Others say...

"Open Season on Bogeys!"
I have always enjoyed this type of game and I think Namco has outdone themselves once again.

The graphics - Outstanding!!!

The controls - Simple, yet effective.

The storyline - Excellent.

The selection of aircraft/weapons - This has been degraded from Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies... Now each aircraft can only carry one special weapons, I find in particular that the SFFS bomb (Self-forging fragmentation bomb) is ineffective against most targets. Some aircraft don't carry enough weapons to get the job done and some lack maneuverability. Also, planes like the A-10 and F-117 can go faster than they should. For example, according to Jane's Military Jets the A-10 is only capable of no more than 500 knots... I've taken it above mach 1 on some occasions. Also, the F-117 Nighthawk is pretty much useless. It has a very limited payload, lacks maneuverability and the mission timers don't allow for a slow and low approach. Also I've seen the A.I using it as a fighter in several missions, I understand that the actual F-117 carries neither missiles nor machine guns, it's a sneaky bomber through and through.

The only negative thing about this game is that each and every mission has a timer, once that timer runs out (if you haven't met the score requirements) the game ends. Often I'll go through a mission and check my stats, then I end up feeling like I could have done better if I'd had more time.

The things I would do to improve this game are to extend or remove the timers for one, bring back the return-to-base line on the edge of the map but allow the player to actually fly to base and land/refuel/takeoff. I'd do the same for the refueling checkpoints (where you have to dock with a tanker) remove the timers, make the maneuvering process a little more realistic. The missions that let you land afterward are less than desirable too, you have to go in at 200+ knots and pretty much slam on the deck and come to a screeching halt in order to get a perfect score.

All things considered, I would say that this is an Excellent game and would easily recommend it (as well as the others in the Ace Combat/Air Combat series). I've played a lot of games from this genre, and from many different companies. I find that Namco's products blow the others clean out of the water every time!

"BEST jet sim ive ever played ... but"
this is the greatest jet flight sim ive ever played .. better than ace combat 4. its feel is so realistic! i feel lik i need a joy stick, peddles, and throttle instead of a plastic controller just to keep in the action. the sounds of the dogfight are INCREDILBY REALISTIC!!!!!
and the jets are insane too. the miniguns actually sound like miniguns! (humming), not sounding like fully automatic .22s like some other flight sims.

BUT~

my only comlaint is that the charachters, wingmen and wingwoman (whyever) in the story are VERY unrealistic and INSANLY annoying....... in the middle of a blood boiling, heart wrenching, neck breaking, controller crushing, edge-of-your-seat dogfight their talking to eachother like their at a party or a rave. they ask retarded questions about stupid crap at 12,000ft at 700mph upsideown firing A-A missiles at enemies.
it feels like im watching a crapy jap anime sob story whilst i incinerate hundreds of enemy fighters and ships.

i just turn off the TV speakers and crank up iTunes..
but i do miss the background sounds as a resault these horrible charachters...

as of the mail service, getting it to my house ... incredible.
and i spent under 20$!!!! ..and in under 4 days from the other side of the COUNTRY!!!
as soon as i put in the order it was off to NC!! unlike some other mail order services puttin it off till next week!
as a resault! im a costomer for life... or untill my internet is cut off again.

"Great game for figther jet lovers!"
At first I got worried, becouse the training part is really easy so I wasn't expecting much of the game, but as I started doing the missions it really got me interested and now I can't wait to get home and play it. Great graphics, you really feel like you're in the jet seat.
Excelent game.

"Okay"
This game is okay but can be a bit hard. We had fun playing. It alomost feels like you on a simulator.

"A lot of fun."
Many of my impressions have already been expressed in the other reviews here. I will make a few brief observations. Compared to Ace Combat 4, I find the clarity of the visuals, with the plane itself, to be less sharp. I don't know why, I bought this expecting them to be even sharper than AC4. The background story line I thought was not as interesting as AC4, either. I can take or leave the CGI moving characters of the story. The radar screen is difficult to read, especially compared to AC4. The dull green arrowhead for your plane is too easy to confuse with the wingmen and sometimes with the enemy if you only have time for a quick glance. At times, trying to adjust the scale on the radar screen doesn't add any clarity at all. So, I think the radar screen presentation in some missions really needed some further work. A silly point to bring up, given that it's really kind of "silly" to care this much about a video game, but even in the realm of sci fi and fantasy in the game itself, I don't logically follow how some missile bursts will blow up all friendly aircraft below 5000 feet (for example) but not harm, at all, any enemy aircraft or ships. Basically, though, I very much enjoyed this game and certainly recommend it to anyone, though I thought AC4 in some ways was superior.