Thirty-five Missions: Do or Die!
343090
It's a good read if you are interested in WWII bombers and the crews.  Very dangerous missions where one's getting in 35 complete was just about all the men could think about.  The author, an 8th AF navigator, is very graphic in his descriptions of life at 25,000 feet with little space, sub zero cold and thick, heavy clothing as well as being tethered to an oxygen mask.  Sort of makes "Twelve O'clock High" look like the "Love Boat."

On the negative side, I feel that there is too much copy is devoted to crew infighting, personal conflicts and obscene banter often to the point of fisticuffs.  Quite a few grammatical errors which somehow got past the editor. The author's literary style, while talented, can be confusing at times.
3177422
I'm a big fan of the Ace Combat series. I've played 4 (with controller on PS2) and 5 (with the flight sticks on PS2). I finally got around to purchasing this bundle just 2 weeks ago and have gotten to the final mission. AC 5 is still my favorite; mostly because of the lack of primary character development, third person storytelling point of view and cheesy dialogue used in AC6.

As any veteran of Ace Combat knows, the missions can be very challenging. The lack of sufficient checkpoints (not enough of them at all) means you may end up playing the first 10 minutes of a mission multiple times. I do this all too often; I make a minor error or end up getting shot down and have to start the mission all over again.

Another complaint I have is getting a plane suited for a ground attack (eg:A-10) as the mission pre-brief describes, and then finding out after the mission is "done", that enemy fighters are closing in and the player must defeat a given amount of them (without dying) before the mission can be done "for real". As you may imagine, defeating 3 or 4 Su-33's using a slow old hog like the A-10 is not ideal.

With those issues out of the way, this is an amazing game, both play-wise, visual-wise, and as an all around flying sim/arcade experience. The Flight sticks and cockpit-only-view are a *MUST* if you intend to fully appreciate everything this game has to offer.
3845258
A six member team selected for a mission to Mars is sent to the Arctic for training.  Little did they know that a Coronal Mass Ejection would occur shortly after their arrival.  Their location is roughly 500 nautical miles from the North Pole.

Their military support team (located nearby at an installation) leaves and they are in effect on their own.  The team must function as a unit in order to survive.  Wait until you see the obstacles they come up against!  Also, remember that it is dark for 6 months of the year.

The majority of the team is from the Boston area so a decision is made to try and reach that city.  Cody, a graduate of MIT, has a dark secret.  He also has a great desire to see if his wife and daughter have survived.  Especially, his daughter, Maria!

Quite the read and each and every page is filled with non-stop action.  Hang on for the ride in this one!

Are there any other survivors left in the world after this devastating event? Or are they the only ones left due to their remote location?

Highly recommended.
1922174
Our church is beginning to use Life on Mission as our last outreach template became outdated.  Good common sense approach to mission work whether it is in your neighborhood or in a foreign land.
1800918
When this came out for the Playstation, I bought it, then I played the demo of this and it was even better! The coolest thing is you can make your own missions for this one! That can be done with a wordpad or DMC(Driver Missions Configurator). Get this game!
2350955
I've been playing this game since its release, and I'm still nowhere near finished.

That's not to say it has to take long. If you focus on the core missions, you can probably finish it in under 20 hours.

But who would want to? This game is so much fun as a chaos simulator, it makes you want to avoid finishing the story. If you have a half-hour to kill, load it up and figure out new ways to conquer a base. Use the head from a destroyed statue as a wrecking ball, hanging below a helicopter. Sneak around and plant charges on all the explodable structures and then set them off all at once. Storm in Rambo-style and shoot everything in sight. Shoot out the tires of a police jeep and watch it careen into a gun emplacement. The variety is amazing, and it encourages creative exploration.

I've played almost every major 360 release this year, but Just Cause 2 is the one I keep coming back to. I'm nearing 50 hours in the game, and still having fun.
848463
Another great book in the series by Ryk Brown.  Lots of action, both ship to ship  and hand to hand. I really enjoy this series, but I am having a problem with the number of casualties incurred in this episode. It is hard to imagine how they can ever replace the number of Falcon pilots lost or the to the crew of both ships.

That  being said, it is a rip-roaring adventure and a quality addition to the series. Let's just pray Ryk's Carpal Tunnel problem doesn't delay # 13.
2564307
awesome game, reviews made it seem so generic, but I really like this game, missions are fun and diverse, doesn't have a bunch of forced story, and can be challenging to find the right combo of character and gun to use to maximize points, awesome game if you love beating a game to death for score and leder board challenges!
2141388
Nicely done. A report on a mission that is akin to one that may be seen on a reality channel with a little PBS thrown in for drama, and a wildlife channel for danger
1927504
Haven't completed it yet, but so far my thoughts are positive. By now this review is probably meaningless as I expect there are many out there that are far more comprehensive. One thing I will mention is that if you hate escort missions you might have a problem with this game, since it's one giant one. It's better than most, but you get triggered by NPCs blocking your movement then this is going to be a problem for you.
1885756
I always play the campaign before I venture into multi player. Mission 3 is impossible to complete due to a swimming bug... I have researched and nothing. Huge disappointment. Im coming from COD which I have never had an issue that stops the game play like this. BUT I do have a solution! Simply download saved game files from some one who has completed the game! Downfall? You don't earn your way through campaign : / but at least you can play it through!
934026
We love Xeko games. I bought this one, the Costa Rica mission, at a thrift store for $2.50. I immediately fell in love with the absolutlely beautiful art and the 'atmosphere' of the game. I have since recieved the Indonesia version and the Madagascar(out of print, so snap this one up!) mission is on the way! They are like regular playing cards in texture but are printed with wonderful animal illustrations. I am going to laminate them so they out-live me!!
2648112
The game looks beautiful and the controls are great!  But, when it is imposible to complete a mission without using a trial-and-error method, things get pretty tedious pretty quick.  If you don't mind reloading each mission 10 or 20 times, then have fun!  Otherwise, you might want to try renting it first to see if it's really as bad as I say!
4891923
I had a buddy who got killed flying supply missions over there. I just wanted to know maybe just what he might of been through. This book is excellent in telling you just what went on over there. I am almost done with it  and will be sad when I an finished with it.
Thanks Mark for sharing your story!
Steve
2666114
This game is so much fun and there is a lot to do! You will spend about 80% of your time in Adventure mode where you can pick your own missions and play as any character you want!
1862509
Great game that can keep you busy for many hours. Really enjoy taking on a mission or two with a friend or small party. Fun co-op play whether you have 30 mins to play or two ours.
3755009
This game has some interesting innovations.  Unfortunately there is too much repetition.  1) get mission, 2) hop in a car and drive, 3) drive some more, 4) have a simple firefight at an intersection, 5) drive some more, 6) finally, do the mission.

The problem is that it takes way to long to get to the new mission location.  PLus, these firefights at intersections are essentially the same challenge every time.