Third one down. It’s good!! The mission design here is my biggest gripe--there’s a heavy focus on overlong ground assaults with pretty negligible resistance, giving the game a more languid pace than the 5-10 minute single objective bangers in Electrosphere. Incoming missiles feel weirdly rare and simple to dodge, and you totally miss out on most of the chaotic to-and fro moments of disorientating aerial evasion and cathartic re-engagement I love so much in the other titles I’ve played. While their presentation in the story sequences is neat, the Yellow squadron also aren’t particularly challenging or singular in their flight patterns/assault style/formations compared to other series elites, and the dogfighting aspects feel a little undercooked in addition to their sparseness. Still, the highs here are incredibly high and shine even in the face of their direct counterparts in Skies Unknown (Stonehenge is way better here, Farbanti feels so grand), and Megalith is an impeccable finale and a peak OST/mood moment for the franchise.
Really enjoyed the muted melancholy of the story presentation in this one, and I continue to be fascinated by the atypical narrative divulsion in many of the AC games. The way surrounding/opposing players in the conflict are given such emotive weight in contrast to the silent, relatively depersonalized (but always awe-inspiring, meteorically rising, eerily murder-adept) heroic player avatar has this vaguely subversive Drakengardy quality that complicates the oorah arcadey exuberance of play--and adds a faint but much-needed disquieting lens to the many bombing run onslaughts--in ways I don't always find 100% convincing, but really compelling nonetheless. I love how these games make efforts to problematize themselves while still going ham on their fraught stylized romanticism; it’s a way more interesting experience to see seductive and accomplished genre pieces like this messily attempting to self navigate and complicate their own meaning vs scoldy one-note polemics like spec ops: the line clunkily hammering you with an overtly obvious “deconstruction” while failing to show an understanding of the alluring, masterful, potentially dangerous core tenets of their genre to any convincing degree.
I do miss the utter confidence and idiosyncratic minimalism of Electrosphere compared to AC04; Shattered Skies feels like it’s in an in-between space that cant measure up to the steely infographic expressivity of 3 and the visceral romanticism/borderline Makoto Shinkai skies in future iterations, and the expanded radio chatter still doesn’t feel 100% embodied and engaging compared to the ensemble drama soapiness I know is coming. The game absolutely must have been a fucking banger when it came out though (especially compared to the interest-excised English version of Electrosphere we got at the time) and the highlights hold the hell up!! Unsung war next lets goooooo
Really enjoyed the muted melancholy of the story presentation in this one, and I continue to be fascinated by the atypical narrative divulsion in many of the AC games. The way surrounding/opposing players in the conflict are given such emotive weight in contrast to the silent, relatively depersonalized (but always awe-inspiring, meteorically rising, eerily murder-adept) heroic player avatar has this vaguely subversive Drakengardy quality that complicates the oorah arcadey exuberance of play--and adds a faint but much-needed disquieting lens to the many bombing run onslaughts--in ways I don't always find 100% convincing, but really compelling nonetheless. I love how these games make efforts to problematize themselves while still going ham on their fraught stylized romanticism; it’s a way more interesting experience to see seductive and accomplished genre pieces like this messily attempting to self navigate and complicate their own meaning vs scoldy one-note polemics like spec ops: the line clunkily hammering you with an overtly obvious “deconstruction” while failing to show an understanding of the alluring, masterful, potentially dangerous core tenets of their genre to any convincing degree.
I do miss the utter confidence and idiosyncratic minimalism of Electrosphere compared to AC04; Shattered Skies feels like it’s in an in-between space that cant measure up to the steely infographic expressivity of 3 and the visceral romanticism/borderline Makoto Shinkai skies in future iterations, and the expanded radio chatter still doesn’t feel 100% embodied and engaging compared to the ensemble drama soapiness I know is coming. The game absolutely must have been a fucking banger when it came out though (especially compared to the interest-excised English version of Electrosphere we got at the time) and the highlights hold the hell up!! Unsung war next lets goooooo
Comecei a série pelo Electrosphere, que, ao menos em tom, parece ser o diferentão do bando. No salto dele pra cá lá se vão a ficção científica, a estrutura não-linear da história e a meditação filosófica da relação corpo-máquina que todos os bons mechas (avião é mecha) tem. Agora estamos no Não-Estados Unidos/Balcãs sendo invadidos pela Não-UE/Ásia; um conflito que, embora fictício e localizado em terras inventadas, usa de aviões muito reais, pra alegria de quem gosta desse tipo de coisa. Essa mescla entre geopolítica mexidão e máquinas de matar da nossa vida real faz bastante jus ao nome do universo da série: Strangereal.
