I've always been fascinated by flight and air combat, watching sleek machines performing a deadly dance in the sky. Imagine my joy, then, when computer and video games made it possible for non-pilots like myself to simulate what it's like to fly a plane through a big, hairy furball.
I suppose my interest in these games started with LucasArts' X-Wing series. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Star Wars, especially the movie sequences involving space combat. X-Wing provided the perfect outlet for my fixation. It pitted you against the immense power of the Galactic Empire in dozens and dozens of difficult, layered missions. And this was no arcade shoot-em-up, X-Wing was a bonafide simulator.
Perhaps you're thinking, "Well, the Rogue Squadron series is basically the same thing. Fly a fighter and fight against the Empire." Sadly, you'd be wrong. While I applaud the Rogue Squadron games for their fun factor and cinematic qualities, the truth is, all they aim to be is fun and cinematic. Compared to X-Wing, there are fewer, shorter missions, extremely simplified controls, and very little strategy required.
I will admit, however, that flight sim games definitely can get overcomplicated and recreate experiences in almost too much painstaking detail. This certainly can detract from the fun. But there has to be a middle ground, right?
One series that I think has consistently done right in creating an engrossing flight combat experience is Namco/Bandai's Ace Combat. Ace Combat's flight mechanics may be somewhat unrealistic, but they still grant the player the proper methods of maneuvering a plane: pitch, yaw and roll. The planes also carry an absurd amount of weaponry, but this is only for the sake of seamless gameplay. After all, would you want to have to return to base constantly after firing your plane's 8 missiles?
So yes, Ace Combat takes some liberties, but not to the point where it detracts from the flight experience. Tack on some very original, engrossing stories, as well as detailed mission briefings and highly detailed, accurately modeled planes, and you've got yourself a winning package.
The PC, of course, has some gems, like X3 and Freelancer, but those games are aging, and have simplified controls to make the sandbox-style play accessible to people who aren't necessarily great sim pilots.
My question is this: Why aren't there more games like Ace Combat or X-Wing? Where has the market for it gone? The excitement of rolling around in a huge air or space battle certainly hasn't gone anywhere - so why is it that consoles are left with only one truly great flight combat series? I suppose I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and my parachute ready.
What are some of your favorite flight sim titles? Do you wish there were more out there?
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