This is how you return to a series. This game is basically Ace Combat 5 but with slightly better missions (but only slightly, the missions in this game can get kinda rough). The plot is once again absolutely crazy both for simpletons and strangereal nuts, and the game has tons of fanservice for the latter crowd with sometimes entire missions dedicated to certain past games in the holy trinity of PS2 games. The banter on the AWACS is genuinely entertaining with characters each having their own gimmicks and quirks to each conversation. Theres also DLC which is genuinely incredible despite being only 3 missions long, and if you have a VR headset theres even some VR missions where you try not to lose your lunch. All in all, this is a glorious return to the series and you should definitely give it a try, even if you haven't played before. These games are much more than just "plane games"