Ace Combat: Joint Assault

Geographically speaking this is set in the real world but apart from the co-op options this still suffers the same delusions and deficiencies of previous Ace Combats.

For fans of the genre, Joint Assault isn't going very far in any aspect. But its combat remains nice, even though its playability is a little slow at first, since it takes some time for it to become more dynamic. Its production values are average, similar to the previous 2006 PSP episode (Skies of Deception), but its missions clearly lack ambition or surprises, much like its politico-economic fictional backdrop. To sum it up, the flight plan lacks any noticeable turbulence to spice it up, but it's still nice, especially when playing coop or competitive with and against friends.

It may take some finagling to find it, but there is a solid flight game beneath the problems. It's just a bummer that you have to dig into several menus, find some buddies, and replay the campaign repeatedly to get to it.