Aerial combat at your fingertips
For the most part, the PC has dominated in the aviation and flying games with joysticks and what not. But Air Combat brought that classic dog fighting action to the console. I'm sure you could use a joystick for this game if Sony made one... but I'm satisfied with the controller.
Gameplay - 6/10
I hate to say it, but Air Combat just didn't live up to what it used to be. This would probably be a higher rating back in the day I first played the game, but a second run through says otherwise. Why? It's really just the same kind of missions over and over. You got your missiles and your guns, you destroy fighters and cargo planes with a few missiles and move on. Sadly it doesn't change much outside of this. There isn't much variation which sucks because this game had tons of potential(which the 2nd game dominates in). However I'm sure first timers will enjoy fast paced dog fighting action in the skies high above cities.
The missions are fairly simple. Most just require destroying a fleet of aircraft heading somewhere to deliver something. Or taking out some sort of base or weapon. The missions gradually get harder, but as this happens, you gain more powerful aircraft to add to your arsenal of destructive power. One thing though, don't blow your plane up out of stupidity or spite. Once you lose it, it's gone for good. That is one thing Air Combat let's you know real fast. So make a habit of saving after every successful mission and don't blow your best craft up, leaving you with the A-4 or F-4 Phantom, that just sucks real bad in the later missions.
There is a multi-player mode which you and a friend can dogfight in a fairly large arena, but it gets old fast. It's best to wait till the later sequels to engage in this fun.
Control - 8/10
Controls are easy to learn. You'll figure them out within minutes. There is however an alternative to the basic setup that is for real pros. This is where real skill comes in. Turning left and right is no longer a simple turn of the plane. If you want to turn left or right, you literally TURN the plane on it's side. This is more realistic jet fighter steering. The L2 and R2 buttons come in use now with the ability to slightly turn the plane, called a yaw. Basically involving the rear fin flaps. I guarantee it'll take you a long time to master this style of playing. I wouldn't recommend it for the new guy or someone that thinks they can do anything without flaw. You will lose a plane! It's good to start early though if you are a prominent fighter game fanatic. It's definitely an advantage if you know how to play with yaw and rolling the plane to steer it from left to right. Practice practice practice!
Story - 5/10
The story is mostly told before you start missions. When you are in a mission, you do one thing, destroy. Outside of missions, the storyline unfolds slowly as you advance. it's pretty interesting but doesn't provide much else except a plot.
Graphics - 6/10
Not bad for a PS game. I must admit the pixels get a big bulky and the land visuals aren't pretty up close. But you'll be moving so fast I doubt you'll be worrying about what the beach looks like when a missile is locked onto you.
Sound - 6/10
What do you expect to hear in a fighter jet? Afterburner? Missiles? Chaingun? There you have it! Oh... and some guy that informs you of sudden emergencies like A MISSILE IS GOING TO HIT YOU! HARD TURN HARD TURN!!
Replay Value - 2/10
Despite the missions being the same if you played it over again, it's never really the same. You can enjoy a change of difficulty and see if it does anything to challenge you. Maybe learn to play with the other controller setup(the real way) with roll/yaw. Use the same aircraft for every mission and see if you can dominate superior craft? It's up to you, but I'd recommend moving on to the next AC game, Ace Combat 2. It really stands out and is what Air Combat should've been like. But hey, gotta start somewhere, this was just the beginning of the good stuff.