A narrativa de Shattered Skies é interessante: as cutscenes são do ponto de vista de um garoto cuja cidade ocupada você luta pela liberação, porém o protagonista piloto jamais é identificado por além de seu codinome, e nunca demonstra nenhuma personalidade. Ambos estão no mesmo lado da guerra, porém um é inocente e tem que viver com as consequências das ações do outro, para o bem ou o mal. Lojinhas de aviões e armas; quase todas as fases sendo algum modo de score attack, missões cheias de tempo morto e objetivos sem sal; aliados e inimigos não característicos (o avião do antagonista principal é igual o de todos de seu esquadrão). Enquanto as intermissões buscam humanizar todos os lados do conflito, a jogabilidade os despersonaliza. Com toda a relação e troca de figurinhas Nier/Drakengard e Ace Combat, consigo ver bem como isto pode ter sido intencional. Ainda assim, não foi algo que me tocou em certa profundidade, por mais que consiga ver um pouco do que estão fazendo.
Não obstante, voar de vinhão é voar de vinhão. O prazer de ser um vetor ligeirinho com todos os eixos tridimensionais liberados é sempre uma graça, noções arcadey de empuxo e gravidade te impondo um balé, briga entre a natureza e máquinas tão formidáveis - Ace Combat te faz pensar que essa nós vencemos. E esta fantasia a série sabe vender muito bem. O romance do samurai moderno, o piloto de caça: os barulhos, o cockpit, o HUD, os trancos e barrancos de curvas sinuosas entre montanhas e duelos acirrados entre pilotos, que assim como goleiros, se respeitam por terem algo em comum apesar dos lados distintos do conflito - são um certo tipo de doido. Acertando tanto do básico, é difícil não brilhar. Só acho que 04 falhou em engajar e cobrar mais da relação homem-máquina, com fases que são em grande maioria uma chatura com longuíssimas sessões de bombardeamento monótono e poucas dogfights - quiçá um comentário intencional em como a guerra torna o assassinato rotineiro? Não estou vendido na teoria.
No que estou vendido, porém, é na série. Não só pela promessa do Ace Combat Zero ser a soma de tudo que venho gostando, e sim também porque existe uma deliciosa simplicidade viciante nessa série, ademais dos n prazeres mecânicos citados acima. Vamo que vamo pro 5, esses vinhões não vão se voar sozinhos.
A narrativa de Shattered Skies é interessante: as cutscenes são do ponto de vista de um garoto cuja cidade ocupada você luta pela liberação, porém o protagonista piloto jamais é identificado por além de seu codinome, e nunca demonstra nenhuma personalidade. Ambos estão no mesmo lado da guerra, porém um é inocente e tem que viver com as consequências das ações do outro, para o bem ou o mal. Lojinhas de aviões e armas; quase todas as fases sendo algum modo de score attack, missões cheias de tempo morto e objetivos sem sal; aliados e inimigos não característicos (o avião do antagonista principal é igual o de todos de seu esquadrão). Enquanto as intermissões buscam humanizar todos os lados do conflito, a jogabilidade os despersonaliza. Com toda a relação e troca de figurinhas Nier/Drakengard e Ace Combat, consigo ver bem como isto pode ter sido intencional. Ainda assim, não foi algo que me tocou em certa profundidade, por mais que consiga ver um pouco do que estão fazendo.
Não obstante, voar de vinhão é voar de vinhão. O prazer de ser um vetor ligeirinho com todos os eixos tridimensionais liberados é sempre uma graça, noções arcadey de empuxo e gravidade te impondo um balé, briga entre a natureza e máquinas tão formidáveis - Ace Combat te faz pensar que essa nós vencemos. E esta fantasia a série sabe vender muito bem. O romance do samurai moderno, o piloto de caça: os barulhos, o cockpit, o HUD, os trancos e barrancos de curvas sinuosas entre montanhas e duelos acirrados entre pilotos, que assim como goleiros, se respeitam por terem algo em comum apesar dos lados distintos do conflito - são um certo tipo de doido. Acertando tanto do básico, é difícil não brilhar. Só acho que 04 falhou em engajar e cobrar mais da relação homem-máquina, com fases que são em grande maioria uma chatura com longuíssimas sessões de bombardeamento monótono e poucas dogfights - quiçá um comentário intencional em como a guerra torna o assassinato rotineiro? Não estou vendido na teoria.
