Full install is approximately 580 MB in this late beta. Sorry, no time
to talk about first impressions, that will have to wait for tomorrow.
Mostly I've been snapping images and cropping for the benefit of those
of you who have waited so long to see new shots!
Some shots on this page have no larger image linked..
No, it isn't the appearance at 10,000 or 20,000 feet that will surprise
you. After all, the cloud engine is similar to that of WW2 Fighters.
The game looks incredible at altitude, and the sky colors, horizon
gradient, dusk and dawn colors etcetera are very impressive.
What will surprise you is how good it looks down low. In this
sequence of shots I have X'ed a MiG. You'll see the missile shot, part
of a distant explosion, and an ejection. What you might not notice is
that the seat separates from the pilot and becomes a separate object.
Furthermore, the rocket motor in the seat generates a smoke trail!
This next shot shows something unusual.. the reflection of the blue
AB flame on the aircraft. You'll see something similar in the damage
shots that follow.
With this shot I barely missed capturing something we haven't seen
since the Longbow II days: a light map generated by the missile
travelling through the clouds. You will actually see the clouds reflect
the light from the missile flame.
