Rebel Raiders: Operation Night Hawk is a jet-based fighter available on the PS2 and the PC. Developed by a new studio called Kando, it shows a lot of promise for them. Set in a distant future, where man has conquered the solar system. All states have come together to create the World Nations Union. But through the centuries, this government became more and more inhuman and tyrannical. A small group made of a few brave nations has decided to take its independence, and fight in the biggest conflict known to man. The game starts with the small group of rebels is in a bad position after months and months of hard fighting. Even if some young pilots join the alliance each day, they are less and less numerous.... You, of course, are one of those new recruits. You start off in a standard tutorial mission, that any seasoned flight sim player should recognise - fly through some hoops, shoot some structures, and learn to dodge missiles. Its at this stage that you start to get a feel for the game - its twitchy, its instantly satisfying. Its more a dogfighter than a true flight sim.

As the story moves on, you get to enjoy casual banter during the scripted sessions which does add to the immersion, and a very, very well written musical score. The story just washes over you, it is rather simple and derivative, but you're too busy playing the game to notice the story.

As a flight game, it is more suited to either a game pad or joystick (if you're playing on the PC) than to the keyboard and mouse. We had some problems with our PS2 preview version, and ended up playing on the PC. The graphics look decent enough by PC standards, and certainly good on the PS2.

The missions take place in large areas - theres plenty of freedom to roam around. The missions follow the standard formula seen in the Star Wars flight games - in fact Rogue Squadron fans should feel right at home.

Game play is very smooth - the game looks good, has a nice frame rate, and has been pitched at exactly the right difficulty. The jets fly smoothly, are comfortable to control whilst pulling off some nice manouvers, and targetting is easy. Your wing-mates, when you have them, behave well enough too.

This is a great first game by Kando, and shows a lot of promise for the future. If you're a flight sim fan in need of some dog-fighting action, then look no futher.

Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 9/10
Game Play: 7/10
Overall: 8/10