No que estou vendido, porém, é na série. Não só pela promessa do Ace Combat Zero ser a soma de tudo que venho gostando, e sim também porque existe uma deliciosa simplicidade viciante nessa série, ademais dos n prazeres mecânicos citados acima. Vamo que vamo pro 5, esses vinhões não vão se voar sozinhos.
more like shattered PCSX2 by requiring 3 different hacks and fixes in order to run and still the mountains would warp around.
that aside, its a short game but everything comes together in a neat way, would definitely even replay it if PCSX2 stopped being so garbage in the next decade or so, maybe.
that aside, its a short game but everything comes together in a neat way, would definitely even replay it if PCSX2 stopped being so garbage in the next decade or so, maybe.
Trades AC3's radical narrative of capitalist critique, post-humanist musing, and internet paranoia for a much smaller story of war and revenge set in something approximating our world. While thematically not nearly as dense, it is still emotionally powerful--Ace Combat's writing is evocative and frequently beautiful, even with an occasionally clumsy translation--creating a complex struggle between the game's arcadey score-attack focused missions and the dehumanizing acts of the violence perpetuated. Sort of like what Spec-Ops would later do, but better and less obnoxious!
This is where the series really settles into what would define it going forward; the slightly-in-the future alternate universe; the absolutely next level Too Good For Life music; the melancholic split narratives juxtaposed between the events played out in gameplay.
It isn't one of the best in the series due to just how stripped down it is (content of the cutscenes rules but the presentation leaves lot to be desired, there is little mission variety, it's awfully short, etc) but also...it's Ace Combat! I love it! Nothing better than wistfully staring up at that deep blue, naive to the horrible truth of those angels dancing in the sky.
This is where the series really settles into what would define it going forward; the slightly-in-the future alternate universe; the absolutely next level Too Good For Life music; the melancholic split narratives juxtaposed between the events played out in gameplay.
It isn't one of the best in the series due to just how stripped down it is (content of the cutscenes rules but the presentation leaves lot to be desired, there is little mission variety, it's awfully short, etc) but also...it's Ace Combat! I love it! Nothing better than wistfully staring up at that deep blue, naive to the horrible truth of those angels dancing in the sky.
If the missions didn't all play the same and go on way too long, this could be a perfect dogfighting game. And I'm sure the future Ace Combat games solved this issue from the looks of things, but man oh man does it sour the initial campaign experience.
On one hand, the reliance on air to ground combat and missions that last 20 minutes with no checkpoints is straight up exhausting. It's by no means hard on Normal difficulty, which makes it all the worse when you fuck up 30 seconds from completion and have to do the same repetitive pillbox bombing to see more story. It doesn't help that 90% of missions have the same structure and lack exciting setpieces. On the other hand, it looks great, controls super well and has an amazing story that is more or less completely disconnected from the actual missions. (You can split hairs about this)
My recommendation? Pick up Ace Combat 5 or 7 and watch this games cutscenes on Youtube. Or at the very least, start with a later entry and come back to this if you get obsessed, because its still solid fun.
On one hand, the reliance on air to ground combat and missions that last 20 minutes with no checkpoints is straight up exhausting. It's by no means hard on Normal difficulty, which makes it all the worse when you fuck up 30 seconds from completion and have to do the same repetitive pillbox bombing to see more story. It doesn't help that 90% of missions have the same structure and lack exciting setpieces. On the other hand, it looks great, controls super well and has an amazing story that is more or less completely disconnected from the actual missions. (You can split hairs about this)
My recommendation? Pick up Ace Combat 5 or 7 and watch this games cutscenes on Youtube. Or at the very least, start with a later entry and come back to this if you get obsessed, because its still solid fun.
I have so far to go
I write this letter to you now...
" Remember, it's only a war crime if you lose the war " - AWACS SkyEye comforting Mobius 1 after he tells them that he pours the milk before cereal
Ace Combat 4 tells a much more simple story then the games that followed, but it is a good one none the less. The story is very character driven, rather then focusing more on philosophies and morals like the other games. 13 is by far the most interesting rival in the series, and this game probably has my favorite tunnel run. Sadly, it misses the fun ace duels.
This is definitely the game to start with if you are new to ace combat.
This is definitely the game to start with if you are new to ace combat.
I think I just accidentally blew up a civilian hospital
A simple game with incredibly fun mechanics and an unexpectedly poignant story about the cost of war.
#JujutsuAirstrike
Review in progress:
A solid arcade-style flight game. More mission variety would've been nice (especially given the short runtime).
A solid arcade-style flight game. More mission variety would've been nice (especially given the short runtime).
