Today at the Microsoft PC Games International Games Festival, Microsoft Corp. announced that "Combat Flight Simulator 3," the latest installment in the "Combat Flight Simulator" franchise, is in development and scheduled for release this fall. "Combat Flight Simulator 3" features an advanced graphics engine designed to showcase realistic terrain, ground objects and detailed aircraft during high-speed, low-altitude combat missions. Coupled with the "Flight Simulator 2002" physics engine, "Combat Flight Simulator 3" continues to build on Microsoft's reputation for building the world's best-selling PC-based flight simulators.

"Combat Flight Simulator 3" also incorporates new role-playing aspects, giving players pilots' attributes that can be developed during the course of the war. As the war campaign continues, pilots will experience increased tolerance to G-forces, improving or declining vision, and fluctuations to physical health.

"Combat Flight Simulator 3" takes place from 1943 to the end of World War II, putting players in the role of a fighter, ground attack or bomber pilot in an assortment of combat scenarios. Featuring 18 World War II aircraft, including the first jet fighters in history, "Combat Flight Simulator 3" allows players to fly with the U.S. Army Air Force, Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) or the German Luftwaffe in a variety of missions focused around air superiority, close air support and tactical bombing.

"‘Combat Flight Simulator 3' is as real as it gets without actually sitting in the cockpit of a World War II bomber," said Tucker Hatfield, producer, Microsoft Game Studios. "We've taken a leading franchise and incorporated design and gameplay elements we've always dreamed of using. New features like low-altitude bombing, role-playing elements and a completely redesigned graphics engine will give players the most exhilarating combat flight simulation experience to date."

One of the most significant additions to "Combat Flight Simulator 3" is enhanced cooperative multiplayer capabilities, enabling up to 16 friends to work together to achieve campaign goals. Gamers also will be able to fly a medium bomber with friends, allowing each person to play as bombardier or gunner. Players can now host their own campaign and mission servers to simulate a "persistent" multiplayer game, allowing them to continue to fly World War II missions in an ongoing campaign for as long as the server is running. Battles won or lost during an online game will reflect on the mission server and will significantly impact the outcome of the campaign.

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