Ace Combat 6 is simultaneously the franchise's forbidden fruit and underachieving middle child. After finally getting a hold of an Xbox 360 to play it though, I feel like 6 is mostly a display of wasted potential. Project Aces probably had lofty goals in mind with its massive battlefields, missions you can tackle in any way you want, and online multi-player, but as deadlines approached and unfamiliarity with the hardware set in, they began to cut corners wherever possible, aspects that unfortunately make Ace Combat fans want to keep coming back. The story, mission variety, purchasable planes and even the framerate stability all take cuts to deliver the most underwhelming and forgettable game in the series. However, like any Ace Combat game, it still has a charm that makes it fun to play.

Pako 2 is a fun game in short bursts. I told a friend at a party once after a few drinks, "I've been playing Hotline Miami, but you're a car." There are plenty of options for tweaking the graphics exactly how you want them with various filters. This is coupled with a killer pause function that allows you to take some pretty brilliant screenshots, think Super Smash Bros, and is maybe some of the most fun you can have with the game.

The level designs are top-notch, and many of them seem reminiscent of Coen Brothers films like Fargo and No Country for Old Men. It's always great to see cinematic references in a game; rather than levels informed by other games. Everything about them feels intentional. Nothing beats the somewhat emergent mechanic of driving up to the edge of a cliff, hitting the brakes, and seeing all the cars chasing you fly off the edge.

A lot of fun.

This review was adapted from one I published on Steam in 2018.