Things don't start out too well. Early in the game you're saddled with what amounts to a flying brick, and are forced to fly a few boring mud-moving missions. Stick with it, though. By the end of the game, you'll have earned enough money to buy a hangar full of incredible aircraft, each with special weapons, capabilities, and shortcomings. The F-14, for example, has a slow roll rate but can engage multiple targets at long range. The A-10 is horrible in a dogfight, but is devastating down low. You'll need to familiarize yourself with all the planes, as picking the right plane for the job always spells the difference between success and failure in the later missions.

The game is nearly perfect in the audio department, with booming engine noises (taken from recordings of the planes' real-life counterparts) and constant radio chatter during missions. Graphically, it's a bit of a letdown, especially the anemic explosions. Up high, everything is picture perfect, and the plane models are gorgeous, but close to the ground the terrain melts into a pixilated mess. This is offset somewhat by the inclusion of dense urban areas and twisting canyons that are thrilling to fly through. All things considered, Shattered Skies is the best mix of simulation and arcade action ever burned onto a disc. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Photorealistic terrain (at least when viewed from high altitude)
• Nonstop action backed by an engaging story
• Intense dogfights, sometimes involving dozens of planes

• Scripted mission design doesn't give players much freedom
• Pathetic explosions
• Terrain that loses detail when viewed from a low altitude