Worried about multiplayer mischief, 1C Maddox worked hard to keep aircraft modders out of this landmark sim. When the defences were eventually breached, the resulting free-for-all turned an already compendious creation (IL-2: 1946 includes Western European, Pacific War, Winter War, Med and Eastern Front content) into an Aladdin’s Cave of steeds and sorties. Bored of playing sky tig with Spits, Bf-109s and Zeros? Once augmented with gigantic mods like Dark Blue World and HSFX, IL-2 will let you frolic with Fascist biplanes above a troubled 1930s Spain. It will nod enthusiastically if you express an interest in catapult-launched Hurricanes and North Atlantic convoy protection. It will give a jaunty thumbs-up when asked if a weekend in twin-boomed Dutch Fokkers or Crimson Skies-style Shindens is a possibility. Simulations don’t come more cosmopolitan than this