i've another 10 hours before the sale ends to make up my mind.

Apparently the game is on sale quite often. I did own the original IL2 years back but it must have been more than a decade since i've played it. I'm really glad the developers put this on sale probably accounting for people buying new Flight sticks who might be put off but realistically if i knew i'd have got this much fun i'd have paid 30 for the base. I have since invested more than that into additional content so the sale technique certainly works with this type of game.

Hats off to the developers though. I've clearly ignored this game for far too long and please. Keep up the sales in future as i'm sure i'm not the only one who's got a few to spare every week.

Just buy it if you like the concept of flying. I really didn't buy this thinking i'd enjoy the WW2 elements but turns out it really feels fresh. I'm excited to get to try tanks in the future and get the upmost out this game. Like Zaccaria Pinball i reckon this will be another Cult classic that i always go back to. Another simulation game with amazing VR support. I've more hours in VR than 2D with that title so perhaps i'm already missing out not playing this in VR, Just right now i'm a noob who needs to look at the controller.

One recommendation i'd like is perhaps a in-game flight stick calibration. I have over 12 extra buttons on this stick i can easily feel out, it'd be great if we had the game ask us to input buttons for the most important inputs to noobs like me to assign proper controls to the stick. the default is pretty good but i did have to modify it to be able to fire weapons and use my thrusters. It only really gave me camera options on the default setting on my custom buttons so perhaps having a pre-designed bunch of inputs to calibrate on to your flight stick would be amazing.

What could work even better is having pre made profiles for all the popular sticks out right now and i can go from take off to landing all in VR with only my flightstick and its many buttons. Currently i have no clue and still use my keyboard along with my stick so that's currently preventing me from giving this a real try on VR.

Perhaps i need to play more and learn myself what inputs are vital and assign them in a smart and efficient way for my Airbus stick as of right now? Most games i'm pausing and checking controls and then hesitating to assign it to one of my many additional buttons and giving up and going back to memorising what buttons i need.

As you can tell there's a lot of work the user needs to do to get the actual value out of this game. It's not a terrible fault of the devs but more another hurdle we need to climb when making such an advanced game with so many mechanics, features and scenarios. I've been headshotted from afar while heading back to base and it was GG. But that bit of randomness is how theirs a literal army below and above you simulating at a solid 60 frames. It's really quite impressive from a 2014 release to have this much AI. From what i remember, The engine itself has really came on!

One thing i will be doing next play through is taking literal notes of the keys/commands i'm using most and try to come up with a proper profile for all my extra un-used buttons on the flight stick. Hopefully by then i can finally give the VR a shot!

So if you want this game for VR, sure it has the support to do it. BUT, flat out it does not provide that. you will need a joystick. your controllers from your VR headset will do nothing. Game has a lot of potential with VR so long as you have the components to support that (joystick, rudder pads,ETC.) If you play VTOL VR and think coming here will give you the same seamless experience with your hands, it wont. For the time being, I am refunding until I get a joystick if I want to.

IF you have VR, joystick, and rudders, well have at it this game will be amazing for you.

too scary, b25 make me mad, WHY BF109 BUILT LIKE PAPER

Excellent simulator. Could be very challenging and takes time to set everything up the way you like it, but worth the time. Possibly the best ww2 simulator there is right now

If you like realism, you'll love this.

If you like playing as Germany, you'll love this.

If you want to smash your keyboard, or controller, or HOTAS, be anyone else.

My first VR flight sim

if ur looking to play this game in vr and think ur vr controllers will work, dont even bother buying this game because they dont work at all, with the game, ur expected to still use ur mouse and keyboard even in vr mode, they mention nothing about that, im saving you all the time. game is alright but the no vr controller support instantly makes the game dog. instantly refunded this game when i found out you cant use your vr controllers.

Very entertaining and immersive. I think some missions could have been better designed in that the safest rout to target and best altitude for advantage are not always chosen. Minor really, Adolf Galland used to encourage hunting at low level in the BoB so who am I to argue? but this game makes you careful as it doesnt take much lack of concentration to get shot down. Level of detail can be stunning and its a pleasure to get your wheels thumping on the landing strip after a mission. There is a bug it seems to be well known where your place on the roster for the next mission in career mode, disappears after you complete the first mission of the day. I get over this by appointing myself commander, but I dont always want to command! however this way you can pick or chose if you participate or not. Oh, and pick your rout and height as well .