I played the final mission on this game a million times and had so much trouble with this game.
the person that thought filling this game with 10-20 minute score attack missions was a good idea should've been kicked off the team on the spot
Today's my birthday. A victory would be nice.
History repeats itself, and so does Ace Combat. I knew a generational leap was gonna be somewhat rough, but we emerged with some net positives despite being poorer than previous games.
It feels like an ace combat game with some changes. The first thing that felt off turned out to be the aircraft roll, planes with high mobility roll too quickly compared to its pitching which throws you off and required fiddling with the sensitivities and deadzones to balance out. Buying plans is back like AC2 but now you can also buy secondary weapons which brings a welcome variety to your standard gun and missiles.
A positive change is that the crosshairs are now clearer and with higher fidelity makes your Vulcan gun more effective and usable.
Better graphics came with strings attached, higher resolution helps dogfights as you can discern enemy positioning more quickly, but has the opposite effect on ground targets because it's a 2000s modern war game with muted colors.
Mission design is nothing new, on the contrary it regressed to being mostly get X points in Y time which gives credits to buy new planes and weapons. Special objectives are usually the 2nd half of missions after the point scoring.
Narrative took a strong hit compared to the jap AC3, now you just follow the narration of a young boy in some town that sometimes react to your missions instead of being a driving plot for your sorties.
To conclude, it is a jagged transition for the series, but it can definitely serve as a building block for later entries.
P.S. There are some issues with emulating it, if your CPU is strong enough use software acceleration for a smoother experience.
It feels like an ace combat game with some changes. The first thing that felt off turned out to be the aircraft roll, planes with high mobility roll too quickly compared to its pitching which throws you off and required fiddling with the sensitivities and deadzones to balance out. Buying plans is back like AC2 but now you can also buy secondary weapons which brings a welcome variety to your standard gun and missiles.
A positive change is that the crosshairs are now clearer and with higher fidelity makes your Vulcan gun more effective and usable.
Better graphics came with strings attached, higher resolution helps dogfights as you can discern enemy positioning more quickly, but has the opposite effect on ground targets because it's a 2000s modern war game with muted colors.
Mission design is nothing new, on the contrary it regressed to being mostly get X points in Y time which gives credits to buy new planes and weapons. Special objectives are usually the 2nd half of missions after the point scoring.
Narrative took a strong hit compared to the jap AC3, now you just follow the narration of a young boy in some town that sometimes react to your missions instead of being a driving plot for your sorties.
To conclude, it is a jagged transition for the series, but it can definitely serve as a building block for later entries.
P.S. There are some issues with emulating it, if your CPU is strong enough use software acceleration for a smoother experience.
How the hell does storytelling with planes is better than most current games?!
Not my favorite way to review a game (by comparison) but here are the thoughts of an AC3 fanboy -which also happens to be the first AC game I played-:
- Plot: AC4's plot is very simple but I'd say it's solid. I like the fact that the enemy is not portrayed as a monster and are also looked as humans; with this said, it has nothing on AC3's transhumanist/cyberpunk plot.
- Mission structure: this is my biggest gripe with this game, I don't like the game throwing me in a mission to "destroy as much as you can in 20 minutes", it's a step-down from most of the objective-based missions in AC3 and are also not as varied. With that being said, I loved Stonehenge Offensive and the last 2 missions.
- Plane variety: I like realistic jets but I miss the over-the-top designs from Neucom in AC3, you had both choices in AC3.
- Replayibility: because of AC3's 5 different endings the game has a lot of replayability. This on the other hand is more of a "you can keep replaying if you want better scores and unlock all the planes".
Maybe not as important for everyone but the cutscenes suffered a budget cut since they are not animated in this one as opposed to AC3.
It's still a really good game don't get me wrong but the mission structure and plot stop me from putting this in the same level as AC3.
- Plot: AC4's plot is very simple but I'd say it's solid. I like the fact that the enemy is not portrayed as a monster and are also looked as humans; with this said, it has nothing on AC3's transhumanist/cyberpunk plot.
- Mission structure: this is my biggest gripe with this game, I don't like the game throwing me in a mission to "destroy as much as you can in 20 minutes", it's a step-down from most of the objective-based missions in AC3 and are also not as varied. With that being said, I loved Stonehenge Offensive and the last 2 missions.
- Plane variety: I like realistic jets but I miss the over-the-top designs from Neucom in AC3, you had both choices in AC3.
- Replayibility: because of AC3's 5 different endings the game has a lot of replayability. This on the other hand is more of a "you can keep replaying if you want better scores and unlock all the planes".
Maybe not as important for everyone but the cutscenes suffered a budget cut since they are not animated in this one as opposed to AC3.
