Instead of making a brilliant explosion and having the plane tear into a million tiny pieces, the plane's engine will flame out and fall smoking towards ground. Another great aspect about the graphics is how parts of the airplanes tear off before they meet their final demise. The realism is carried a step farther with the smoke that you see coming out of a plane. If it's think black smoke, you've hit either a gas line or the engine. If you see white smoke pouring from the plane, chances are you've hit a hydraulics line.
Sound quality is also very high.
Unique and realistic engine sounds have been given to each plane, which makes it that much easier to tell if it's an enemy on your tail or just a wingman forming up. Gun and cannon fire sound genuine, along with bassy explosions. The voice talent isn't overly dramatic or completely monotone, with mediocre scripting. I especially enjoyed hearing the sounds of large air battles all around me, you need a recent sound card to do this game justice. If you're a World War II flight sim buff with an up to date system, Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator is for you.