Absolutely superb WW2 air combat simulator - with Tank vs Tank thrown in!

Like it! Please continue the development. Nice simulator!

Great Flightsim but newcomers will have to look up a lot of guides online. Very little handholding in this game. Also be aware that many campaign missions are realistic from takeoff to landing - literally. Become acquainted with the time acceleration function :-)

Airplanes :)

one of the best flight sims and best ww2 flight sim, Fantastic maps and missions. Incredible detail for the planes and flight model.

i got my moneys worth so its not bad. single player is ok when starting out but gets old. mp is only really active on one server most of the time and centered around a air to air team death match meta. there are objectives and there is the opportunity for some real team play (bombers and escorts doing a realistic mission) but more than not its just people looking for air to air fights. if you like mp and playing an objective its not really gonna happen without friends so i give my time here a 7 outta 10.

I played mainly with a controller, which clearly isn't the ideal setup. I had fun and it reminded me of playing the early war plane sims as a kid. Good fun.

It would be nice to play the game, but I can't get past the registration at startup. I registered an account following all of the steps the recommended on Steam and on the developer's webpage, but still can't get the game to start. Something is configured wrong in their registration system.

Immersive warplane sim. If only all WW2 games had Career mode...

You will need a joystick, plus either flying experience or a desire to learn. You do not need VR, but it will make you want to try it.

killing people in air to air combat in real life must be the best feeling in the world

As detailed and sim heavy as DCS, but you can play it with only your mouse if you want.

It's a whole new dimension if you can play it in VR. I'm using a Quest 3 and link cable.

I'll preface this review by saying that I come from War Thunder. I played over a thousand hours and spent the majority of those time in mid-high tier prop air RB. I also bought the base game with Bodenplatte DLC on my first purchase, and only play single player thus far . With that out of the way, here's my thoughts:

As someone coming from War Thunder, do I recommend the game?

In short, yes. Very.

Good combat, pick any mission/theater you like without the alternate history missions (which I wholeheartedly hate from War Thunder), solid damage physics, a good options of planes, to name a few. In my opinion it offers the best of both worlds from War Thunder and DCS. A big plus for me is that it's able to be played with a controller (DualShock 4)

For the long answer...

I bought this game with the intention of trying to find an aircraft combat game that doesn't require me to grind hours upon hours to fly the plane I want (War Thunder) nor spend a great sum of money to fly the plane I want (DCS). For the longest time, I've had Il-2 Sturmovik: BoS on my wishlist but never really bought it because I don't own a HOTAS. I thought that to enjoy a game like this I need a full HOTAS setup. Boy, was I wrong.

Last month the game and DLCS got a major discount (which happens more often than I thought) and I decided to gun it. I'll give it 2 hours, and from there I'll make up my mind whether I want to keep or refund the game. Suffice to say that at first I'm surprised my DualShock 4 actually registers, though I'm having trouble with the camera movement. After the 2 hours is almost up I thought about refunding the game, but I decided not to. Though I'm having problems with the controls, I like flying the planes, and it just needs a little more tweaking here and there to make it work fine. So after binding the trigger, throttle, camera, and zoom buttons to the mouse and flying with the left joystick, I find the game to be very enjoyable, engaging and worth every penny I spent on it.

What sets it apart from War Thunder?

What I like about War Thunder is how the air realistic battles is just that, "Battles". You don't need to set supercharger stages, radiator flap, engine mixture, magneto, starter, push this, press that, etc. War Thunder controls that either automatically or at the push of a single button. Same with navigation, where you can just press "M" to see exactly where you are. Il-2 gives you the option to choose whether you want to manage the engine by yourself, or automatically. If you, like me, just want to get into the action without having to deal with "all that" then I highly recommend you try this game. Battles in War thunder are also "concise," as in you just need to fly for 5 minutes before encountering the enemy and get your dopamine rush from combat. IL-2 also gives you that chance, whether you want to run a quick mission with an air start, or go the extra mile and start from the parking area to play the entire mission, it's up to you.

