Shaky Aces
If you like air combat games, Ace Combat has always been the standard bearer of the genre. With a long history of quality titles originating on the PS one, the franchise has built up a reputation for recreating the thrill of arcadey flight combat simulations with a certain level of finesse, even when saddled with technical limitations.
When the series first hit the PSP with Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception, fans of the series worried the lack of two analog sticks on the PSP would make it too hard to accurately pilot advanced fighter jets, let alone pull off some of the more technical maneuvers Ace Combat inevitably asks of its players. X actually felt close to its console brethren, though, and was well-received. Naturally, then, the game’s sequel, Joint Assault, should only improve on the formula, right? Yes…and no.
On the technical side, Joint Assault makes some improvements over X. The game’s visuals are an improvement on its predecessor’s (if only just), with cleaner textures and more detailed planes. There are more planes to use throughout the game. Multiplayer numbers have been expanded to include eight players. You can also play the entire single-player campaign in co-op with up to three wingmen, which, if you have the requisite PSP-owning friends, might be a cool prospect. True to the series pedigree, Joint Assault is at least moderately entertaining, offering a decent amount of difference between aerial environs (cities, deserts, mountainous regions, etc).
Much of the other elements in Joint Assault feel like a misfire, however. One of the big new features is the story actually takes place in real life locations, as compared to the sci-fi tinged fictional “future war” universe Ace Combat has traditionally taken place in. But considering the game’s processing power focuses on rendering planes, bogeys, and effects for things like explosions, they’re the same blobs of land we’ve been seeing for years, only now you might happen to fly past the Tokyo Tower or Golden Gate Bridge. That’s all well and good, I guess, but doesn’t affect the gameplay in a meaningful way (or in any way at all, really).
Then there’s the story. Not that I really expect top-notch literary work from a game that involves flying jets and blowing things up, but with elements involving international terrorism and, uh, dirty dealings with the insurance industry, it seems like Project Aces could have created a more compelling narrative that at least attempted relevancy. Instead, it’s a silly, forgettable story about insurance. Has there ever been a localized game about insurance? The idea is more than a little ridiculous, or at least hard to take seriously. Frankly, I miss the anime-inspired storylines of previous games, which gave the series some of its Japanese charm; Joint Assault kind of feels like a western game, at least from a narrative standpoint. Finally, Joint Assault also seems to repeat a lot of what X did. There’s a flying fortress you have to fight, but instead of being a menacing enemy, it’s marginalized by the number of times you have to fight it. Along with the forgettable story, it makes for a single-player campaign that feels like so much re-treaded ground.
On the plus side, the gameplay still has its moments. Although Joint Assault starts you out with some comparatively underpowered or uninteresting planes, the hangar feature from X is back in full force, allowing you to pimp out your favorite jets or buy new ones. The upgrade system is a nice touch and it’s a good thing Project Aces brought it back for this installment.
Some of the planes may feel stiff, but wait until you pick up some of the more advanced fighters; they make tracking and dogfighting noticeably easier (a blessing given the PSP single analog nub). After the semi-auto maneuvering mechanic used in The Sky Crawlers, you would think Project Aces could have utilized the triangle button or D-pad to pull off barrel rolls or quick turn arounds, but no dice. Finally, missions usually don’t deviate much from “blow up this” or “protect that,” but there’s enough variation in the action that things never feel completely stale, particularly with the right aircraft. Some optional “mini-games” break up the action as well, though these are actually just more mundane tasks like taking off from a runway or refueling in mid-air.
The game does a good job of sweeping you up in the moment, despite some of its more mundane issues. When you’re flying against a series of foes that are more than competent, dogfighting can still be a thrill, particularly when you’re playing chicken with someone miles into the sky. Showdowns like this are what Ace Combat has always been about, and in that regard, at least if you’re piloting the right jet, holding a collision course position in order to get a lock on with your missiles can be pretty satisfying. Kudos to Project Aces for actually making the machine guns work effectively, as well.
Breaking point moments like these can only make up so much time spent playing the game, however. Because of that, whether or not you have any interest in Joint Assault is probably going to depend on a few other factors. Obviously, fans of Ace Combat will want it just because it’s a new installment in the venerable series, and multiplayer-centric PSP owners looking for their next Peace Walker-style co-op experience might be interested, at least if they like flight sims. It’s kind of silly the developers decided to use the whole real world setting in a way that doesn’t take advantage of either the PSP’s hardware or the narrative, it seems like they could have spent more time creating a game that echoed their last portable installment less if they hadn’t, but for what it is, it’s still not bad (it is still Ace Combat after all). Joint Assault might not be the strongest entry in the series (though you can’t realistically expect a portable installment to necessarily measure up to a more advanced console version), but true solo-flying aces may want to consider a rental before committing to this sortie.
RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.8 Graphics
Joint Assault’s aircraft look good, but this is no Peace Walker or Kingdom Hearts. 3.2 Control
It’s odd that Project Aces didn’t utilize every button on the PSP’s limited control layout, but Joint Assault tries hard to work and does a decent job. 3.2 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Most of the music is good, although its spastic collection of tracks is all over the map. Otherwise, this sounds like an Ace Combat game, complete with embarrassing dialogue. 3.3 Play Value
Joint Assault is decent fun if you can get past its yawn-worthy elements. 3.4 Overall Rating – Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.
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