Over G Fighters

"Definetly Made From the Wrong Stuff"

On its surface Over G Fighters looks like the Ace Combat series ported over to the 360. Only if that were the case. The reality is Over G Fighters is a lackluster game that offers only the very basics. The basic premise of the game is that some time in the future the world has created a united air force and now that air force must now be used to stop terrorists from killing everyone, which I have to point out is a great storyline..at least the first 300 times it was used in an air combat sim(U.N. Squadron circa 1991 anyone?).

The mission types are standard fair with escort missions, intercept missions, ground attack missions, and air to sea missions all included. The problem is that its basically the exact same mission over and over again. And the fact that you can continually replay a mission until you complete it makes this game almost impossible not to complete. I will give the game credit that there are tons of planes to unlock, unfortunately you can not customize any of them. There are also tons of achievements for your to get in this game.

Multiplayer is subpar and offers it in the barest sense of the term. You wont find any 8 on 8 dogfights here, just standard 1 vs 1 fair which devolves into a lot of right turns. If your going to buy this game dont buy it because of its xbox live capabilities.

Graphics(Visuals): 6/10

Not horrible, but nothing better then a very pretty PS2 or Xbox game could handle. For a next-gen title I expected much more. Besides the interior of the cockpit being very detailed there really isnt anything much to say about this game visually.

Sound: 5/10

Wow, there is no point to having your volume on at all when you play this game. Very basic machine gun and missile launching sounds. Some scripted radio chatter and some beeping when you/your opponent gets a missile lock pretty much covers what you'll be hearing FOR THE ENTIRE GAME.

Controls: 7/10

The controls are surprisingly not bad. However they are not nearly as tight and polished as the Ace Combat series set up is. You cannot perform rolls and are basically limited to banking left and right and gaining and losing altitude all of it feels very forced and not smooth at all. You have no control over dropping countermeasures, cannot change your radar display and on occasion your target enemy marker will disappear leaving you flying around in circles trying to find it again. Not a bad setup, just not a very good one.

Replay: 5/10

If you are a perfectionist and demand that you get every achievement point for your profile then you will be in heaven with this game. There are tons of achievements and unlockable planes for your to acquire. In addition if for some reason you find the online multiplayer enjoyable there is nothing else that boosts replayability. However, for most gamers, you will probably play 3 or 4 missions, get tired of the repetitive gameplay and go back to playing Oblivion or Call of Duty 2.

Overall: 5/10

This game is just average Not fantastic, but not a horrible broken mess either. If you enjoy air combat sims and dont have a PS2 give this game a rental before buying it. If you do have a PS2 I'd go out and immediately purchase every Ace Combat game made for the system as they embody what air combat sims are all about. If you only have a passing interest in air combat games(for example you love After Burner and Blazing Angels) keep moving and dont even stop to look at this game burning on the runway.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/06