After 10 years and now six major releases spanning the original PlayStation and the PS2, I think it is perfectly safe to say that Namco's Ace Combat franchise has a lock on arcade-style console flight simulations. Following up on 2004's Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, which turned in the best installment in the series yet in my opinion, the sixth outing in the series, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, has swooped onto the PS2 under intense pressure to continue to advance the franchise forward after such a stellar previous effort. For better or for worse, depending on your viewpoint, Ace Combat Zero largely sticks with what made The Unsung War such a jewel, only taking tiny steps forward rather than attempting to really take the Ace Combat experience to the next level (I guess Namco is waiting for the PS3 to do that!) Thankfully, what you get is the same impeccable flight action gameplay that has made the series what it is today. However, this also means that the game feels just a bit too familiar…

Preceding the events of The Unsung War by 15 years, Ace Combat Zero accounts the events of the Belkan War by placing you in the cockpit of a host of authentically licensed aircrafts. You are a pilot-for-hire working for the Republic of Ustio as part of the Ustio Mercenary Unit, fighting off the invading forces of the neighboring Principality of Belka. Depicted using a documentary-stylized storytelling technique, with live action narration sequences and retrospective pilot interview cut-scenes, The Belkan War plot carries on the franchise's lust for compelling narrative in reasonably fine fashion, with solid voice acting and an epic, cinematic style soundtrack. With that said, it takes about half of the campaign's 18 total missions for the focus of the story to really kick in, and by that time I found myself just wanting to get through the cut-scenes to get to the next mission. This is the only area of the game that I felt took a step back from its predecessor, but it's a little easier to forgive considering the superb quality of The Unsung War's storyline.

New to the series in Ace Combat Zero and helping to deepen the narrative experience is the Ace Style Gauge System, where actions taken during each mission determine your reputation as a pilot and alter how the story and subsequent missions unfold. Depending on your flight combat style, such as destroying enemies not related to the current mission's objective or focusing on honor and teamwork to take orders and come to the aid of your wingmen, your reputation fluctuates between three classifications on a mission-by-mission basis - that of Mercenary Ace, Soldier Ace and Knight Ace. Your reputation status is vital to how the game unfolds, as actions taken alter the path through campaign and affect how your squadron reacts to you during radio communications. This system makes for three different mission arcs through the game's storyline, demanding multiple trips through to take in the full scope of the plot. This is certainly a plus, because completing the campaign only takes about three to four hours (not including time spent replaying failed missions, which probably tacks on another hour or so).

Replay value is further extended by a number of unlockable modes, aircrafts to buy and award medals to achieve, and even more so by a well-implemented two-player VS Mode featuring seven different stages containing a host of objective types, from pure head-to-head dogfighting to racing through rings. Many gamers will likely be dismayed that the multiplayer is merely split-screen with no option for online play, which would've been absolutely phenomenal had it been included, but still, the split-screen play is surprisingly in-depth and a lot of fun.

In the gameplay hangar, Ace Combat Zero barely differs from the previous installment, which means that the intense melding of fast-and-furious arcade action and flight sim realism that is a staple of the franchise is here in full force, complimented by the standard set of fluid aerial controls. Wingman commands have returned and are more fine-tuned this time thanks to the improved squadron AI that reacts to commands better and helps out a little more in the thick of battle. Enemy AI, which had already received a substantial boost in The Unsung War, has been upped yet again for The Belkan War, bolstering what is a delightfully challenging game overall (when played on Normal and Hard difficulties that is). Exemplifying the bump in AI challenge are the series-debuting rival ace pilots, boss-like enemies that occasionally swoop in at the end of a mission to truly test your piloting skills, as they take more damage and dodge and weave through the air, avoiding your attacks far more impressively than the basic enemy pilots. Unfortunately, with the game's lack of an in-mission checkpoint system, these difficult rivals aces do cause some frustrating mission replaying when they charge in and blow you out of the sky at the end of a long stage.

Although you'll be replaying missions on a regular basis, Ace Combat Zero excels in providing diversified missions that make the gameplay fresh and exciting from one mission to the next. As always, the game basically boils down to dogfights with enemy aircraft and bombing runs on land-based enemy facilities (doing away with aggravating escort missions); however, there is a nice variety underneath it all to keep your attention piqued. In one mission you're swooping through the tight corridors of an underground facility, while in the next you're bombarding a giant laser weapon tower while avoiding its deadly periodical blasts. Furthermore, certain missions are also divided into three different operations, only one of which you can choose to participate in.

The Ace Combat games have always been at the forefront of graphical beauty and realism, and Ace Combat Zero sure doesn't doing anything to damage the franchise's proud legacy. Though not vastly improved from the last game, this game's graphics are top-shelf quality for the PS2. Plane models are incredibly detailed and realistic, supported by exceptional lighting, engine blur and wind and cloud effects. Aerial combat is visual bliss thanks to spectacular smoke trails and explosions, both of which are further intensified by impressive combat sound effects. The only things worth complaining about, as far as presentation goes, are the realistic albeit sometimes confusing radio chatter and the ground textures that quickly show their ugliness upon close inspection. [But if you get too close, you won't see them for long! Ed].

Except for a few subtle-but-effective additions, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War doesn't do much else but marginally evolve the series from its last effort, and in the end that leads to a familiar feeling of 'been there, done that'. After more than a year since the last game, there just isn't the same wow-factor going on here. Considering the tremendous quality the series has presented up until now though (especially on the heels of The Unsung War), it really doesn't matter that the game hasn't changed much, because the series' rock-solid gameplay and gorgeous visuals are still alive, kicking and as impressive as ever in The Belkan War. If you've been waiting for a full revolution of the Ace Combat experience, you'll have to hang on until Namco inevitably uses next-gen technology to bring the series to PS3. Meanwhile, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War will more than satisfy your virtual flight combat needs.

Reviewed by Matt Litten for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).