+1 to this, and let me elaborate: Tiny Combat Arena focuses on a (somewhat fictional) version of the Harrier Jump Jet and opponents from around that era. Attractive low-poly graphics -- and I do mean attractive -- very good performance and the right balance between arcade and flightsim. There is a flight model to the game, and some weapons systems get simulated in simplified form.

Do you remember the flightsims of yore, like F-117? This is it, only with better graphics and flight.

Why does the low poly graphics warm the heart (subjectively) more than LAC and even modern games?

Because it leaves to the imagination, probably.

The same reason why people love impressionist paintings or painting done with large strokes of pallete knive. Leave something for the human brain to fill in, do a small puzzle of connecting shape into something whole.

Loved F-117. Chuck Yeager's Air Combat in the same league.

I was skeptical when you said attractive low-poly graphics. I'd never seen such thing. But checking the link out, it is pretty.

Incidentally, why is it that so many flight simulators are low-poly? I've seen FPS with amazing graphics, why not make flight simulators with amazing graphics as well?

> But checking the link out, it is pretty.

Yes, did you see the contrail effects? Pretty cool. And I own the game -- it's even cooler in action. And the explosions of cluster bombs raining on tanks... very satisfying!

> Incidentally, why is it that so many flight simulators are low-poly? I've seen FPS with amazing graphics, why not make flight simulators with amazing graphics as well?

For commercial games, I'm sure you know DCS and its amazing photorealistic graphics. I assume you mean indie games, and I think the answer is multiple:

- The authors want to recreate the experience from the flightsims of their childhood, which were all wireframe or flat polygons.

- Flat polygons can look pretty cool if well animated. They give a cartoon/retro vibe that many of us like.

- It's way faster to prototype and have something running on low-poly than having to deal with textures, shaders and whatnot, especially if that's not what the developer is interested in toying with.

- "Good graphics" in a flightsim can be very taxing! Developers probably just want to toy with their favorite planes, add some cool features, and have it running on a midrange computer. I can play Tiny Combat Arena at very high res with all effects maxed on a mid-range laptop from 2016! I think I probably wouldn't even be able to start DCS with this, let alone having it maxed.

Did I read MicroProse? Did I read that right?

Looks like someone who used to work for Bohemia bought the name.

Yes, it's published by MicroProse, but it's really the labor of a single person who started it as a hobby.

I still have the large binder from the original Falcon 4.0 in my closet. Those were great childhood memories. My machine couldn't run it at first though so I just had to read the manual and fantasize at the time (until I was able to afford a new processor) hahaha.

Thank you for the recommendation - I've wanted a game like this for years, 'a contemporary F-19' and 'by Micrprprose' too - delightful!