melodramatic anime cutscenes



very good game

All squadrons this is Sky Eye... report in!"
"Mobius One standing by."
"Lenner in position!"
"Snake Pit, ESM systems green!"
"Viper Squadron standing by!"
"Yuktobanian 172nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron standing by."
"All planes, this is Mobius One:
SHATTER THEIR SKIES!"

The final mission did not need to go THAT hard god DAMN

In all seriousness I like AC3 more than this one, the narrative in this one is much less messy but also much less ambitious. By far my biggest issue with this game is the "score attack" style missions. There's SEVERAL of them at 20 minutes of length, which is just insane, you could cut them down to half the length easily, but overall pretty solid game. A point of interest for me is the OST because I felt like AC3 didn't really have that many bangers, but AC4 has them in abundance, and of course it has the ULTRA banger song in the final mission.

I replayed this recently, and I have to say; it holds up beautifully, and there's a reason this game is so beloved by Ace Combat fans, and it's not just the memetic badass status that Mobius 1 has achieved. It's a really solid flight game wrapped in a beautiful, poignant and gorgeously delivered story about war and what it looks like, about the way soldiers are more than just heroes or villains, about how little sense grief makes and how little sense human relationships make, and yet how much those relationships mean and how much that grief matters. It's gorgeous. There's yet to be a game like it that does half as well what Ace Combat 04 does so effortlessly.

Man, these Ace Combat games are pretty good...

A little bit of storyline with some pretty fun-to-play jet fighting? I'm up for it!

The graphics are pretty solid, player interface is very nice, sound is superb, storyline is kinda sweet, and generally it's a good game, doing a lot with the limitations of the PS2. However, the gameplay and physics are the star attraction to the whole series of Ace Combat games. They're enough to feel realistic while still being accessible to regular non-fighter-pilot folks. Flying around and shooting rockets when you hear the lock sound is awesome. Blasting ground targets is even satisfying. I'm surprised the US Airplane Dudes didn't license the engine and make it a recruiting game or something, honestly. I'm glad they didn't and the fantasy world you play in only uses real weapons and planes instead of real targets. That keeps the game generally enjoyable and worth a second look.

Good job Mobius 1!

Review from thedonproject.com

I was probably very spoiled starting with Ace Combat 7, but I really can't get behind this title. The story is overly simplistic even for series standards, and I don't think the war is very exciting either. The gameplay is feels very heavy too, which isn't what I like from the series, it just makes tailing enemies not that much fun. The missions are all very short & basic too, no real spectacle like with later entries, outside of the last mission which has great music and a cool setup but is still incredibly basic in comparison to other series final missions.

This isn't a horrible title, but it's been beaten so hard by what came afterwards, and after playing Ace Combat 3, I think its beaten even by what came before, it doesn't have any of the complexity or goodness present in 3, it's actually kinda horrible how much is gutted from it. But it's still Ace Combat, good ol jet gameplay.

Ace combat 04 is the best game to start with in the series. While I love it, there also isnt a lot to say about it. Its gameplay is smooth and fun. Its narrative, although told through a simple form, is one of the best in the series. Its music is great as always.

The biggest flaw in ace combat 04 are its score attack missions, while only two (Tango Line and Safe Return) feel bad to play, the overwhelming amount of them and the length of the missions makes them feel boring at times and very repetitive.

I've considered myself to be a fan of combat flight games for a while now, and I have been wanting to get into the Ace Combat series for a long time. Playing AC7 back when that game came out only strengthened that desire. I have been wanting to play Shattered Skies for a while now, and I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint.

AC04 is considered to be a return to the roots of the series after AC3's mixed reception, and that will be quickly apparent when you start the campaign. A not-too-long story cutscene starts, telling a story from the perspective of a child whose family is killed indirectly by a pilot from the enemies' side, immediately establishing the presence of a future rival to the player's character. After that, a classic AC-style mission briefing begins, and you're flown into the first mission after selecting an aircraft. This will be the norm as you progress through the game, although the story cutscenes only appear after select missions.

The game's structure is simple and unobstructive, allowing the core gameplay and progression system to shine. You can buy new aircrafts and weapons with the points you'll collect after each mission, and the amount of the points you get depends on your performance. The aircrafts you can buy are limited at first, but you'll get access to more as you finish select missions. It's a straightforward and effective system.

The story is light (especially compared to some other games in the series), but interesting enough to make the cutscenes feel rewarding. Again, it's simple but impactful. The perspective of the young boy in the company of the enemy is quite the fun idea, and is well executed.

The game's control holds up very well. You will able to feel the progression of the aircrafts you obtain, as the improvements in speed and handling will be quite noticable. It's not very far off from the newer games in terms of fun factor.

The objectives of the missions have decent variety, although most of the missions are time limit based destructions. The later games in the series would improve on this aspect. Still, it doesn't get too repetitive in a single playthrough so it's not a big deal.

In the normal difficulty, the game has a pretty decent challenge, although it starts out pretty tame in the first few missions. There are no checkpoints in the missions, which will be the primary source of frustration for most people, especially in the later missions that are longer and can introduce new objectives in the middle of the mission. Most of the enemies can be dealt easily, but enemy fighters later on will prove to be harder, especially when you encounter fighters from your rival's squadron, the Yellow Squadron. Overall it's a pretty fair game, but it also can be punishing when you least expect it.

Lastly, the music is pretty decent overall. This game starts the blending of various styles of music in the series, such as rock, orchestral, and latin. The music here can feel a bit samey and one note at times, but it does have great highlights, like Comona (a very energetic rock track) and the track in the very last mission (epic orchestral vocals!).

AC04 is regarded as a landmark title not just in the series, but in the genre it's in, and it's not hard to see why. The "return to roots" theme works spectacularly, as the game showcases what AC games does best: fantastical yet grounded flight combat. Many of the game's individual qualities have been superseded by later games, but AC04's simpler approach to things makes it one of the more easier games to enjoy in the series. It's a classic title that is not to be missed.