excellent! gameplay is superb. the story? not so much. but it's easy to overlook this little bit of turbulence in ACZ.
the su-37 got even cooler. i know it's hard to believe but it's true!
the story here is really just backstory for ac5 as the title -belkan war- suggests. their is a new ranking system mercenary / soldier / knight that makes little gameplay difference, but it does make major differences as to what planes are unlocked both at mission ends and for completing the game under each respective banner. the mission choice segments are very well done. depending on which you choose the style of missions will vary wildly. you won't find nearly as many rehashes as in the past few installments which is a good thing. so much more of the game seems original with this minor tweak in place.
also you will notice this time around it feels much more like it's you against the world. yeah your wingman pixy is there for support but he's pretty much it. no squad of three other fighters this time around. however, pixy is really really good. when you tell him to take someone down he does it! in fact i've sent him after enemies and then tried to get them myself first. on more than one occasion pixy beat me to the punch. if this seems odd to you the story will sort you out on the subject. believe me.
all in all belkan war is a worthy successor to the franchise and is definitely worth every prospective ace's time.