Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
Namco delivers another perfect mix of flight sim basics and arcade action. Can you say "must-have"?
Published: November 7, 2001
Ace Combat 04 marks the fourth installment in the series' lengthy history, moving from the 32-bit era into that of the 128-bit. It also happens to be the best flight game ever made. Normally, I'd save myself from flames by saying it's "the best arcade flight game ever" or "best flight game you'll ever play if you're not into sims" but screw it. If your time is spent trying to squeeze as much fun as possible flying a 747 with perfectly modeled cockpit controls, you're probably not going to dig this game, and there's a damn good chance that if you actually picked up a controller and give this a shot -- even without a fancy schmancy joystick with 3 kajillion force feedback options -- you're probably going to have a much better time. I have nothing against flight sims in particular, but there's something in me, something horribly male and testosterone-driven that whispers "Shoot some suckers down" whenever I hop into a clunky, slow flight sim.
Luckily, not a single thing in AC4 even remotely resembles anything clunky or slow. Every fighter in the sky is a sleek, nimble little metallic angel of death, and about 5 minutes into any one of the 18 missions you'll be infinitely aware of that very fact. There's also been an attempt to infuse the game with elements of story, something that was done in the third installment, but only in Japan; for some reason, the US version had all the cinemas stripped out. The decision to go ahead with the cinematics for the fourth iteration was a sage one. The addition of a character you can identify with makes it that much more engaging, rather than just jumping into the flight suit of some anonymous flyboy with no ties to the world he's flying around in.
AC4's story is also pulled off in a unique fashion, telling events up to the present in flashback, and slowly but surely pulling the veil off the game's admirable, yet fearsome opponent. You start out just running routine missions with just a precursory intro that explains the construction of the asteroid-destroying Stonehenge cannon, a weapon that was eventually used for more terrestrial, military means. As more of the early details are filled in, you begin to get a clearer understanding of the action. Your role, then, as a grown pilot peering into the back-story of a boy who is slowly revealed after a couple of missions at a time, becomes that much more interesting, and the motivation to press on against some frankly insane missions is heightened.
Ace Combat 04's missions are typical flight game fare, ranging from dogfights to ground strikes to mixes of both. That's not to say they're bad, quite the contrary. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun peppering the ground with round after round of vulcan cannon fire or watching a couple of rockets streak across the sky to lodge themselves smartly up the tailpipe of a fleeing fighter. It's just that if you're expecting some paradigm shift in flight games, you won't find it here. Luckily, if playing a 21st century Red Baron is your idea of fun, you're going to have an absolute blast. AC4 is just more of the already fantastic gameplay that was laid down in the series before it -- particularly Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere.
My God, AC4 looks good. You've no doubt seen the screen shots of the game, with its nearly photo-realistic ground details. From the air, the land below you looks flawless, as if it was lifted straight from satellite imaging data (which it was). Up close the textures don't really hold up, but it's not really an issue. You'll be spending plenty of time keeping your peepers peeled for targets.
Each of the game's 18 flyable planes are modeled with exquisite detail. In a departure from the futuristic, more experimentally-styled planes from AC3, the sequel instead goes for a little more realism, offering up goodies like F14's and A-10's, the so-called "tank killers." Even buildings are painted with lavish textures, though it's the aircraft themselves that look the best. It's funny, too, because the only time you'll really see the planes up close is during the amazingly slick replays that play after you finish a mission or buy the farm. Little nuances like the afterburners warping the air around them with heat waves that dance up in the external view or sunlight playing off the water never really get old.
Lighting is, of course, one of the more jaw-slackening goodies that the Ace Combat 04 engine delivers. This was apparent even with AC3 on the PlayStation, but the higher resolutions on both the video and the textures does wonders for the game's visual appeal. The way the sun slides onto and off of the planes is so natural, it's completely believable. Even far off targets have that "almost real" feel to them.
Oh, and then there's the interface. AC3 opened up with an incredibly slick twisting vortex that has, until now, been the coolest example of perfect presentation in a video game. But, of course, leave it to Namco to one-up themselves. AC4's menus absolutely rock. They pair the minimalist designs that many UK graphic designers have used for years, using simple lines and boxes to illustrate the menu options, and then throw in touches of 3D. It's nothing in your face, instead a simple, subtle use of little dots in 3D space along with a couple of awesome reenactments of your successful mission using flat little 3D colored arrows. It's hard to describe, but suffice it to say, from menus to cinemas to radio chatter, I've never seen a more polished presentation style.
Music doesn't slouch in any respect either. In fact, I found myself humming along with a couple of the tracks, then doing it again after I'd put the game back in the case, only to bust it out again so I could hear the music. It's mostly screaming guitars and pounding bass lines, but for the game is so unbelievably perfect. It's funny, too, because the cut scenes that are interspersed throughout the game have a very soft, subtle sound, usually only punctuated with a light piano or that old flashback standby, the harmonica. The music does such a good job of switching the mood, taking you from jacked up from completing a mission to calmly sucked into the event that are unfolding for this boy, that it's almost scary.
AC4's effects absolutely rock as well. Radio chatter from your fellow pilots and the enemy is constant. You'll get updates from base and tips from your comrades if you've got a missile screaming for your butt, as well as some satisfying lines from the opponent you just dusted (I guess an exploding plane still means the pilot escaped). The sound of an enemy fighter flying past me at subsonic speeds gave me that same rush I felt when watching the action scenes in Top Gun, and hearing your copilot bark "Box One! Box Two" as a pair of missiles heads for their target is thoroughly engrossing.