It's still a really good game don't get me wrong but the mission structure and plot stop me from putting this in the same level as AC3.
I wanted to enjoy this so much that I bought it twice - first one failed to read past a certain mission due to barely visible scratches, and the second had absolutely scuffed audio but let me finish the damn game. The lengths I will go for the anime plane games...
An absolutely solid entry in the long running flight simulator franchise that is held back by obvious budgetary issues and a lack of ambition that leaves it feeling like little more than an echo of the PS1 entries.
Let's have a little context: Ace Combat 1(or "Air Combat", as it was localised) was a rough, but fun, early release for the PS1. It struggled to rise above other contemporary flight sims such as Warhawk, but was enough to sell and review well, and is altogether a fun time. Ace Combat 2 would then show up and utterly blow it, and all competition, out of the air. Big graphical improvements, branching paths, the hidden Aces in most levels, the escalating scale of the missions, it was amazing. Ace Combat 3 - the proper, Japanese version and not the butchered localisation - was a radical departure that wasn't as mechanically sound as 2, but in its place offered an incredible 50+ missions and full anime cutscenes, with an absolutely ridiculous and over-the-top sci-fi story to boot.
Which is why Ace Combat 4, the first entry on PS2, sadly feels like a bit of an awkward "greatest hits" album, but it's only the barest essence of each game. The game is structured more like 2 - mission briefings from a commander, perhaps a short cutscene or two demonstrating the target, and then just pure action - but also takes a leaf out of 3 with a deeper, more personal story with anime stylings in-between missions - but only in single frames with narration. It's obvious there was a massive budget slash after the ambitious Ace Combat 3 failed to sell very well, and it kinda shows all too often.
The mission design in particular suffers here. As with 3, you have a timer, but this time it's a fixed limit that always counts down, as opposed to counting up with you not getting the best mission outcome if it goes on for too long. Here, it's always counting down, meaning you no longer have the freedom to engage targets at your leisure. It adds some degree of difficulty and realism, but I find it a lot less enjoyable as a result. Furthermore, these missions are only very rarely a case of eliminating specific targets in the time limit - almost all of them are about scoring a set number of points within the time limit.
Here's the fatal flaw: when you have objectives like this, and missions that can go up to 20 minutes in length, PLUS undisclosed secondary objectives that appear in certain missions after the time runs out, and then not have any checkpoints....it can be soul-crushing when you get wiped out during your second objective, only to have to repeat the dull 20-minute ground assault all over again just to get another shot at it.
This lacking mission design never really goes away throughout - the only standout missions are one where you engage an absolute ton of fighters at once, in what is pretty impressive for an early PS2 title, and the final mission. It's a decent finale, but sadly undermined by being a far less exciting version of one of AC2's last few missions. Another thing: the hidden Aces of Ace Combat 2 are implemented, but ONLY if you play on New Game Plus. What the hell? That really should've just been in the missions from the beginning, it's called Ace Combat after all, sheesh.
All in all, I can appreciate Shattered Skies for going back to the more familiar beats of Ace Combat 2, but beyond the story there's not much it does to rise above it like it should. Far too many ground assaults, unspectacular scenery, and a soundtrack that, while excellent, I can't appreciate the same way due to how it was mixed versus the constant plane noises and radio chatter. Very cool and immersive radio chatter, but shush, please, I can't hear these beats.
I do think this game is good, but if you can handle the older visuals I think I'd recommend Ace Combat 2 or 3 over this one. But hey, if you play this one first, you probably won't feel the disappointment I had, so that might actually be the better choice!
An absolutely solid entry in the long running flight simulator franchise that is held back by obvious budgetary issues and a lack of ambition that leaves it feeling like little more than an echo of the PS1 entries.
Let's have a little context: Ace Combat 1(or "Air Combat", as it was localised) was a rough, but fun, early release for the PS1. It struggled to rise above other contemporary flight sims such as Warhawk, but was enough to sell and review well, and is altogether a fun time. Ace Combat 2 would then show up and utterly blow it, and all competition, out of the air. Big graphical improvements, branching paths, the hidden Aces in most levels, the escalating scale of the missions, it was amazing. Ace Combat 3 - the proper, Japanese version and not the butchered localisation - was a radical departure that wasn't as mechanically sound as 2, but in its place offered an incredible 50+ missions and full anime cutscenes, with an absolutely ridiculous and over-the-top sci-fi story to boot.
