Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies for PlayStation 2
- ESRB Descriptor: Violence Mild Language
- ESRB Rating: E - (Everyone)
- Publisher: Namco
- Genre: Shooter / FPS
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Fighter assault
Pros
Photo realistic graphics, storyline, responsive controls, variety of missions, environments
Cons
Short game,difficulty water down, rough detail in ground buildings
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Ace combat 4 encompasses everything that you could ever want in aerial combat
-INTRO-
Combat flight games have always had there appeal in the various interpretations found on the different PC and console system as well as the declining arcades across the land. It?s almost an intense rush to strap yourself in a fighter jet in equip yourself to do battle against all kinds of elements. I remember a arcade sim game in particular called Afterburner with a moveable environment, it?s the exact game from the movie T2that John plays right before the confrontation of the T-1000. The quick intense action of Afterburner always appealed to me as you laid down a spread of bullets and missile while avoiding ending up in a ball of flame.
Console interpretations of Combat flight games haven?t really appealed and interested me that much and some have completely passed by my radar. Ace Combat is just one of those series that I have been surprising unaware of that made a home on the Playstation for the past three games. Ace Combat 4 is the fourth addition that makes it?s way to the PS2 to showcase the brilliant graphics with photo quality detail and provide a variety of mission that make for one of the best combat flight games your going to encounter
STORY
Ace Combat 04 takes place on the continent of Eugea and its plot progresses through the eyes of a young boy living in the occupied town of San Salvacion. The entire story is narrated by this boy through sequences after every completed mission of hand-drawn colored storyboards as he tells the tale of the occupying force's ace pilot, Yellow 13.
Throughout the game you play a fighter pilot that only goes by the code name of Mobius One and his identity remains a mystery. Most of the game revolves around the details of the boy?s life and the success of each of your mission affects him in different ways. The involving story is a surprising quality that you would expect in a combat game but is a refreshing bonus that was completely unexpected
GAMEPLAY:9.5
Ace Combat is made up of 20 individual mission which vary in difficulty and objectives from elimating targets from every type of terrain and environments possible. Each mission contains a squadron of four of five planes including Mobius one and stay in contact through the use of the radio. Ace combat provides with just as many different types of fighter jets to choose from, some of them stronger in certain situations than others. Planes are acquired through the use of a point based system to enables you to buy weapons and planes that are earned on how well the mission is completed.
Most of the planes can be equipped with two or four secondary weapons with each having there own certain functions. The missions are setup in the form of briefings as the objectives are described in detail and the locations of the target are shown through the use of a 3D hologram map that you can move around using the right analog stick. Most of the missions are pretty much straight forward with some requiring you to destroy several targets in two different locations as well as running escort duty across enemy airspace. The setup is structured very simply and is easily played right out of the case without having to learn any complex internal systems of each plane.
CONTROLS: 10.0
The movements and handling of each plane are very responsive and setup in a simple layout that is really easy to use to complete objectives without being tied down with cumbersome controls. Ace Combat 4 gives you the ability to move your plane by either using the D-pad or the left analog control stick, this is great because it gives you the choice without restricting you with one setup. The action buttons are centered around the shoulder pads which are used to control the acceleration and banking and the firing and radar map is controlled through the face buttons.
The game also gives you the ability to control the camera with the right analog stick to look around in the cockpit and you even get to see if any enemy is on your tail. Ace Combat 4 gives you three different camera view to choose from that can be adjusted without pausing the game. Cockpit gives you a view from inside the plane, HUD gives the view of the radar display without anything else, and 3 person view behind your plane of choice. The best view that encompasses all of the great elements of the environments and textures would be the 3 person view. I find the cockpit view very restrictive as blocks most of the view needed to engage other planes and ground targets.
GRAPHICS:9.5
The visual element is one of the more noticeable and strongest quality contained in the game. The sheer realistic quality of the environments is apparent until you strap yourself in at about five thousand feet above the ground to totally absorb everything. The 3 person view allows you to admire the level of detail in the texture maps that are applied to all of the planes as well as the different levels of terrain from snow covered mountain tops, green plains and deep rock canyons as well as the numerous building structures. The particle effects of weapons fire and missile smoke trails as they explode on target are shown with so much clarity that you believe your seeing realistic footage.
