Airforce Delta Strike

I usually have a hard time falling asleep on long flights. But I really did conk out during one of Delta Strike's many dull, virtual-lullaby cinema sequences. The games makers added these sci-fi soap-opera interludes which star 20 barely animated characters who fight, flirt, and ramble on about government factions to spice up the series air combat. But the plot takes tremendous effort to comprehend, and it doesnt help that characters continue to gossip like an old ladies sewing circle while youre flying missions, when youre too busy busting targets and dodging missiles to pay attention. Not that the missions do much to wake you up. Although you get 60 in all, ranging from canyon-skimming flights to outer-space dogfights (plus one ultrafrustrating iceberg battle), too many send you on emergency scrambles to down approaching fighters. Ace pilotry leads to niftier planes more than 100, including WWII-era fighters. But since most of these jets seemingly soar as fast as a garbage truck in reverse, its hard to get the blood pumping. Or to keep those eyelids from getting heavier, and heavier, and heavi.zzzz.

Pilot a plane that couldnt keep pace with a power walker, let alone turn and burn. Scroll through text-heavy briefings in brutally long layovers between each and every flight. Return to Delta Strikes not-so-wild blue yonder and listen to your wingmen shoot the breeze with mission control. Try your damnedest not to nod off while creeping over barren, doo-doo-brown terrain, scanning the skies for the first sign of fun. Or simply remain seated, wedged between a slob and a screaming brat, reading your complimentary copy of SkyMall.

Delta Strike keeps you juggling responsibilities with its plethora of pilots, planes, and plots, and it all surrounds a decent-controlling flying engine. Problem is, the mission structure is poorly paced, with too many dull dogfighting missions wedged between the occasional inspired ones. And all that talking sure doesnt help you will stop caring about which squeaky-voiced flyboy is getting revenge on whom after a few chatter-filled sorties. Ultimately, though, Delta Strikes flying action isnt bad...just bland.