Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 54
  2. Negative: 1 out of 54
  1. If you’re hardcore into flight sim games, you might find some satisfaction from the better parts of this highway to the danger zone, but if you’re looking for the next Crimson Skies, keep looking.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 80 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 28
  2. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. Worst video game ever. The storyline is laughably bad, the controls are way too hard for anyone who hasn't taken an air force training program, the action is slow and frustrating, tutorials are impossible to master, it is just a plain old waste of time. The other people who rated this game are being way too positive, considering the whole game was a waste of time and money. And to think I looked at the other peoples reviews before buying it. Full Review »
  2. A fantastic game, I've been replaying this off and on ever since it came out. The fundamental improvement over the previous Ace Combat games is the addition of checkpoints. There was nothing more annoying in the previous AC games than to be 15 minutes into a mission and to then crash into something, as that meant going all the way back to the start of the mission. With AC6, there are plenty of checkpoints to ensure you aren't forced to backtrack huge amounts of progress after one silly mistake. The game is also much more forgiving than previous examples, allowing the odd light bump or scrape of the ground to go by unnoticed.

    Story-wise, AC6 is like previous entries in the series and sets itself in a fictional world using made-up countries that are fairly obvious ciphers for our own world (in this case it's Emmeria (America) fighting Estovakia (Russia). While the story is often quite silly, it's got that slightly off-kilter Japanese style that makes it charming rather than embarrassing. Graphically, the game is beautiful with fantastic ground detail that even fairly close remains convincing. The cut-scenes between levels are also rendered in real-time and look fantastic. I actually think being exclusive to the 360 meant the developers were able to work a bit harder to squeeze more out of the engine, as I think this game looks better than its disappointing sequel "Ace Combat Assault Horizon". This is a great addition to the AC series and definitely worthy of a play-through or two.
    Full Review »
  3. The graphics and detail of the aircraft is utterly amazing, thats why it gets a 6. The story is entertaining even if it takes place in a fictional universe. Some of the missions can be very frustrating due to improbable flight mechanics of AI vehicles. A great example is the UAV mision with some sort of Flak cruise missles... not fun. Another is the airborne aircraft carrier stupid. Lack coop also lowers the score greatly, the missions you get seem to be an after thought and not really worth the time. If I could get a do-over I would wait and get this used. Full Review »