Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation review | 8.5

Awesome game. Sick graphics (that means very good). Excellent controls using the standard controller. The tutorial is fun and effective. The campaign mode is engaging and well done. Lots of replayability. Most of all it's FUN!

The main things I look for in a console game are: Can I pick this game up in a short time and start having fun? Yes. Does it have an engaging campaign mode that draws you in and gives you reasons to continue? Yes. Are the graphics decent? Yes. Is the game frustrating for any reason, i.e. poor control layout, lack of save game at the right times, can't do what you would logically expect to do. No.

It's clear to me that a lot of thought went into this game. Flying, which you do most of the time, is very intuitive. The planes react smoothly and you don't find yourself overreacting much (which is common in many other racing/flight games). The cut scenes are superb. The animation is high quality and the voice acting is good. The plot is obviously contrived on the old East vs West theme (Estovakia complete with eastern European accents vs. Emmeria, i.e. America complete with the lost family. But these days what else are you going to do for modern conventional warfare? It's still engaging if not highly plausible.

Compared to many of the other games out there for the Xbox360, this games offers a lot. I didn't want a RPG like Oblivion (don't have the time for it). I didn't want another lame sports game (I have the Wii for that). I didn't want -another- spaced out zombie mutated freak monsters invading the earth and save the world game (saving that for Mass Effect when it comes out). For me this game hits the spot. Plus, it's well engineered and stable.

I checked out a couple other less flattering reviews and I think they are from people who just aren't into the genre. Personally, I don't see this as a flight sim where you have to fully understand how to fly a real plane and you have to have the skill to do it. I see it as more as a game that lets you have fun flying planes and draws you into an engaging, meaningful story. And, the missions are just the right size for me. It's a great game for a casual gamer who maybe can only play for 30-60 minutes. It's also fun for anyone who wants to play longer, obviously.

To sum up... This is a very good game that you should have lots of fun with. If the thought of flying combat planes appeals to you in any way, and you enjoy being involved in a large plot, this game is for you.