Aero Elite could have been a contender

For years, console fans have been waiting for the ultimate combat flight simulator.

Unfortunately, Sega's "Aero Elite: Combat Academy" for the PlayStation 2 isn't it.

It's got a lot of promise, but in the end it just bogs the would-be combat pilot down in training mission after training mission, some of which are so hard you'll be ready to slam into the side of a mountain to end the torture.

There are 60 or so combat aircraft available for your flying pleasure, but only a few are available unless you're willing to wade through the training missions.

The early ones are kind of amusing -- taking off, turning, rolling -- but they quickly become almost impossible to complete. My guess is that even real pilots would have trouble with them, so what hope do I have of learning how to land on a carrier in a roiling sea?

Another frustration is that the game could be a bit too realistic. Much of the aerial combat comes, as it does in real dogfighting now, at such vast distances that you never even see your enemy, except as a small puff of smoke if your missiles manage to bring him down.

In this case, art imitating life was a bad idea.

The heads-up display is excellent. However, Aero hasn't solved the problem of how to give you the feeling of speed in the air. The planes just seem to lumber along.

Besides the arcade mode and the training mode, there's an Aero Meet in which you can show off your flying skills in competition.

A split-screen two-player mode lets you play against the enemy of your choosing.

Graphics get a B. Lighting and detail is excellent, both for the planes and the terrain you're fighting over. Your environment changes, with night flying and inclement weather part of the game as it would be in real life.

Control gets a C. Maybe this is what airplanes really fly like, but the controls seemed tight and unresponsive and the planes slow as molasses.

Sound merits a C. Weapons effects are muted and dull and background music can cause pilots to fall asleep at the stick.

Give "Aero Elite: Combat Academy" a C. I wanted to like it, but the incredibly steep learning curve makes it seems more suited to training fledgling pilots than entertaining a home audience. If you're a flight simulation fan, this could be the game for you.