Which is why Ace Combat 4, the first entry on PS2, sadly feels like a bit of an awkward "greatest hits" album, but it's only the barest essence of each game. The game is structured more like 2 - mission briefings from a commander, perhaps a short cutscene or two demonstrating the target, and then just pure action - but also takes a leaf out of 3 with a deeper, more personal story with anime stylings in-between missions - but only in single frames with narration. It's obvious there was a massive budget slash after the ambitious Ace Combat 3 failed to sell very well, and it kinda shows all too often.
The mission design in particular suffers here. As with 3, you have a timer, but this time it's a fixed limit that always counts down, as opposed to counting up with you not getting the best mission outcome if it goes on for too long. Here, it's always counting down, meaning you no longer have the freedom to engage targets at your leisure. It adds some degree of difficulty and realism, but I find it a lot less enjoyable as a result. Furthermore, these missions are only very rarely a case of eliminating specific targets in the time limit - almost all of them are about scoring a set number of points within the time limit.
Here's the fatal flaw: when you have objectives like this, and missions that can go up to 20 minutes in length, PLUS undisclosed secondary objectives that appear in certain missions after the time runs out, and then not have any checkpoints....it can be soul-crushing when you get wiped out during your second objective, only to have to repeat the dull 20-minute ground assault all over again just to get another shot at it.
This lacking mission design never really goes away throughout - the only standout missions are one where you engage an absolute ton of fighters at once, in what is pretty impressive for an early PS2 title, and the final mission. It's a decent finale, but sadly undermined by being a far less exciting version of one of AC2's last few missions. Another thing: the hidden Aces of Ace Combat 2 are implemented, but ONLY if you play on New Game Plus. What the hell? That really should've just been in the missions from the beginning, it's called Ace Combat after all, sheesh.
All in all, I can appreciate Shattered Skies for going back to the more familiar beats of Ace Combat 2, but beyond the story there's not much it does to rise above it like it should. Far too many ground assaults, unspectacular scenery, and a soundtrack that, while excellent, I can't appreciate the same way due to how it was mixed versus the constant plane noises and radio chatter. Very cool and immersive radio chatter, but shush, please, I can't hear these beats.
I do think this game is good, but if you can handle the older visuals I think I'd recommend Ace Combat 2 or 3 over this one. But hey, if you play this one first, you probably won't feel the disappointment I had, so that might actually be the better choice!
AWACS
<< Mobius 1. Let me schlob on that hog. >>
FRIEND
<< Fox Two! Fox Two! Let me suck your balls Mobius 1! >>
ENEMY
<< Oh no! It's Mobius 1 and his giant goddamn penis! >>
FRIEND
<< I'm serious Mobius 1. >>
REPORT
<< ...It is now 7:40 AM Usea Central Mean Time. >>
AWACS
<< Tank destroyed! Wish you could destroy my asshole right now Mobius 1. >>
FRIEND
<< I'm not kidding around. >>
ENEMY
<< I'm hit! I'm going to die! I have a family! >>
AWACS
<< Cum incoming. >>
FRIEND
<< LET ME SUCK ON YOUR BIG FAT FUCKING NUTS RIGHT FUCKING NOW MOBIUS 1!!! >>
AWACS
<< ... >>
ENEMY
<< ... >>
REPORT
<< ... >>
FRIEND
<< ... >>
YELLOW THIRTEEN
<< Hey Mobius 1. Word around the skies is you got a fat cock ;) >>
<< Mobius 1. Let me schlob on that hog. >>
FRIEND
<< Fox Two! Fox Two! Let me suck your balls Mobius 1! >>
ENEMY
<< Oh no! It's Mobius 1 and his giant goddamn penis! >>
FRIEND
<< I'm serious Mobius 1. >>
REPORT
<< ...It is now 7:40 AM Usea Central Mean Time. >>
AWACS
<< Tank destroyed! Wish you could destroy my asshole right now Mobius 1. >>
FRIEND
<< I'm not kidding around. >>
ENEMY
<< I'm hit! I'm going to die! I have a family! >>
AWACS
<< Cum incoming. >>
FRIEND
<< LET ME SUCK ON YOUR BIG FAT FUCKING NUTS RIGHT FUCKING NOW MOBIUS 1!!! >>
AWACS
<< ... >>
ENEMY
<< ... >>
REPORT
<< ... >>
FRIEND
<< ... >>
YELLOW THIRTEEN
<< Hey Mobius 1. Word around the skies is you got a fat cock ;) >>
I have so far to go...
and only heaven knows
The sun keeps shining (everything is about to change)
and the wind keeps blowing
and only heaven knows
The sun keeps shining (everything is about to change)
and the wind keeps blowing
My first Ace Combat game. Flying is tight Story is basic but I liked it a lot. Every game in the series has a great soundtrack but I feel like this one is my favorite. Also the final mission song is about Jesus, no wonder my dad got this game.
