|
Namco has proudly brought the Ace Combat series to homes since 1995 when it was first introduced as Air Combat. The series has a widely popular following, and while not as hefty as say GTA, the series does have its fans. What gamers have come to know and love about the series is the way it brings a solid simulation like game play, yet keeps the game simplistic enough to call an arcade game. The latest in the series, entitled Ace Combat 5 not only was released as a game, but this time a very cool flight stick can be bought in a package for $129.99. While this awesome peripheral was not included in my package, early hands on with the flight stick I had showed that it was durable, functional, and tailor made for such a title. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time with the flight stick to give it a fair review, so this review will be strictly on the game itself. From an outsider’s look, if you have the means, you may want to pick up the bundle as it is in limited capacity. Even if it is the only game that supports the stick, it is worth it. Ace Combat 5 has two main modes of play. The jump in, fly, shoot, and destroy arcade missions, and the more immersive story based campaign mode complete with CG cut scenes. The story involves you in the middle of the Ceres Ocean on a lone military base. The great superpowers Osea and Yuktobania remain at odds with each other in the year 2010. As the tensions heat up, you are chosen to take your Tactical Fighter and protect your people in the quest for freedom. The story, while a bit hokey, is entertaining and helps gives the game more emotion compared to if the game just offered arcade missions alone.
The visuals in Ace Combat 5 are quite stunning indeed. The views from which most of the game takes place, whether you choose cockpit or behind your jet, are both enjoyable. The friendly skies have never been better replicated in this series. You will move through clouds, experience fantastic weather effects, and the landscapes actually look realistic. This is unlike past flight titles where your view of the ground below was always a pixilated, bitmapped mess. If you want to see what this engine is really made of, just watch a replay of your successful or failed mission and you’ll have no doubt of how accurate and painstakingly realistic these plane models and images are. Namco even went to the extremes in providing CG cut scenes for their story mode. These scenes are not just thrown in either, as fans of the Tekken or Ridge Racer games will appreciate the detailed CG added to the game’s campaign mode. Everything from the interface to the brilliant presentation prepares your for one wild ride that Namco delivers in spades in Ace Combat 5. Audio fulfills the same excellence that the visuals provide. The game has a rockin’ “Top Gun” like soundtrack that makes you feel like you are in the danger zone. Better yet, the game’s campaign cut scenes are well acted and written which helps draw emotion into the story mode. Plenty of radio chatter keeps you informed on tense situations. This is all brought to you in glorious Dolby Pro Logic II. Now you can hear planes, missiles, and bullets fly by your ears in genuine surround sound. The only thing I can think of that would have made the experience more enjoyable would have been if “Unsung” from Helmet had been the game’s theme song. In the end, the audio does a sufficient job keeping up with the visuals. Game play in the Ace Combat series has always been terrific. It is so good in fact, that the overall core of the game play feels almost unchanged from previous versions. The only real addition is the control scheme labeled Wingman Command. This method allows you to control your entire squadron in-flight. You issue orders, coordinate group attacks, make split second decisions that will radically determine whether you fail or succeed missions. Fans of the series will not need to go through the tutorial mode provided, but newbies will be glad it is there as there are plenty of moves and skills to perfect before you should even think about saving the world. The A.I. is completely adjustable so the challenge the CPU provides is entirely up to you. Veterans may want to bump the difficulty above default unless you want to blow through the game easily. However you choose to play, it is a fun ride while it lasts. Rest assured it does last quite a while. There are over 30 missions broken up in different lengths that will keep you flying for some time. The choice of over 50 licensed planes does not hurt the game’s replay value, as you will want to unlock more planes to gather new experiences. Once you have all your aircraft unlocked, you can replay those same missions in arcade mode, but with new fighters for a new experience. In all actuality, Ace Combat 5 falls short in one major category, multiplayer mode. There is no split screen or online action to be had. Ace Combat 5 is a solo affair, which is indeed a shame, as a multiplayer mode would have added extra months to the game’s longevity. Still the game is pretty long, and the unlockables make for some quality hours of gaming. Flight fans rejoice, Ace Combat 5 is here, and it is the best flight title on the market to date on the consoles. You will have to boot up that PC to find one better that’s for sure, but the complexity that those games offer doesn’t measure up to the fun you’ll have with Ace Combat 5.
|
