If you have an itch for arcade flight combat games, this game is for you. It follows in the same vein of the Ace Combat series, and executes it quite well. The story itself is of similar qualities of the AC series - perhaps less involved and emotional than AC5, but it will still leave you with enough thoughts about the plot to be worthwhile. The campaign mode, even on the hardest difficulty (Mercenary) is challenging, but fair. Difficulty isn't provided in bullet-sponge glass-cannon methods - there's an increase in AI smarts and quantities of enemies, but almost no resilience change on either side (besides some scripted events, or optional modifiers).

If you're looking for more of a challenge, conquest mode is extraordinarily difficult (after some time) even on the lowest settings, as it brings roguelike features to the gameplay and includes ever increasing difficulty throughout the map. Overall, this game brings many familiar mechanics and gameplay forwards, keeps true to the form of the arcade flight shooter, and presents a well-rounded experience for beginner to advanced players.

(~38 hours playtime review - all achievements - conquest mode full completion)

If you have an itch for arcade flight combat games, this game is for you. It follows in the same vein of the Ace Combat series, and executes it quite well. The story itself is of similar qualities of the AC series - perhaps less involved and emotional than AC5, but it will still leave you with enough thoughts about the plot to be worthwhile. The campaign mode, even on the hardest difficulty (Mercenary) is challenging, but fair. Difficulty isn't provided in bullet-sponge glass-cannon methods - there's an increase in AI smarts and quantities of enemies, but almost no resilience change on either side (besides some scripted events, or optional modifiers). If you're looking for more of a challenge, conquest mode is extraordinarily difficult (after some time) even on the lowest settings, as it brings roguelike features to the gameplay and includes ever increasing difficulty throughout the map. Overall, this game brings many familiar mechanics and gameplay forwards, keeps true to the form of the arcade flight shooter, and presents a well-rounded experience for beginner to advanced players. (~38 hours playtime review - all achievements - conquest mode full completion)