Each of these bustling hot spots is called an "Operation." Each one has its own set of targets and goals, so the game's world, once a fairly barren place, is now littered with anti-aircraft fire and scores of enemy bogies. Cleansing one collection of targets will change the flow of battle in some way - freeing a landing strip, for example, will enable you to land, refuel and re-equip your plane with fresh ammo. Or you can eradicate a set of enemy batteries to lessen the ammo flow to the central assault, making a final victory that much easier. With some missions housing up to six Operations at a time, that's a whole lotta firing going on, with more enemies, more effects and more explosions than you've seen in an air combat game before.

With all these angry SOBs pointing the biggest guns they can find at you, one jet against a hundred won't make much difference. That's why Ace 6 has also brought in the "Allied Support System," a means by which you can call in air strikes and cover fire. Simply point your aircraft at something, click the D-pad and voila, you've just asked your missile-belching entourage to raze anything inside the reticule's radius. It sounds pretty basic, but try to imagine how busy this battlefield is going to be - there's just no way to win without wisely using your buddies' arsenal. Similar commands can be given to your wingmen as well, just like in 2004's Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.