Ace Combat 2 is another Ace Combat game I truly adore!
Just like Air Combat, the opening and ending cutscenes makes me speechless! It's incredible! The soundtrack rocks and makes the game more memorable. There are two endings. It depends on whether you shoot down the Z.O.E F-22 in the mission: Kingpin.
The gameplay is somewhat better to the first game. You can use the analog sticks to control the plane, which allows more maneuverability. There are more planes and a special plane, the XFA-27. There are about 30 missions, almost twice as many as the predecessor. However, you can have the option of having only two wingmen. They switch planes during the campaign mode.
The story is similar to Air Combat's. The coup d'etat is a threat, not terrorists. Some of the planes not used in the first game were the SU-35, SU-37, Mig-21, A-4, and others. The colors vary, unlike Air Combat.
The graphics were great for PS1. The replays after a mission were awesome. Sometimes, you watch the replay, and your plane crashes. You still have to pay the cost. During the debriefing, a map tracks your route in 2D and shows your score.
Another feature in this game is the auto target replay. It's like the replay after you accomplish a mission. You can see the target you destroyed while flying around. There is a special appearance. The FALKEN is in the game. It is the last Ace in the game.
This game is very similar to the recent Ace Combat games. The last tunnel in Ace Combat 2 is identical to the final tunnel in Megalith in Ace Combat 4. There are escort missions, and there are missions with a ravine.
Ace Combat 2 is a magnificent game which Ace Combat and combat sim fans should have in their collection.
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 8/10
Story: 7/10
Replay Value: 8/10
Cutscenes: 10/10
Tilt: 10/10
Planes: 8.5/10
Overall: 10/10