Aero Elite: Combat Academy Critic Reviews

Visually stunning and incredibly complex, Aero Elite is a work of art that takes time to appreciate.

The gamers that it will appeal to most of all are those beginning or dabbling in flight sims and/or for those looking for a game that presents a very realistic challenge.

It may be on a console, but don't let that deter you: it's actually surprisingly deep.

The missions are somewhat predictable.

While cheesy flight simulation goes back to the original PC, this incarnation's technical detail brings CNN's gee-whiz graphics-and-stats fighter plane descriptions—indicative of our fascination with death from above—to life.

Graphical shortcomings aside, hardcore fans shouldn't fret. AE is easily one of the most full-fledged flight sims available on any console.

Stringent pilot-training courses and competitions seem dull at first, but as you unlock cooler aircraft, the fun blossoms.

An excellent flight simulator, but a poor action game.

The whole package seems to have been constructed to drift onto retail floors, sit around for a while and then fade quietly into history.

A realistic flight sim. Sometimes realistic games can drive people away, which is what Aero Elite did for me. Most of the time I was doing nothing but trying to get in range of my target, then shot a missile.

The controls are just a little too sluggish, making it feel as though you're driving a run-down school bus instead of a quick and nimble jet fighter or helicopter.

Why are so many missions so dull? Why is the combat-radio voice work so insipid? And which unemployed sports commentator and soccer mom did the tutorial and combat voices, respectively?

The game tends toward actual-world realistic, but in a fancifully dull way.

The main problem is that there's just no sense of speed. You can be going Mach 1.2 and it feels like you're driving a charter bus. Uphill. Against the wind. In a foot of snow. Towing another charter bus.

This game can only be recommended to flight fanatics or those into self-abuse.

As good as the control and visual re-enactment of the real-life planes come across in Aero Elite, AM2 and Sega drop the ball somewhat when the players become proficient armchair pilots and start itching for new challenges beyond those of the Training missions.

More of a simulation than arcade, which may seem good at first, but it's not.

Aero Elite’s true failure, though, is its boring gameplay. Dog fighting and attacking ground forces just isn’t entertaining.