TFX (video game)


TFX is a combat flight simulator video game published by Ocean Software.

Gameplay

The game features an instant-action arcade mode, custom missions, and a campaign mode. The player can fly three aircraft: The Eurofighter, the F-22 and the F-117, and can customize payload for each aircraft. The campaign mode takes place in three theatres - Colombia, Somalia, Libya, the Balkans, and the South Georgia Islands. "TFX" stands for Tactical Fighter Eperiment.

Development

The interactive parts of the game were reduced to still images or omitted altogether for the Amiga version which, although never officially released by Ocean, was later included as a give-away game on a CU Amiga Magazine cover disc. There was also an experimental port produced for the original PlayStation shortly after its release. The Soap Opera Engine was manually programmed in TFX, but would be altered to become automated in future games. Amiga Computing gave the game a rating of 90% although they did question its stability on the basic Amiga 1200 platform. An Atari Jaguar port was slated to be under development by DID but it never released.

Reception

Computer Gaming World in February 1994 stated that of TFXs four flight models, "The military simulator could be the most advanced flight model yet—it takes into account weather, temperature and weapon/wing distribution. This is the real purist's sim". The magazine in April 1994 liked the weather, air refueling, and flight models, but criticized the lack of a rudder and other examples of lack of realism, "predictable" computer tactics, no campaign setting, and interfering autopilot. The reviewer concluded that "TFX feels old fashioned", and recommended it only to casual pilots.
In 1994, PC Gamer UK named TFX the 26th best computer game of all time. The editors called it "one of the best flight sims out on the PC and, with a bit of effort, a hugely playable game."