Project Sylpheed takes you centuries into the future where you customize and pilot amazing starships, battle swarms of enemy fighters, and enjoy stellar visuals.

Become immersed in the full, multi-layered storyline. Take on hordes of enemy starfighters in extreme 3D space combat. Enjoy animation with vivid visuals, cool space settings, and over 50 minutes of CG video. [Square Enix]

No strangers to the concept of delivering an epic storyline, the creative boffins at Square Enix have turned their imaginations towards the stars with Xbox 360 space battler Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception.

And seeing as though Project Sylpheed arrives in a next-generation genre that’s not exactly bursting its space-faring bulkheads with high-performance content (read: Bethesda’s Star Trek: Legacy) then its release could well be construed as a well-timed opportunity to impress.

Having played the demo via Xbox Live Marketplace, GamerSquad can tell you that, while it’s a far cry from the studied and steady immersion provided by ye olde classics such as Colony Wars, Project Sylpheed is a frantic and action-packed spectacular that certainly looks the part.

But how will it perform in the eyes of the Internet’s most ardent of gamers: the critics? Strap yourself in, arm your weaponry, slam the turbo boost, and find out below…

Clicking below gets you instant access to a wealth of gathered critical feedback as well as a Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception trailer. Enjoy.

Footage provided by GameTrailers.com.

75% - Game Almighty - "It satisfies on many levels – easily accessible and involved gameplay coupled with great graphics and a cool story."

70% - XboxAddict - "It’s amazingly detailed in its simplicity, easy to pick up and play and it will keep you plugging away for a bit."

70% - EuroGamer - "The core game is, given a little time and concentration, excellent, if repetitive. Since Sony seems to have long left the Colony Wars series for dead and Nintendo likewise with Rogue Squadron, this game ably fills a gaping whole in one of gaming's most pure and heady genres."

70% - CheatCodeCentral - "For those willing to plod through the unforgiving learning curve and often odd-feeling mismatch of genres, Project Sylpheed has a lot to offer and could become this year's biggest sleeper hit."

60% - DailyGame - "The core gameplay has become excruciatingly boring, and great graphics just have the same effect as polishing a turd: it's a pointless exercise, considering the content. Just leave this one alone; you've basically been playing it for a decade."

Verdict: Lend