A must have for any aspiring fighter pilot on the move!

User Rating: 8.9 | Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception PSP
By Moti_Biran | Review Date:
When I grew up as a kid in Israel, I always wanted to be in the Israeli Air Force. We kids were raised up on the notion that it was the best air force in the world, and I was proud of it. Well, time flew by, I grew up, I didn’t go to the air force, and the entire notion of fighting for real didn't seem as appealing to me as it used to. All the fascination with flying and dog-fighting came back to me when I picked up Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception for the PSP. In this hand held wonder you play as an ace pilot of a fictional country trying to liberate itself from the clasp of a tyrant nation. The plethora of planes includes a lot of real licensed jets, and several imaginary ones that you can tweak by buying special parts for them with the points that you earn by completing the missions.
The graphics of the game are amazing in my opinion. The power of the PSP really shines in this game. The planes look amazing, and the terrain too. An added realism to the game is achieved by the radio messages you will get from HQ and from friendly pilots that support you on your mission.
The game is not so realistic as a full fledged flight sim would be, and it plays as an arcade combat sim. That fact is made obvious by examining the amount of armament that each plane can carry, an exaggeration that was implemented for the enjoyment of the game play.
The controls are surprisingly easy to master, a thing that I was afraid of when first playing the game. There are different controls schemes to choose from so try out all of them, and pick the one that suits you best.
The game play consists on short single missions (10-15 minutes) that are connected by the storyline. Some are time based and some are target based (you have to destroy a certain target to complete the mission) There are several different paths to take so the value is great. This is enhanced by the four difficulty modes that the game has, from easy to ACE! Be warned, it is very addicting trying to get all the missions done in all four difficulty settings, and finishing it with an S rank (the highest possible and the one that is very difficult to master). To further enhance the re-playability, there are medals (Achievement Points Medals if you will) that you can get by completing certain goals and points in the game.

I really enjoyed this game and I recommend it to every aspiring fighter pilot on the move. The amount of realism and the crisp graphics that Bandai/Namco managed to cramp into a handheld device is amazing and it is a PSP tour de force!

Give us more of those please!

Other Helpful Reviews for Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception

  • Rating:9.8

    don't ask questions. go out and buy it now.

    By ddr_hero | Review Date: Oct 24, 2006 | PSP

    if you're a fan of the Ace Combat series, read this paragraph and no further. This is more of the same futuristic goodness that 3 4 and 5 had, but this time, the XFA-27 gets back in the game to show everybody how it's do... Read Full Review

    6 of 6 users found the following review helpful
  • Rating:9.2

    I can't believe they pulled it off, A must have game!

    By jimmidik | Review Date: Oct 25, 2006 | PSP

    Ace Combat has set the standard for console flight games. Now they've raised the bar on a handheld. Great action and play control are what we've come to expect from the series, Ace Combat X doesn't dissapoint. The new... Read Full Review

    5 of 5 users found the following review helpful
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