okay, so there are a lot of cons that I should mention. 36 missles and 4 bombs per wing may be a tad unrealistic, and being able to take 3 missle hits before going down may also be a little extreme, but the graphics are just too amazing! They have done a terrific job on the scenery. This game was pretty addictive for me. Every one or two missions, there would be this little japanese anime story about this dude growing up during the war, and some pilot named "yellow 13", i dunno, I didnt really pay attention to it. Moving on. The missions really didnt get that much harder as you moved on, and after you beat the game, your left with, now what? All there really is to do is play missions. I'd give it a thumbs up for the graphics, but a thumbs down for the plot.

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies - Circa 2002

GOOD:
- A good mix or simulation style and arcade fun
- Nice mission variety, good amount of air craft to unlock

BAD:
- Might play to much like arcade or to simulation for some
- Story is a little bland

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
- Takes place in a fictional world similar to our own with the same aircraft as our own
- Game is broken up into missions (levels) in which you follow objectives and earn points to unlock new aircraft
- Certain missions are much easier with certain aircraft, example slow ground based missions' call for the A-10 and fast air-to-air missions call for the Y-F22, but you can still use any jet fighter you want on any level (so you never feel pigeon holed)

GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
- Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere
- Lethal Skies
- Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- All the fighter aircraft in this game are replica of real life fighter aircraft
- This game also comes with a two player spilt screen versus mode

Yeah, everyone was going on and on about how "It's graphics are superb*" et cetera, et cetera, but they were way to immersed in its graphics to realize how incredibly easy and unrealistic it is.

Firstly, your airplance can take three missles, and still not go down. Usually, just one to the wing will send an aircraft spiraling to its doom.

Secondly, its plot is ultra-nonrealistic, not to mention practically non-existant. It tells you what you have to do, and you do it, never mind the fact that it's you and two wingmen verses about thirty other planes. After all, you're packing fifty two missles in those three cubic feet, not to mention the rocket launcher! Granted, they have a nice little background storyline about the main character and his messed up childhood, but in my opinion, that doesn't make up for an absence of plot.

And if that isn't enough, it's way too easy. In all fairness, I've only played it on easy, but unless the curve steepens significantly as I go up the dificulty level, even "hard" will be a peice of cake.

Of course, as you have probably gathered, my review is kind of one sided, so you may want to read somebody else's response that talks about the gameplay, not the graphics which are admitedly, beutiful.

*Yes, I know my spelling is atrocious. Please pardon any incorectly spelled words, for my word processing program is not working.