Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

"Amidst the blue skies, a link from past to future. The sheltering wings of the protector..."

''Amidst the blue skies, a link from past to future. The sheltering wings of the protector... The flames of hatred scorch the skies, igniting Gaia's funeral pyre...''

I've been a fan of flight simulators for a while. Many people have. Something about the azure blue sky above us is magical in it's own little way. Is it because we can never get close to it? Or maybe because it's so open and free? Whatever it is, people always dream of soaring like a bird through the wide blue sky. This game lets us do just that, and it does it in a very special way. Ace Combat 4 - Shattered Skies (or Distant Thunder for the PAL version) is an astonishing and breath-taking game. From the time of your very first take-off, to the intense feeling of a dogfight at 5000 feet, to the touching storyline of a young boy orphaned by war, the game is in my honest opinion a perfect example of how a fighter jet simulator should be made. But enough of this idle banter. Let us take a look at each aspect of the game...

Graphics - 10 - Discovery Channel, eat your heart out.

The first mission you are assigned to is an intercept mission, located over a small group of islands. Looking down, you'll see the sun reflecting off of the deep, wide ocean, and the green tropical forests on the islands below. Looking up will reveal the cloud cover and the literally blinding sun, and at your sides your wingmen fly alongside you with ease. Descending will remind you that you're playing a game, not watching Top Gun, as the images become animated again. Your machine gun bullets appear as small golden threads flying wildly, and the missiles look like simple smoke trails. Flying in the cloud cover in the 3rd person view will cause your wings to be obscured by white wave-like blurs, and flying dangerously close to the ocean will make a white trail of spray follow your beautifully modelled aircraft. Explosions are a palette of harsh, vicious reds, blacks and whites. Aircraft have moving flaps and rudders, a rather nifty ribbon insignia on the tail-fin, and draw sharp contrails from the tips of their wings when you turn sharply. The graphics alone will leave you weak-legged. And on a final note, the menus are well done with a futuristic touch-screen look to them.

Sound - 10 - Boom! Nnneeeaaaaooorrrwwww! Vwwooooommm! Shrrrrrrsh!

The sounds in this game are frighteningly real. Explosions have a loud, resounding boom that travel for miles. Machine gun fire is muted through your glass cockpit. Missile lets ignite with a small hiss before rocketing towards the enemy bogey, and passing aircraft engines make a resounding, deafening roar. I must also boast about this game's voice acting, as it is some of the most realistic sounding acting I have ever heard. Pilots idly chatter around, encouraging each other before combat ensues. Enemy pilots (that's right, you listen in to the enemy like any other upstanding honest pilot would do ^_^) yell in panic as they frantically try to keep their doomed aircraft in the air. Your commanding officer uses military lingo to inform the squadron of your actions, whether it be hitting the enemy, to getting a face full of concrete. Finally, I move on to the final sound aspect in the game : music. The soundtrack of the game is a mix of dance, beat, rock, and classical. In one mission, you will be engaged in a 20+ fighter skirmish over a rocket launch base, accompanied by a fast-paced rock piece which really sets the right mood. Another mission begins with a dramatic cut-scene with the well-sung ''Rex tremendae,'' a choir solo, then the actual mission is accompanied by a classical piece with the choir in the background. Another notable piece is in one of the well-drawn storyboard pictures that tell the story. It's a beautiful guitar-harmonica duet that really is touching, however short it may be. I have yet to hear of a soundtrack, but hey, we can hope, right?

Gameplay - 10 - Microsoft have jettisoned all copies of Flight Simulator 2002 into an active volcano.

This is where the game really excels. When you take breath-taking visuals, ear-drum pleasing sounds and tunes, and mix them together with a selection of two control systems, you're got a game that could pass for perfect anyday. Dogfights are an elegant art thanks to the fabulous configuration that makes joypad owners laugh joystick lovers out of the room. L1 and R1 are used for thrust and air-brakes, using the pressure sensitive technology, radar is also pressure-sensitive, (the harder you press Square, the more of the map is shown.) and machine guns and missile are fired with a tap of their respective buttons. Pitch and rolling are handled with the left stick, while camera views are switched with the D-pad and right stick. There's also a handy Autopilot for when you're disorientated and need to get your bearings. The game's missions consist of small and large scale skirmishes, escort, search and destroy, and a few bombing runs. As you can see, AC04's gameplay is one of it's strongest points.

Story - 10 - This section is so good, I can't bear to give it a mocking punchline. ^_^;

This is where the game got me deep inside. Here's a rough summary, so as not to spoil any surprises. The story is narrated by a man, recalling the days of when he was a boy in the war between the two factions: Erusia and ISAF. (Independent State Allied Forces) He loses his family in a small skirmish and becomes obsessed with the top pilot of Erusia's Yellow Squadron, Yellow Thirteen. Through the game, you know nothing about the character you play as, (you are only referred to by your rather catchy callsign, ''Mobius 1'') but you learn about how your actions affect the young boy and all those around him. I'm sorry folks, but that's all you get out of me. But let me reassure you that the story is well written, gripping and compelling. Even though it's set in the 21st century, it feels like an old war movie, which really does make it great.

Overall - 10 - Don't like it? Deal with it.

This is one of the most realistic, touching, and fun flight simulators on console format. From the feeling of making your first kill, to making a successful landing, to learning more about what the boy went through during the war, Ace Combat 4 - Shattered Skies shows the gaming world how a fighter jet sim should be made. Congratulations, Namco. You are king of the skies.

Viper the Hedgehog - Reviewing Great Games since 5 minutes ago.

''Mobius 1, engage.''

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/02, Updated 04/06/02