This month in gaming...

Wow, end of April already! This makes a little over 2 months until I tie the knot, eep! Not eep for the boy scout hobby, just eep 'cause 2 months! I need to get stuff done, but I digress!

Recently aquired the wondeful Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War for my aging PS2. While I wasn't filled with the same sense of awe and wonder as I was with the first two Ace Combat games on this console, it is quite fun all the same, especially when I got my X-02! You play the roll of an unkown mercenary pilot, call sign: Cipher, who's undefeated streak climbs higher and higher throught the war, filling all enemy pilots with fear and hatred.

The good part, is you have three ways you can play the game: as a mercenary, a solider, or a knight. The difference is as follows. There are three types of targets on every mission, the red essential targets that will almost always result in a Mission Accomplished once destroyed, the optional green targets that you don't necessarily have to destroy, but make up the bulk of the targets out there, and the yellow passive targets, such as civilian buildings. Destroying everyone and everything you can results in a mercenary style, only there for the money. Only destroying the required red targets (and in missions where a certain number of points is needed, some greens), I believe would give you a Solider style. Lastly, only attacking reds and greens, and leaving all yellows alone, even the reds and greens that turn into yellows after enough damage, will give you a knight ranking. These three styles affect the com chatter that you hear through the game, and also slightly affect what missions you may receive. I was a full blown knight the first time through, haven't decided if I'll try for solider or mercenary next.

I would recommend this game for anyone who is interested in a good flight sim. If you're worried about spoiling any of the series story line for yourself, this one actually takes place before Ace Comcat 5. The next one in line chronologically is Ace Combat 04. For more information on the series, I would suggest visiting http://www.wikipedia.org and searching for Ace Combat.