Ace Combat XX Joint Assault: Abort mission

It’s no secret that the Ace Combat series technically began with an arcade game, which then inspired the equally exciting PlayStation Air Combat that followed a few years later, its planes painted in eye-catching reds and lilacs. I always liked those early games, and even though the series successfully matured into more serious fare (while still maintaining that fun “Shooty Planes Are Cool” core), I often found myself yearning for the more straightforward days of old, where I’d make lots of things blow up because the mission was to blow lots of things up while flying at top speed over snow-capped mountains and cities. Which is by and large what PSP exclusive Joint Assault delivers, all brief briefings so simple they can often be safely skipped and a selection of bad guys to blow up because they’re bad. Brilliant. Exactly what I was looking for. Or so I thought. In play this is an oddly stiff and artificial experience, lacking much of the bravado and raw excitement that should surely…