<s>
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
(	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
2001	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
combat	O
flight	O
simulator	O
video	O
game	O
and	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Along	O
with	O
its	O
sequels	O
,	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
is	O
considered	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
leading	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
flight	O
simulators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Free	O
internet	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
Xfire	B-Protocol
,	O
Hyperlobby	O
,	O
and	O
The	B-Application
All-Seeing	I-Application
Eye	I-Application
,	O
are	O
used	O
for	O
setting	O
up	O
online	O
game	O
sessions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
1C:Maddox	O
Games	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
1C	O
in	O
Russia	O
and	O
Ubi	O
Soft	O
in	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
on	O
November	O
18	O
,	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
currently	O
distributed	O
as	O
the	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
:	I-Application
1946	I-Application
pack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
is	O
the	O
flight	O
simulator	O
video	O
game	O
longest	O
supported	O
by	O
its	O
developer	O
with	O
the	O
demo	O
released	O
in	O
2001	O
and	O
the	O
latest	O
patch	O
including	O
new	O
planes	O
,	O
maps	O
and	O
other	O
features	O
released	O
in	O
December	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
the	O
patches	O
or	O
versions	O
,	O
like	O
Forgotten	B-Application
Battles	I-Application
(	O
2003	O
)	O
or	O
standalone	O
games	O
,	O
like	O
Pacific	B-Application
Fighters	I-Application
(	O
2004	O
)	O
,	O
used	O
and	O
shared	O
the	O
same	O
game	O
engine	O
from	O
2001	O
until	O
the	O
1946	B-Application
pack	O
(	O
2006	O
)	O
and	O
even	O
until	O
the	O
console	O
adaptation	O
(	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
:	I-Application
Birds	I-Application
of	I-Application
Prey	I-Application
,	O
2009	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
not	O
using	O
the	O
original	O
2001	O
game	O
engine	O
were	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
:	I-Application
Cliffs	I-Application
of	I-Application
Dover	I-Application
(	O
2011	O
,	O
which	O
runs	O
its	O
own	O
game	O
engine	O
)	O
and	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
:	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
of	I-Application
Stalingrad	I-Application
(	O
2013	O
,	O
which	O
runs	O
on	O
a	O
game	O
engine	O
derived	O
from	O
another	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
2009	O
simulator	O
Rise	B-Application
of	I-Application
Flight	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
received	O
a	O
"	O
Silver	O
"	O
sales	O
award	O
from	O
the	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
Leisure	O
Software	O
Publishers	O
Association	O
(	O
ELSPA	O
)	O
,	O
indicating	O
sales	O
of	O
at	O
least	O
100,000	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
review	O
aggregator	O
Metacritic	O
gave	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
a	O
score	O
of	O
91	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
,	O
while	O
GameRankings	O
,	O
another	O
review	O
aggregator	O
,	O
gave	O
it	O
90.65	O
%	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
was	O
named	O
the	O
best	O
computer	O
simulation	O
of	O
2001	O
by	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Magazine	O
,	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
,	O
The	O
Electric	O
Playground	O
,	O
GameSpy	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
IGN	O
's	O
award	O
in	O
this	O
category	O
,	O
losing	O
to	O
Independence	B-Application
War	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
nominated	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
for	O
its	O
2001	O
"	O
Computer	O
Simulation	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
but	O
ultimately	O
gave	O
the	O
prize	O
to	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Flight	I-Application
Simulator	I-Application
2002	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
"	O
narrowly	O
"	O
lost	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
USs	O
"	O
Best	O
Simulation	O
"	O
award	O
to	O
Flight	B-Application
Simulator	I-Application
2002	I-Application
,	O
according	O
to	O
that	O
magazine	O
's	O
editors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
awarding	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
editors	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
called	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmovik	I-Application
"	O
the	O
best	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
flight	O
sim	O
—	O
the	O
best	O
flight	O
sim	O
of	O
any	O
kind	O
,	O
for	O
that	O
matter	O
—	O
to	O
come	O
along	O
in	O
years.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
those	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
IL-2	B-Application
Sturmoviks	I-Application
election	O
to	O
Sim	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
biggest	O
shoo-in	O
votes	O
in	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
this	O
magazine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
 [ ... ] 	O
Know	O
this	O
:	O
Sturmovik	B-Application
is	O
not	O
only	O
the	O
best	O
simulation	O
of	O
2001	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
the	O
best	O
WWII-themed	O
sim	O
ever	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
flight	O
sims	O
of	O
all	O
time.	O
"	O
</s>