Neat story and solid gameplay but holy shit these 20 minute score attacks must have been the most boring thing I've ever done in the series.
Hot off the heels of Ace Combat 7, I eventually decided that I needed more Funny Plane Game in my life, so I picked up the PS2 trilogy.
Presentation is simplistic, but strong. I'm definitely a sucker for that wireframe aesthetic used across the menus and UI. The narrative was also surprisingly grounded, presented through well-done illustrations accompanied by narration. It was genuinely really cool to hear about the conflict of war from the perspective of an innocent child stuck in the middle of everything, and taken under the enemy's wing. It all lead up to an excellent climax when the "good guys" (you) make your way there and liberate the city. The chatter on the radio during missions is actually well-done. Your CO warns you as you approach designated combat areas, liberating entire areas often gets you praise from the people you're assisting, and crewmate chatter reflects what's actively happening pretty well.
Story and presentation aside, the mission variety left a lot to be desired, if I'm being honest. Again, coming off AC7, but most of what's here is score attack missions with an occasional extra objective. Many of the non-score attack objectives were just kinda forgettable. I also found leaving the combat zone to refill your missiles, special weaponry, and health to be a bit of a cheesy tactic. When the chips were down, I was never a stranger to making a tactical retreat so I could return with the upper hand. The other thing that confused me was the shop. If you don't get high ranks (I actually got S ranks on most of the score attack missions), you'll be strapped for cash. Oddly enough, your purchases don't have to be permanent. You can sell things back in order to get some credits back, but I'm not sure what the point of that is. It really just lead me to be really miserly and end the game with 4/18 purchasable aircrafts.
Maybe I was just hardened in the fires of AC7, but AC4 only took me around 3-4 hours of playtime to beat. The game also refrains from unlocking mission select/free play until after you've completed story mode. There's a bit of replay value in locating and shooting down each level's "aces", but other than that, it's just replaying the missions on higher difficulties and going for higher ranks, and that's not really what I'm here for.
Honestly, I can see the jump in quality going from PS1 to PS2, and I'm sure this was an incredible launch title. It's just a bit too barebones for my taste.
Presentation is simplistic, but strong. I'm definitely a sucker for that wireframe aesthetic used across the menus and UI. The narrative was also surprisingly grounded, presented through well-done illustrations accompanied by narration. It was genuinely really cool to hear about the conflict of war from the perspective of an innocent child stuck in the middle of everything, and taken under the enemy's wing. It all lead up to an excellent climax when the "good guys" (you) make your way there and liberate the city. The chatter on the radio during missions is actually well-done. Your CO warns you as you approach designated combat areas, liberating entire areas often gets you praise from the people you're assisting, and crewmate chatter reflects what's actively happening pretty well.
Story and presentation aside, the mission variety left a lot to be desired, if I'm being honest. Again, coming off AC7, but most of what's here is score attack missions with an occasional extra objective. Many of the non-score attack objectives were just kinda forgettable. I also found leaving the combat zone to refill your missiles, special weaponry, and health to be a bit of a cheesy tactic. When the chips were down, I was never a stranger to making a tactical retreat so I could return with the upper hand. The other thing that confused me was the shop. If you don't get high ranks (I actually got S ranks on most of the score attack missions), you'll be strapped for cash. Oddly enough, your purchases don't have to be permanent. You can sell things back in order to get some credits back, but I'm not sure what the point of that is. It really just lead me to be really miserly and end the game with 4/18 purchasable aircrafts.
Maybe I was just hardened in the fires of AC7, but AC4 only took me around 3-4 hours of playtime to beat. The game also refrains from unlocking mission select/free play until after you've completed story mode. There's a bit of replay value in locating and shooting down each level's "aces", but other than that, it's just replaying the missions on higher difficulties and going for higher ranks, and that's not really what I'm here for.
Honestly, I can see the jump in quality going from PS1 to PS2, and I'm sure this was an incredible launch title. It's just a bit too barebones for my taste.
Relatively short game which I think works for it in this case. My one issue is most of these missions aren't actually objective base but rather point based. Alot of times you finish early and then are stuck waiting on a 10 minute timer to finish
mission 15 rules. such a cool night time level. the rest of the game is neat too. this is my in depth review. thanks.
what if instead of Blue Skies it was Blow Guys
This review contains spoilers
I got to know Ace Combat through the PSP games when I was a child. I also played 7 at launch. I'm on my quest to finish the holy trinity, but right now, I can say that Ace Combat X, for example, feels like a leaps and bounds better game. AC7 is on a whole different level entirely.
