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Publisher: Evolved Games
Developer: Trickstar Games
System requirements: Windows XP (SP2)/Vista/Win 7, 2 GHz Core 2 Duo/Athlon X2 4000+ CPU, GeForce 6800/Radeon X1600 graphics card with Shader 3.0 support, 2 GB RAM, 1.5 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Simulation
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now
Once upon a time, Jane’s was a title that meant something. Being the foremost producer of military analysis, they once licensed their name to produce a series of well received, highly detailed military simulations. Longbow, F-15, Fleet Command; if it had the Jane’s logo on it, chances are it was the best you could find. Today, after a decade of lying dormant, the proud logo once again appears, this time on Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters. However, it ends up being more Bay of Pigs than Normandy Invasion.
Azbaristan, a wealthy middle-eastern nation (that’s apparently an island), is in a bloody civil war, and you…well, your role is never truly explained. But you blow up a lot of stuff. However you got there, your name is Razor, ace fighter pilot. You could say that the story might’ve been more engaging if it had been told with competent voice actors, but that would be a lie. If you wanted military politics, you’d read Tom Clancy. You’re here for the action, right? Well, about that…
 In the history of combat flight sims, there are a few standout games that can be used as milestones. On the detailed, realistic side, there are items such as IL-2 Sturmovik, while games with more romanticized views such as Ace Combat feel free to exaggerate reality. The classic Novilogic games did a respectable job straddling these extremes, landing somewhere in the middle. Crash landing far, far in the “arcade” category, JASF takes an axe to the very concept of modern flight itself. What it lacks in realism, or any actual knowledge of modern air combat, it makes up with…well, actually it doesn’t.
The Joint Strike Fighter project has been in development for almost two decades now, and Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighter really demonstrates just how space-age this technology is. First, these planes are completely stall-proof. These aren’t just really stable aircraft, but actually stall-proof, thanks to the invisible repulsors under the wings. A special coating on the planes’ hulls makes them resistant to bumps, scratches and missiles. That’s right, not only will you not have to worry about shopping carts dinging your F-22, but you’ll also be able to take a good dozen direct hits from enemy missiles before any catastrophic system failure. In addition to that, the engineers at Lockheed-Martin have used the very latest in bioengineering to create missiles that literally grow back onto their hardpoints. Fire all your missiles in a single salvo? No problem. Just wait a few seconds and you’ll soon have the finest American ordinance at your fingertips. Not even Ace Combat can match that.
 Because of budgetary constraints, the HUD designer didn’t have any hands-on experience with actual aircraft. There wasn’t even enough money to rent a copy of Top Gun. Instead, the HUD was seemingly copied from a flash game that wasn’t even about airplanes. A large, green bar labeled “health” at the top of the screen harkens back to the classic days of Afterburner. First-person mode changes nothing except for removing the image of your jet bobbing and weaving before you. While distance and altitude is measured in the expected real-life units, velocity is only given in “SPD” and given in units that don’t match anything approaching normal airspeed. Apparently, 700 SPD is pretty slow, while 2000 SPD is pretty fast. That’s OK, because it’s not like you’ll have to monitor airspeed much while piloting your military spaceship.
I can’t fault the developers for making an arcade jet-fighter game on a smaller budget. It’s not as polished as HAWX, but it’s not like the Valusoft Jetfighter series on mothballs. But slapping the Jane’s license on the box feels about as offensive as putting Tiger Woods’ signature on a poor Mario Golf clone. It might’ve been a guilty pleasure if not for a few boneheaded decisions. It supports both competitive multiplayer and online co-op, but I doubt you’d want to admit owning JASF to your friends, let alone suggest playing co-op with them. Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighter doesn’t aim too high, and it hits even lower. Here’s hoping the Jane’s series can recover its dignity in the future.
Our Score: 
Our Recommendation: 
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I still await the ultimate flight sim that has a realism adjustment ranging from “jet-shaped, self-aware bank vault” to “pitiless flying coffin”.
Sigh, Cashing in on a Name, and Destroying what was once a great franchise all in one release.. GG
I have been buying flight combat sims ever since the Commodore 64 in 1983. Then the Amiga and finally the PC. But it seems they have gotten harder and harder to fly and to figure out things. Some I have bought and after playing (or trying to figure them out) stopped playing them at all. I wish someone would put out something like the original Falcon by Spectrum Holobyte that was simple to fly and complete missions and go up in rank after each mission. You take off, follow the map to your destination, bomb things and then fly back and if you land successfully get promoted. Easy and fun.
For a realistic flight sim you’ll probably have to look at Lock-on 2, do no one make any proper flight sims any more? The best ones I owned were Tog Gun 1996 release and Jasf, but those seem to be a thing of the past, these days everything is too “arcady”. Even Nfs has turned into that. Graphics are good now but gameplay sucks.
I just purchased this Item from steam, I thought that we were all heading in the right direction again with flight sims. Boy, did I get a slap in the face. what a junking game. If I had any part in in making this game? I would have got under a rock and hide the rest of my life, that or quit and find a new job. This gaming industry is realing starting to worry me. They want to make all this money. Where’s the realism,graphics are very poor only the planes look good if that, the control panel inside is a joke. The gameplay sucks. I am using a F.L.Y.5 controller. None of the planes fly right always jerying left and right up and down when I have it steady “arcady junk” the future of gaming”. I am sick of the junk out here. It will be a long time before we will see anything good. The good stuff, games, etc our behind us and we cannot get it back They just throw it togather and hope someone will buy it. The future for gaming looks bad for Simulation. Thank God, I only purchased it from Steam for $14.00 dollars. Because it is only worth about $10.00 if that, or less. I love Air combat, but it looks like the end is near for all gamers wanting great simulations.
in grachics was the . Janes was the best, How could they even think, they were going to match those great artist,programmers,and writers etc. They even use the Janes name for the beginning title
Hello! I have a xp system with all window updates, I have been try to get usaf to work, I read that sp3 affect the game, Does anyone have a fix, I’m a retired helicopter pilot and this is the only flying I have found worth a p–p. Any help would be Super. Thank You. Michael
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