The main display and menus are shown on the main screen in a green radar interface that contains all of the important information on your plane. The left side of the screen contains your map on the bottom and the top part has your speed and points acquired during the mission. The right side contains the weapon amounts of the bottom and the top part contains your altitude and the time remaining if it applies to the mission at hand. The layout looks very natural on the screen and is spaced out as such so it will not be in your line of sight
SOUND:10.0
The audio quality is another element that just has the same important factors and the overall look for the game. Ace Combat avoids the high octane rock soundtrack found in other games and give more of that dramatic flare. The sound of the gunfire and the explosions all sound very realistic, it almost as your actually in the cockpit. The other important feature is that wide variety of dialogue used for radio broadcasts and by your squadron to communicate when there in trouble or have wiped out a enemy target.
This concept seems to be lacking in most games because they tend to have dialogue that doesn?t makes sense and it tend to be repeated so constantly that you want to hit the mute button. Ace combat has a wide variety of dialogue and commentary that is unique for each individual mission that makes for a different and unique experience every time you play.
PROBLEMS
Your going to have to whip out a microscope to find anything wrong because there?s really nothing on the surface that I really have a issue with. When you do go through the motions of the missions, they tend to go by quickly depending upon how many tries it takes you to complete each mission. But with only 20 missions the game does come up short but it still doesn?t completely take away from the engaging missions.
For the most part the difficulty levels of the game are watered down slightly, now this doesn?t mean there not a challenge here but takes away from the overall impact of the game. The really only other issue that could have made the game more stunning is the use of more details added to the ground structures and objects in the certain cities. It?s not a problem when your up in the air, but when you buzz by at low level you tend to notice the low quality blocky buildings and the things that are out of place.
CONCLUSION
Ace combat 4 contains all of the elements of air combat as well as including unexpected interested storyline that makes up probably the best combat flight game any console has ever had. The extensive mission and the battle sequences definitely keep you interested and provides your with countless hours of replay value that you can take to the skies. This is probably is close as a game is going to get to realistically portraying what it?s like to get behind the helm of a fighter jet and waging battle in the air.
Combat flight games have always had there appeal in the various interpretations found on the different PC and console system as well as the declining arcades across the land. It?s almost an intense rush to strap yourself in a fighter jet in equip yourself to do battle against all kinds of elements. I remember a arcade sim game in particular called Afterburner with a moveable environment, it?s the exact game from the movie T2that John plays right before the confrontation of the T-1000. The quick intense action of Afterburner always appealed to me as you laid down a spread of bullets and missile while avoiding ending up in a ball of flame.
Console interpretations of Combat flight games haven?t really appealed and interested me that much and some have completely passed by my radar. Ace Combat is just one of those series that I have been surprising unaware of that made a home on the Playstation for the past three games. Ace Combat 4 is the fourth addition that makes it?s way to the PS2 to showcase the brilliant graphics with photo quality detail and provide a variety of mission that make for one of the best combat flight games your going to encounter
STORY
Ace Combat 04 takes place on the continent of Eugea and its plot progresses through the eyes of a young boy living in the occupied town of San Salvacion. The entire story is narrated by this boy through sequences after every completed mission of hand-drawn colored storyboards as he tells the tale of the occupying force's ace pilot, Yellow 13.
Throughout the game you play a fighter pilot that only goes by the code name of Mobius One and his identity remains a mystery. Most of the game revolves around the details of the boy?s life and the success of each of your mission affects him in different ways. The involving story is a surprising quality that you would expect in a combat game but is a refreshing bonus that was completely unexpected
GAMEPLAY:9.5
Ace Combat is made up of 20 individual mission which vary in difficulty and objectives from elimating targets from every type of terrain and environments possible. Each mission contains a squadron of four of five planes including Mobius one and stay in contact through the use of the radio. Ace combat provides with just as many different types of fighter jets to choose from, some of them stronger in certain situations than others. Planes are acquired through the use of a point based system to enables you to buy weapons and planes that are earned on how well the mission is completed.