Storywise, I didn't like how removed the actual armed conflict was from the plot. Even as Mobius 1, the whole military and political situation that being in a war entails is practically nonexistent. Being Mobius 1 just feels like the pre-story to the showdown with Yellow 13, which doesn't pay off at all. In ACX, for example, we have the reporter who starts unveiling the real motivations for Leasath's invasion on Aurelia, which gives actual plot depth. In 04, the plot is just an excuse towards Yellow 13's characterization. I liked how Yellow 13 was characterized quite well in this cutscenes. This, however, did not translate in any way to the actual game, because as far as gameplay goes, all the Yellows behave exactly the same. They could have made 13 be far more difficult to shoot down at the battle in Farbanti, not to say actually name each plane instead of just all of them being the same YELLOW. The lack of speech from 13 isn't a problem to me, but even SkyEye didn't say a thing during the whole fight, like "whoa this guys really fly" or something, which made me feel really emotionally detatched from the event.
SkyEye also felt completely devoid of character, and don't say that's good for realism, we ain't playing DCS here. For example, Crux in ACX felt much more invested with the plot.
As for gameplay, the handling of the planes feel identical to what would come in the PSP games I played, so good job by Project Aces having that figured out so early in the generation.
The soundtrack is BONKERS, easily the best Ace Combat OST I've heard.
The plane selection is really disappointing. there are just too few compared to the next games.
And the biggest offender: The mission design. The first 4 or 5 missions are ridiculous and just have a shoot down said thing objective, then done. Like, really? They felt really lazy. Then we have a lot of "earn X points before time runs out" that not a single time pose a real challenge and can be passed with more than 10 minutes on the clock, just circling around doing nothing. I passed the game on Hard and didn't die a single time. I literally started last night and finished the whole thing just now. Maybe Ace difficulty puts up something fun, but the first playthrough was a joke. There was no flying fortress either.
I don't know, I get that this is the first modern AC game and was a landmark for the development of the next ones, but being in a so called "Holy Trinity" doesn't feel earned aside from the OST, more like there are only 3 AC games on PS2. I'll take ACX before this one any day of the week, which even has a lot of replay value thanks to the multiple mission routes you can take.
Storywise, I didn't like how removed the actual armed conflict was from the plot. Even as Mobius 1, the whole military and political situation that being in a war entails is practically nonexistent. Being Mobius 1 just feels like the pre-story to the showdown with Yellow 13, which doesn't pay off at all. In ACX, for example, we have the reporter who starts unveiling the real motivations for Leasath's invasion on Aurelia, which gives actual plot depth. In 04, the plot is just an excuse towards Yellow 13's characterization. I liked how Yellow 13 was characterized quite well in this cutscenes. This, however, did not translate in any way to the actual game, because as far as gameplay goes, all the Yellows behave exactly the same. They could have made 13 be far more difficult to shoot down at the battle in Farbanti, not to say actually name each plane instead of just all of them being the same YELLOW. The lack of speech from 13 isn't a problem to me, but even SkyEye didn't say a thing during the whole fight, like "whoa this guys really fly" or something, which made me feel really emotionally detatched from the event.
SkyEye also felt completely devoid of character, and don't say that's good for realism, we ain't playing DCS here. For example, Crux in ACX felt much more invested with the plot.
As for gameplay, the handling of the planes feel identical to what would come in the PSP games I played, so good job by Project Aces having that figured out so early in the generation.
The soundtrack is BONKERS, easily the best Ace Combat OST I've heard.
The plane selection is really disappointing. there are just too few compared to the next games.
And the biggest offender: The mission design. The first 4 or 5 missions are ridiculous and just have a shoot down said thing objective, then done. Like, really? They felt really lazy. Then we have a lot of "earn X points before time runs out" that not a single time pose a real challenge and can be passed with more than 10 minutes on the clock, just circling around doing nothing. I passed the game on Hard and didn't die a single time. I literally started last night and finished the whole thing just now. Maybe Ace difficulty puts up something fun, but the first playthrough was a joke. There was no flying fortress either.
I don't know, I get that this is the first modern AC game and was a landmark for the development of the next ones, but being in a so called "Holy Trinity" doesn't feel earned aside from the OST, more like there are only 3 AC games on PS2. I'll take ACX before this one any day of the week, which even has a lot of replay value thanks to the multiple mission routes you can take.