Ace Combat 04 has some of the most perfectly fleshed out missions I've ever seen. The mission briefings drip with laid-back style, the missions are fast, fun and long, and the story that strings everything along leaves you with just enough details to keep you wanting more. The whole mix is perfect, and again, it must be said that this is the best flight game ever made. Period. If you have even remote interest in this genre, head on down to your nearest store and pick up a copy.
Luckily, not a single thing in AC4 even remotely resembles anything clunky or slow. Every fighter in the sky is a sleek, nimble little metallic angel of death, and about 5 minutes into any one of the 18 missions you'll be infinitely aware of that very fact. There's also been an attempt to infuse the game with elements of story, something that was done in the third installment, but only in Japan; for some reason, the US version had all the cinemas stripped out. The decision to go ahead with the cinematics for the fourth iteration was a sage one. The addition of a character you can identify with makes it that much more engaging, rather than just jumping into the flight suit of some anonymous flyboy with no ties to the world he's flying around in.
AC4's story is also pulled off in a unique fashion, telling events up to the present in flashback, and slowly but surely pulling the veil off the game's admirable, yet fearsome opponent. You start out just running routine missions with just a precursory intro that explains the construction of the asteroid-destroying Stonehenge cannon, a weapon that was eventually used for more terrestrial, military means. As more of the early details are filled in, you begin to get a clearer understanding of the action. Your role, then, as a grown pilot peering into the back-story of a boy who is slowly revealed after a couple of missions at a time, becomes that much more interesting, and the motivation to press on against some frankly insane missions is heightened.
Ace Combat 04's missions are typical flight game fare, ranging from dogfights to ground strikes to mixes of both. That's not to say they're bad, quite the contrary. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun peppering the ground with round after round of vulcan cannon fire or watching a couple of rockets streak across the sky to lodge themselves smartly up the tailpipe of a fleeing fighter. It's just that if you're expecting some paradigm shift in flight games, you won't find it here. Luckily, if playing a 21st century Red Baron is your idea of fun, you're going to have an absolute blast. AC4 is just more of the already fantastic gameplay that was laid down in the series before it -- particularly Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere.
My God, AC4 looks good. You've no doubt seen the screen shots of the game, with its nearly photo-realistic ground details. From the air, the land below you looks flawless, as if it was lifted straight from satellite imaging data (which it was). Up close the textures don't really hold up, but it's not really an issue. You'll be spending plenty of time keeping your peepers peeled for targets.
Each of the game's 18 flyable planes are modeled with exquisite detail. In a departure from the futuristic, more experimentally-styled planes from AC3, the sequel instead goes for a little more realism, offering up goodies like F14's and A-10's, the so-called "tank killers." Even buildings are painted with lavish textures, though it's the aircraft themselves that look the best. It's funny, too, because the only time you'll really see the planes up close is during the amazingly slick replays that play after you finish a mission or buy the farm. Little nuances like the afterburners warping the air around them with heat waves that dance up in the external view or sunlight playing off the water never really get old.
Lighting is, of course, one of the more jaw-slackening goodies that the Ace Combat 04 engine delivers. This was apparent even with AC3 on the PlayStation, but the higher resolutions on both the video and the textures does wonders for the game's visual appeal. The way the sun slides onto and off of the planes is so natural, it's completely believable. Even far off targets have that "almost real" feel to them.
Oh, and then there's the interface. AC3 opened up with an incredibly slick twisting vortex that has, until now, been the coolest example of perfect presentation in a video game. But, of course, leave it to Namco to one-up themselves. AC4's menus absolutely rock. They pair the minimalist designs that many UK graphic designers have used for years, using simple lines and boxes to illustrate the menu options, and then throw in touches of 3D. It's nothing in your face, instead a simple, subtle use of little dots in 3D space along with a couple of awesome reenactments of your successful mission using flat little 3D colored arrows. It's hard to describe, but suffice it to say, from menus to cinemas to radio chatter, I've never seen a more polished presentation style.
Music doesn't slouch in any respect either. In fact, I found myself humming along with a couple of the tracks, then doing it again after I'd put the game back in the case, only to bust it out again so I could hear the music. It's mostly screaming guitars and pounding bass lines, but for the game is so unbelievably perfect. It's funny, too, because the cut scenes that are interspersed throughout the game have a very soft, subtle sound, usually only punctuated with a light piano or that old flashback standby, the harmonica. The music does such a good job of switching the mood, taking you from jacked up from completing a mission to calmly sucked into the event that are unfolding for this boy, that it's almost scary.
AC4's effects absolutely rock as well. Radio chatter from your fellow pilots and the enemy is constant. You'll get updates from base and tips from your comrades if you've got a missile screaming for your butt, as well as some satisfying lines from the opponent you just dusted (I guess an exploding plane still means the pilot escaped). The sound of an enemy fighter flying past me at subsonic speeds gave me that same rush I felt when watching the action scenes in Top Gun, and hearing your copilot bark "Box One! Box Two" as a pair of missiles heads for their target is thoroughly engrossing.
Ace Combat 04 has some of the most perfectly fleshed out missions I've ever seen. The mission briefings drip with laid-back style, the missions are fast, fun and long, and the story that strings everything along leaves you with just enough details to keep you wanting more. The whole mix is perfect, and again, it must be said that this is the best flight game ever made. Period. If you have even remote interest in this genre, head on down to your nearest store and pick up a copy.
