Aero Elite: Combat Academy (PlayStation 2)

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And it certainly doesn't fix Aero Elite's controls. The game attempts to mix some simulation elements with arcade elements, so while it's possible to stall the aircraft, such a thing seems to rarely happen (and when it does, it's not too difficult to recover from it). But the controls aren't really all that simlike nor are they incredibly tight like those in most arcade flight combat simulations. Instead, the controls feel overly? sluggish, making it difficult to perform certain types of maneuvers, most notably going inverted over an enemy. Obviously, each type of aircraft has different maneuvering capabilities, but even the jets that are supposed to be highly maneuverable don't convey that very well.

Visually, Aero Elite suffers from most of the typical flight simulator problems, including incredibly muddied and blurred textures that will become quite apparent as you start flying closer to the ground. The environments are also lacking some detail, with only a few environments, particularly the city levels, giving any sense of scale. The jet and other aircraft models appear to be accurate and for the most part look good. You'll be able to see all of the little panels and airshafts on each craft as well as the pilots. The frame rate remains steady throughout most of the game, but considering that the PlayStation 2 hardware is actually rendering relatively little detail, this is hardly surprising.

As you might expect from a Sega-AM2 game, Aero Elite's soundtrack is mostly made up of guitar-laden '80s-style rock. While this may sound completely absurd to a vast majority of people, it actually fits the game quite well, and any fans of the film Top Gun will probably feel right at home. The sound effects are pretty standard for a game of this type, with the usual sounds of gunfire, missiles, and radio chatter throughout much of the game.

There isn't anything particularly spectacular about Aero Elite: Combat Academy. Its arcade mode is pretty standard, and the missions, while not entirely bad, just don't offer the excitement or thrills that a flight combat game should. Still, the game offers quite a bit of replay value in the form of unlockable craft and varying types of missions that focus on individual flight skills. There's also a versus mode where you can go up against a human-controlled opponent. In the end, if you're looking for a flight combat game for the PlayStation 2, then you should probably lean toward purchasing Ace Combat 04, but if you've already given that a whirl, then Aero Elite may prove to be a good rental.

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Aero Elite: Combat Academy (PlayStation 2): $14.00

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