Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

"Imprssive flight sim surprises many, especialy me."

Hey, this is Chris and I'm here to tell you about a fantastic flight simulator I always thought was about poker. Well it's not and instead turned out to be one of my favorite games that I never thought I would be writing a review about, but here I am. Well lets get started.

Graphics(10)- first off is probably AC4's(Ace Combat 4, duh) most impressive feature, it's graphics. I don't think anyone was expecting such detail in almost every aspect. The fighter jets seem to be taken right out of some air-craft carrier and recreated almost perfectly in this game. So what I was trying to get across is that you can pilot real life models of about 30 different types of jets. That's not even the best part. The environments are stupendous, whether your flying over the arctic tundra or across vast deserts. Not only that, Namco decided to go crazy and animate everything, from the way the enemy AI does maneuvers like a real F-15, or the full fledged battles that take place on the surface. Everything seems so finely tuned, you can't go wrong in this department.

Audio(9)- you'd think this is the perfect place to ruin a flight sim, well Namco didn't. Your ally air-men keep up very good dialogue in almost every situation. It's remarkable how real it sounds. Every mission has its own theme music too, which oddly enough keeps things rolling without wishing you could turn down the music volume, which is what I usually do for most of my games. Theres nothing more complete sounding when you see your buddy burst into flames, but right before that saying ''I'm hit I'M HIT''. Despite the fact that you just lost a fellow comrade it wont disappoint you as much as is brings a smile to your face. Over all you'll be pretty impressed with the explosions ringing in your ears every couple of minutes.

Story(8)- a flight sim with a story usually meant a half assed piece of something the programers thought up while watching a soap opera. But somehow AC4 still delivers here too. The story is told through a young boys eyes in still seen's. Whenever you complete a few missions a new cut seen is unveiled, and more of the plot unfolds. Once you beat the game you can watch the full story from start to finish at your leisure. Who says flight sims can't include a good story too.

Gameplay(9)- this is always the easiest part to write about for a great game, unless the game sucks, but AC4 undoubtedly delivers here as well. You start of the first mission with the most pathetic jet. As you complete missions you earn money to buy new fighters and new weapons for your preferred aircraft. Besides the 30 fighters you can purchase, theres a plethora of hidden stuff to unlock. Most notably are the VS maps, paint jobs, and new difficulty modes. The easy to use controls help in dog-fights, and they make you really feel like your piloting a specific aircraft. Each one handles differently and carries a unique payload of missiles and bombs. Theres nothing more satisfying than seeing an enemy aircraft burst into flames and plummet to the ground. Especially if your up against your friend in one of the five different maps to rage war over. Best category of them all.

Replayability(8)- one of the things that impressed me the most about AC4 was how much fun I still had with it after about three whole weeks. Sense theres a real challenge in the missions and aquiring all the aircraft's you always seem to have something to do. If you manage to find this tiresome after a few days than go head to head with your friends, or replay your favorite missions. There all available to replay once you complete the game. So as I conclude this review I would like to say that if you like flight simulators in the least, than buy this game. If your wondering weather or not your going to get 50 bucks worth of enjoyment out of it than rent it, then buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/19/02, Updated 02/19/02