Aero Elite: Combat Academy

"Great Game, if you can find it."

Aeroelite is one of those games that flew below radar and has simply been overlooked thus proving once again that no company shoots itself in the foot better than Sega. Receiving zero publicity and or advertizing, this incredibly good game is a must have for anyone who has dreamed of being Maverick and learning to be a top gun pilot.
PLOT: You participate in combat training involving jet fighters, attack choppers, and vertical take off jets. Once you complete enough training mission, you become certified for combat and can and will be called on to scramble and engage various enemy hostiles. As you progress, you will unlock new and better aircraft and new weaponry. Finally, I must mention that this game is an exceptionaly realistic and wonderful flight simulator for players who truly want to learn real air manuvers and can take pride in that.
GRAPHICS: 7/10 Unfortunately, the graphics in this game are nothing special. The aircrafts look really good, but are still not the best that the PS2 has ever put out. The backgrounds are standard and will not really impress you nor disgust you. However, everything is clear and you will not have problems identifiying things.
MUSIC: 8/10 The music is actually quite good with the classic electric guitar tunes that are now married to combat aircraft. The sounds are pretty realistic and the voices will not anoy you. Pretty good.
GAMEPLAY: 10/10 This is where this game shines like the diamond it is. You have the freedom to pick your weapons, while keeping in mind the weight. Which affects your manuvering capacity. The physics of flying have been recreated quite well. With G's, Stalls, and gravity ruling over your combat situation mercilesly. It might sound challenging, but it just takes practice and training.
COOL STUFF YOU GET TO DO: 10/10 Aircraft carrier landings, mid air refueling, air to air combat, air to ground combat, scramble at ANY time(you can be called to scramble while in the option screen). You can dump your extra fuel tanks to lighten your plane for an unexpected dogfight. Choppers, apaches and cobras. Basically, you join the airforce in this game.
OVERALL: 9/10 I have to recomend this game to anyone who likes flying games. It's trully great. The only complaint I have is that there are no stealth planes. However, this makes the game challenging by keeping you mortal to lock ons by enemy fighters. The training is fun in that it is real combat manuvers and believe me when I say there is a great feeling in acheiving excellence in all areas of combat. Finally, althought this game came out about two months ago (May 2003) you can hardly find it. It took me forever to find a copy. However, I glad I did. It rocks and if you like flight sims, it will rock you too. Pick it up, it's a rare jewel.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/03, Updated 07/20/03