Most of the planes can be equipped with two or four secondary weapons with each having there own certain functions. The missions are setup in the form of briefings as the objectives are described in detail and the locations of the target are shown through the use of a 3D hologram map that you can move around using the right analog stick. Most of the missions are pretty much straight forward with some requiring you to destroy several targets in two different locations as well as running escort duty across enemy airspace. The setup is structured very simply and is easily played right out of the case without having to learn any complex internal systems of each plane.
CONTROLS: 10.0
The movements and handling of each plane are very responsive and setup in a simple layout that is really easy to use to complete objectives without being tied down with cumbersome controls. Ace Combat 4 gives you the ability to move your plane by either using the D-pad or the left analog control stick, this is great because it gives you the choice without restricting you with one setup. The action buttons are centered around the shoulder pads which are used to control the acceleration and banking and the firing and radar map is controlled through the face buttons.
The game also gives you the ability to control the camera with the right analog stick to look around in the cockpit and you even get to see if any enemy is on your tail. Ace Combat 4 gives you three different camera view to choose from that can be adjusted without pausing the game. Cockpit gives you a view from inside the plane, HUD gives the view of the radar display without anything else, and 3 person view behind your plane of choice. The best view that encompasses all of the great elements of the environments and textures would be the 3 person view. I find the cockpit view very restrictive as blocks most of the view needed to engage other planes and ground targets.
GRAPHICS:9.5
The visual element is one of the more noticeable and strongest quality contained in the game. The sheer realistic quality of the environments is apparent until you strap yourself in at about five thousand feet above the ground to totally absorb everything. The 3 person view allows you to admire the level of detail in the texture maps that are applied to all of the planes as well as the different levels of terrain from snow covered mountain tops, green plains and deep rock canyons as well as the numerous building structures. The particle effects of weapons fire and missile smoke trails as they explode on target are shown with so much clarity that you believe your seeing realistic footage.
The main display and menus are shown on the main screen in a green radar interface that contains all of the important information on your plane. The left side of the screen contains your map on the bottom and the top part has your speed and points acquired during the mission. The right side contains the weapon amounts of the bottom and the top part contains your altitude and the time remaining if it applies to the mission at hand. The layout looks very natural on the screen and is spaced out as such so it will not be in your line of sight
SOUND:10.0
The audio quality is another element that just has the same important factors and the overall look for the game. Ace Combat avoids the high octane rock soundtrack found in other games and give more of that dramatic flare. The sound of the gunfire and the explosions all sound very realistic, it almost as your actually in the cockpit. The other important feature is that wide variety of dialogue used for radio broadcasts and by your squadron to communicate when there in trouble or have wiped out a enemy target.
This concept seems to be lacking in most games because they tend to have dialogue that doesn?t makes sense and it tend to be repeated so constantly that you want to hit the mute button. Ace combat has a wide variety of dialogue and commentary that is unique for each individual mission that makes for a different and unique experience every time you play.
PROBLEMS
Your going to have to whip out a microscope to find anything wrong because there?s really nothing on the surface that I really have a issue with. When you do go through the motions of the missions, they tend to go by quickly depending upon how many tries it takes you to complete each mission. But with only 20 missions the game does come up short but it still doesn?t completely take away from the engaging missions.
For the most part the difficulty levels of the game are watered down slightly, now this doesn?t mean there not a challenge here but takes away from the overall impact of the game. The really only other issue that could have made the game more stunning is the use of more details added to the ground structures and objects in the certain cities. It?s not a problem when your up in the air, but when you buzz by at low level you tend to notice the low quality blocky buildings and the things that are out of place.
CONCLUSION
Ace combat 4 contains all of the elements of air combat as well as including unexpected interested storyline that makes up probably the best combat flight game any console has ever had. The extensive mission and the battle sequences definitely keep you interested and provides your with countless hours of replay value that you can take to the skies. This is probably is close as a game is going to get to realistically portraying what it?s like to get behind the helm of a fighter jet and waging battle in the air.
