IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, or Wings of Prey on , is a . As with previous installments of the series , it depicts combat aircraft from , although with less focus on realistic simulation than other entries in the series. The game has a campaign mode in which players are able to fly the against the , and also a multiplayer mode in which they are able to select either faction. A demo of the game launched on the and Xbox 360's on 29 July 2009.
Birds of Prey is based around the large-scale aerial combat and ground military operations of World War II. Players can participate in some of the war's most famous battles, piloting fighters, attack aircraft and heavy bombers across a range of missions. There are six theatres of war to engage in: , , , , and the , representing the main airborne battles of World War II in .
Birds of Prey has a new damage effects engine. Players can see real-time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dog fights. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey features hundreds of aircraft taking part in air battles. The environmental engine also produces high-detail, realistic landscapes that allow players to easily see ground support actions.
The game was developed by , who subsequently developed , also exclusively for consoles. Birds of Steel shares many traits with Birds of Prey (including HUD, aircraft models, controls, and menu design) but differentiates itself by concentrating primarily on US–Japanese aerial battles of the Pacific theater.