Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

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

These words usher you into "Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies" with a grandeur foreshadowing the next 30-some hours, because once you become attached to this game, you can't put down the controller. Very simply, the entirety of this game is engaging in a personal way. It has one of those rare stories you find in a video game that makes you feel like you just stepped out of a movie theater showing a four-star film. Of course, the gameplay is equally on par with its plot. However, while you play as a fighter pilot, the story is seen through the eyes of a man writing a letter to someone. The various experiences he puts on paper unfolds in still images drawn like a color manga, with the man narrating his life story.

The man recalls he was "just a child when the stars fell from the sky." By this, he means that as a boy, meteorites pounded the Earth. In response, the Erusians built a superweapon to combat the deep-space attackers. After the danger subsided, the Erusians realized the power of their weapon and turned it towards the rest of Usea. Here, a war ensues with fighter planes playing a crucial part. During a dogfight in the Narrator's hometown, a plane is shot down on his family home. Still a child, the boy was left to fend for himself in a wartime society. He found a job at a local bar where he played the harmonica and developed a crush on the barkeep's daughter. The boy also becomes attached to the squadron responsible for his family's deaths. The rest you must experience for yourself, it truly becomes heartfelt and intense.

During gameplay, you play an ace fighter pilot designated Mobius 1. Throughout a series of cutscenes the boy occasionally sights Mobius 1 during battles in and near his town. He idolizes the fighter pilot along with the rest of his town.

The gameplay itself is smooth and easy to learn. The handling corresponds to your plane's statistics, which are precise and accurate to the actual plane on which they're based. The different enemies, especially the superweapon(s), are varied and have unique fighting abilities. There is a choice of a couple dozen planes with special weapons and different ammunition capacities. Their statistics are based on several criteria including air to air combat, air to ground combat, mobility, stability, durability, and speed, if I remember correctly.

The graphics look fantastic for a 2001 game. In fact, it's one of the best looking games on the Playstation 2. The planes are detailed and often dirty, with different textures contrasting vibrantly with the rest of the colors on the ground and the cities. In a night battle, it's difficult to distinguish the sky from the ocean, so the graphics, in a sense, are acting as your enemy along with other vehicles.

The game features an incredible, grand soundtrack that, personally, made me want to look it up online and listen to it over and over. The music sounds like techno, but also has beautiful non-lyrical vocals that makes a great combination. This game isn't just for viewing.

Trust me, folks. I tried. I really tried to find a disappointing aspect in this game. However, I'm blown away by the sheer excellence and enjoyability of "Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies." 10/10.

This is THE most incredible shoot-em-up I have ever played. An earlier commenter remarked about the extremely well designed controls and they are. At low level you do not manoeuvre . . . you THINK maneuvers and the plane jinks in response! The controls are THAT sensitive. Do not get the idea that the various aircraft are difficult to fly. They are not. But they are difficult to fly WELL! Ace combat is the first game where you get an actual impression of speed . Especially when low flying. A milliseconds lapse and you are dead dead dead. The transition from exhilarating flight to savage explosion is shocking to the extreme.

Dog fighting is also incredible. Like the aerial knights of world war one you have to close the distance until you are virtually up his jet-pipe. Missiles are only good for downing rookies! To knock down the aces you need your GUN! The scenery is fantastic too with some great Sci Fi ideas realised. This is the first series of games where I have flown my jet fighter . . ..

Down gigantic tunnels deep within the earth.

Flown around a colossal missile launch complex and attempted to down the missile before it out accelerates me! Explored vast solar energy farms and enormous anti-asteroid -artillery. (triple a in other words.) Absolutely brilliant game. Buy it.

Your first mission in this game involves simply shooting down some bombers. Done? Woohoo, first mission complete. That was exciting. However, do not let this spur you into thinking this is not a worthwhile game, soon enough you'll be performing late-night raids on massive oil production facilities, attacks on solar-power plants and massive dogfights over Pacific-looking islands. This game rates as more of an experience than just a game, as you swoop and glide over some amazingly real looking environments, dogfighting some incredibly modelled planes(the Gran Turismo of the plane world).

The gameplay itself is also great, Flying your chosen craft is quite simple to master yet very elegant. If you can't get the hang of it then there is also an Easy mode that can be used to ease you into controlling your plane. Attacking opponents is as easy as gaining a lock-on and firing your missiles away. And attempting to dodge an enemy missile, as it streaks towards your blip on the radar, and you enter all sorts of evasive manoeuvres is thrilling.

The atmosphere generated is also quite remarkable. There are thousands of lines of dialogue that are used only once each battle, so the impression of being in an actual battle, with ground and air forces being constantly coordinated and redirected. There is also an actual in-cockpit view which shows you all the actual instruments inside the plane. Throughout the atmosphere is kept up, especially in later levels when ground forces start referring to you as the Grim Reaper. It's a fantastic touch and makes you realise how much you have contributed to the outcome of this war.

The story is simple, with you cast as a pilot for the ISAF. You have been pushed off your territory on the continent Erusea after a war over the superweapon Stonehenge. From your position on a island off the coast, you begin top press the advantage on the enemy, and eventually establish a beachhead on the continent, fighting your way towards the capital. This is interspersed with the story of a young boy in the midst of the fighting, who loses his parents. Through a series of incidents he starts to live with the people responsible for the death of his family. It's a simple yet touching tale, told through the use of fantastic Japanese cartoon animation. By the end you might even feel sorry for the boy and his situation.

The only real problem with the game is it's length. There are 18 missions and while most are a complete thrill ride, the game can be completed rather quickly. But if you can't find the sequel Squadron Leader, then don't be afraid to settle for this as it is still a fantastic title in it's own right.

Looks: 9 Sounds: 9 Plays: 8 Lasts: 7 Overall 9/10