Air Force Delta Storm Preview
Air Force Delta Storm breaks down the complex world of air combat and makes piloting high-tech jets an arcadelike, user-friendly experience.
Judging by the response that some gamers had when Konami made its Xbox support official, you might think that a new Metal Gear Solid is the only thing the company's good for. Of course, gamers are forgetting another, lesser-known franchise that's also on its way to Microsoft's console. Air Force Delta Storm, the upgrade/sequel to Air Force Delta on the Dreamcast, is coming to the Xbox, and--unlike any other Metal Gear Solid sequel or remake--it's going to arrive alongside the system at launch. Maybe there aren't the cinematic cameras or deep characterization you would expect from Solid and the gang, but blowing stuff up in superpowered jets has unique charms all its own.
Air Force Delta Storm isn't far removed from Namco's well-known Ace Combat franchise in terms of design--you still have to make your way through more than 50 missions of ever-increasing difficulty. But apparently, Delta Storm lacks much of a larger plot: You fly for an anonymous and fictional organization, and even then, the backgrounds surrounding each mission are relatively self-contained. The plot isn't the focus in Delta Storm, though; usually, you'll have to worry only about where you want to fly next and which craft you'll use to get there. Once you're in the wild blue yonder, you get to the game's heart--lots of intense dogfight action. Aside from taking on fellow aces, though, Delta Storm engages you in a variety of missions, ranging from reconnaissance to wild weasels (assaults on anti-aircraft bunkers). If this sounds like much of the same story we heard in the original Air Force Delta, you're correct. In terms of setting and overall objectives, Air Force Delta Storm remains essentially unchanged from its predecessor.
More aircraft and refined control are the central improvements you should expect in Delta Storm's gameplay. For its aircraft roster, Konami mixes a few well-known modern-day fighters with a host of fictional and prototype aircraft from around the world. You can fly Top Gun-style in the classic F-14 Tomcat; you can try your hand at interceptors like the F-18 Hornet or F-22; or you can even play the role of bombardier in a close-support fighter like the A-10 Warthog. Mixed in with the standard roster of fighter craft are some lesser-known marvels such as the Su-27, the S-37 Berkut, the Mirage, and even the new Taiwanese Chingkua. Konami promises more than 80 fighters in all.
We had a chance to play the Delta Storm at E3 and were surprised by how closely the game held to its Dreamcast roots. At the demo, we had a few different types of aircraft to choose from, as well as a couple of different types of missions. We played with both the A-10 Warthog (the aforementioned close-support bomber) and a fictional, highly maneuverable delta-winged aircraft to see how differently the two planes handled. We played the game with "expert controls" enabled, which let us make small flap adjustments with two controller buttons.
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- GameSpot Score6.8fair
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AirForce Delta Storm Movie 20
Take a look at some cinematic replay footage in this clip.
- Nov 14, 2001
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