After countless sequels in the Ace Combat series, Namco finally decided to take a step backwards offering a prequel? I guess since that's the 'in thing' to do. The story takes place 15 years prior to the events of Ace Combat 5, over the country of Ustio, as you fight enemies faster and deadlier that your group have ever encountered. It is up to you to out-dogfight your enemies are in order to survive the Belkan War.

What you won't find in this prequel is anything very new to the series. Sure, you have a few new jets, weapons, and environments, but the game, for better or worse, keeps to its roots and even with tougher A.I., seems to have reached its highest altitude on the PS2. Don't expect new game play mechanics, innovations, or even online play in this latest endeavor as what you've played and how you've played in the past is, for the most part, what you get. Not that fans of the series are going to be disappointed since there is enough new to merit the price of admission. Casual flight fans or fans who may not have been impressed with the series' previous outings may feel content to not venture into the not so friendly skies of the Belkan War.

What you do get is an all new story mode complete with branching missions, the ability to buy and sell aircrafts and weapons, and cheesy FMV cut scenes. You may also feel the need to take your aggressions out on a friend, and in AC Zero, you may do so in a Vs. mode for two player action. But alas, like most Namco franchises, you do not have the ability to play online as I guess servers are too hard to come by or whatever their crazy reasoning may be.

Visuals are very realistic, from the aircraft designs and HUD, to the altitude; the game simulates it all quite well. Don't expect Progressive scan for you HD lovers out there, but there is a 16:9 option at least. Controls remain the game's high spot as you have a ton of maneuvers to perform and the game takes full advantage of every button on the Dual Shock controller. As I mentioned earlier, the A.I. is very tough and is a huge leap over AC 5's so-so intelligence. The only real downer to this, like the previous versions, is there really isn't much to do after completing the game. Even with branching storylines, the game feels a bit too linear.

Nevertheless, if you really like to take your action to the skies, no team really brings it home like the Ace Combat team. The game is engaging, fun, and even offers a two player versus mode to provide for a bit of longevity. Here's hoping that Namco/Bandai offers more in terms of features in the future on the PlayStation 3, including the ability to venture online. Until then, this prequel of sorts will fill the void for a while.