Air Force Delta

Product description Ever been screaming along at Mach 2 and ordered to drop 6,000 pounds of bombs on a target no bigger than a Yugo? Or get that feeling of multiple bogeys closing in on your tail for a lock-on to blow you out of the sky? You've been contracted by a mercenary group to fuel-up, strap-in and snuff out the enemy. And to sweeten the pot in this "The more you take out, the more you take home" deal, you can upgrade your ride, choosing from over 30 different aircraft to get the job done. You in? Then get ready to grab some serious air! Amazon.com Select from more than 30 different fighters as you take to the skies to defend a newly independent republic from its many enemies--for fame, for glory, and most of all: for a price. Konami's Air Force Delta features simplistic controls with an emphasis on supersonic fighter plane action rather than the mechanics of flight. Those who worry about flap positions and realistic spin modeling won't find either here, but armchair top guns will enjoy the game's shoot-'em-up feel and ultrarealistic graphics. You assume the role of a mercenary pilot flying missions with very specific goals, such as destroying a convoy of ships or knocking reconnaissance planes out of the sky. Taken one by one, these missions are enjoyable and engaging, but they are all pretty similar and quickly become bland. Succeeding in a mission earns credits to buy new planes--more than 30 beautifully modeled real-world aircraft are available. Unfortunately, the differences between the fighters are mostly cosmetic. While you may find a plane that performs better in a certain mission than others, they all pretty much fly the same way. The graphics are impressive--but things tend to move too fast to afford much sightseeing. In particular, the fighters are extremely detailed and authentic. The first time you see vapor trails form on your wingtips as you pull a high-g maneuver, your jaw will drop and you'll begin to insist that your friends call you "Maverick."Air Force Delta is a good "show-off-your-Dreamcast" game that could probably have benefited from a little more time in development. However, it's the perfect game for a quick flying fix. --Aaron KarpPros:Lots of fighter aircraftImpressive graphics at close rangeVery cool, cinematic "mission reply" optionCons:Bland campaignNot enough variety among planes P.when('A').execute(function(A) { A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse', function(data) { window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); Review Ever feel like defending a third-world country that's being torn apart from within? Hey, who doesn't? Air Force Delta puts you in the role of a mercenary pilot and commands you to do just that. During the course of your battles you'll do everything from assault convoys of battleships to escort civilian transports away from the danger zone. Air Force Delta is eerily reminiscent of Ace Combat 2. So much so, in fact, that you could easily call AFD an Ace Combat clone. You'll watch briefings play out with a large arrow depicting your course, and earn money to purchase all sorts of different real-life planes, each with its own pluses and minuses. Heck, even the briefing font seems as though it were taken directly from an Ace Combat game. That's not to say that Air Force Delta is a bad game. I, for one, welcome the concept of an Ace Combat game on the Dreamcast, and since Namco's commitment to Sega's system seems temporary at best, AFD is the next best thing. Still, the game probably could be a bit better. The graphics, while nice and sharp, still look a bit bland at times. The buildings and other ground-based graphics look much better than the blocky, distorted textures found in Aero Wings, but the horizon is quite close. Fogging masks what would otherwise be some fairly annoying pop-up. The game controls pretty well in both the novice and expert settings, but the button configuration can be a bit awkward. Since your speed setting automatically returns to the default speed when you let off the speed up or speed down buttons, you're forced always to keep an eye on your speed. Also, setting the speed buttons to the analog triggers (the default in novice control mode), you aren't given any finer control over your speed. Even lightly hitting the trigger will move you up to 140 percent thrust or down to 30 percent. The wide array of missions keeps the game interesting, and the briefings manage to move the story (what little there is of it) along without bogging the game down. In fact, the whole game has a real stripped-down feel to it. Just read the briefing, buy a plane or two, and start shooting. And sometimes, that's all you really need. If you're looking for an epic storyline in your air combat games, then look to Ace Combat 3. But if you're more interested in pulling some Tom Cruise-like maneuvers without any Kelly McGillis-style subplot, Air Force Delta will satisfy. --Jeff Gerstmann --Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc. -- GameSpot Review See more