Flight Combat soars to its highest level on the Xbox. Get to the cockpit Maverick!
Konami released Air Force Delta in 1999, a game that didn't deliver on the promise, which kept it from attaining that elite group of "A" titles. A sequel is now in the works, and Konami looks to build on the relative failure of the previous title by producing a groundbreaking one. Air Force Delta Storm is ready for its release on the Xbox and air combat fans can expect a plethora of changes and graphical upgrades from the Dreamcast original.
Like its predecessor, Air Force Delta Storm does not try to be a flight simulation, but more of a simplistic, airborne style fighter game. The simplicity of this game stems from the controls, and without having to worry about impossible controller configurations, gamers can concentrate on what makes any title truly enjoyable: gameplay. You will have to adapt to staying alive throughout various missions in Air Force Delta Storm.
There will be over 50 diverse missions packed into Air Force Delta Storm for you to explore and kill anything in visual scope. If you liked Top Gun, this game is right up your alley as you encounter a variety of missions and environments that contain many fighter jets for you to shoot down. Of course, as you move along in your progress, the difficulty and mass of the fighter jets will increase dramatically. Think like Maverick and you shall live - if only to the next mission.
Air Force Delta Storm features over 70 aircrafts including the F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet and A-10 Thunderbolt. Wreak havoc on your competition with these fighter jets and a few steel hawks to keep things interesting on your mission. Each plane is rated based on multiple attributes such as maneuverability, firepower, speed, and even such areas as turning and acceleration. Strengths and weaknesses always must be dealt in a wise manner and in this case, you must choose and use a plane's attributes wisely.
The current generation of consoles has given rise to greater expectations in the graphical department, and Air Force Delta Storm does not fail to impress the gaming world. The landscapes are vast and varied, ranging from mountainous terrain to bleak stretches of empty desert. Various graphical effects, such as smoke from damaged planes add to the realistic atmosphere. Framerate problems do not suffer even in the most intense situations, such as a vast array of enemy fire and fighter jets coming from seemingly nowhere that will appear in diversified missions.
Air Force Delta Storm is a game that may not win awards for "game of the year" on Xbox, but it will please many Top Gun fans and also those who love the combat flight experience. Entertaining and exciting this game is, but will it be enough to appeal to a wider audience than its predecessor? We shall see as this title nears completion and is prepared to launch in November.
Peter Hartofilis
I think I've lost that loving feeling.