I also love the fact that as there is no grinding or "reward" mechanics in this game, you can play at your own pace. For example, sometimes in War Thunder, when I'm the bottom fragger with 0 kills, few scores, and the match has dragged on for over 30 minutes, I'd usually engage the enemy to at least get a score/kill, even when I'm at a disadvantageous position. That way I can be done with this match, and move on to the next. Whether I die or not doesn't matter. Here, I try to be more cautious. I always disengage when I'm in a bad situation, and though I'm still kill-hungry, I do it with strategy and try to play it smart. Landing back home safe is always my top priority, and a reward by itself.

Damage model/physics is very very very good here compared to War Thunder. I always fly my 109 with wing gunpods (crazy, I know) in War Thunder because personally I feel that It never punches hard enough to kill a plane. The story is different here, however. I feel those 2 mgs and a cannon from the 109 is enough to kill an enemy. I also remember when my left wing was shot, but it's still intact, so I did not disengage out of the fight. Imagine my surprise when I pulled a high G and suddenly I was spinning aimlessly mid-air. It turns out that with enough damage and high G-load, your wings will give out in IL-2. I know this sounds like a common sense but I don't remember ever having this kind of encounter in War Thunder. There, if you're shot, you either still have your wings, or you don't.

Do keep in mind that I say this from propeller Air RB perspective, though. Not from Air Arcade battles, or Simulator Battles. I enjoy having to spot the enemy plane and identify them without the UI before engaging, I also enjoy having realistic aircraft physics and ballistic. If you're coming from Air RB, I think that it doesn't take much getting used to, and I truly feel that you will enjoy this game.

What sets it apart from DCS?

Very, very affordable. As someone living outside of Europe and Northern America region, the price of a game has been a big considering factor for me before a purchase. With the base game and Bodenplatte DLC, I get to play FW-190 A8, BF 109 K4, P-51D, Spitfire MK IX, and P-47D, all of which is sold separately in DCS with their own hefty price tag. Not to mention this game offers you the experience to fly the exquisite Me-262, in the same Bodenplatte DLC, if late war jets are your thing.

Eastern Front. Fly Lavochkins, Petlyakovs, Heinkels, Mid-war 109s and Stukas above Eastern front. I don't really fly the Soviet planes, but if you want to experience the 109s while they're nimble and lighter before they became a bomber interceptor, look no further. I love my Mustangs, but flying the 109 F4 is like gliding through the air.

I guess that's it from me. 88 hours in and I thoroughly enjoy my purchase. Bottomline is: Get the game, it's worth it, even more so on discounts.

muy real y muy bueno aunque le falta mas contenido y casi todo es de paga otra cosa me hubiera gustado que los aviones fueran klicleables en cabina

Great entry point for anyone looking at flight sims from a mechanics point of view. cost is tough for getting all the dlcs and the planes but those are al a carte and sales are generally not that far apart.

Loads of fun.

They are public supporters of the Russian war in Ukraine. Dont buy from them.

Excellent graphics and great control of aircraft ,tanks and vehicles. Challenging and fun to play. I am a private pilot and have flown military aircraft such as the T 6 ,T 33 And the MIG 15. This flight sim I believe helped prepare me for these flights. I made steep turns and rolls in each of the above aircraft with no difficulty.

I love this game sm good plane models and great crash physics dlcs too expensive tho

IL-2 is probably the best WW2 air simulator on the market right now. However, its graphics and engine are starting to show their age, which is expected for an 11-year-old game. That said, some missing features from the initial release still haven't been implemented:

• No support for four-engine bombers.
  
• No system for external fuel tanks.
  
• Less interactive cockpit compared to the predecessor IL-2: Cliffs of Dover.
  

The Good:

• The DLCs, which include maps and aircraft packs, are great for those on a budget.
  
• Ground attack gameplay is solid. (The Hawker Typhoon is an absolute beast!)
  
• Low-level air combat is well done. While the AI tends to focus mainly on turn fights, it works well in a furball.
  
• Best multiplayer WW2 experience right now, striking a perfect balance between study sims and quick air-quake games.
  

The Bad:

• Lacks high-altitude gameplay. (No large air formations to protect or attack.)
  
• Missing the Pacific theater and naval air operations.
  
• No external fuel tanks, making long flights in the Normandy campaign impossible without an air start.
  
[*]Ground vehicles have a lot of potential but feel more like a solid tech demo than a fully fleshed-out feature.

I would recommend the game to anyone tired of the grind in air-quake games or to those who don't have the time for a study-level sim.