By NICK McCOY
Tiger Media Network
When it comes to kicking back and having fun, nothing beats a classic arcade-like game. They are the games that don’t require a trip to an arcade in order to experience an enjoyable, simple experience of getting high scores and just having a blast. Sometimes, an arcadey title might even go beyond a simple romp, featuring an engaging story, heavy themes and a genuine sense of accomplishment once you beat it. All of this perfectly describes Namco’s Ace Combat series.
While flight simulation games aren’t exactly the most popular genre nowadays, the Japanese company’s flagship air combat series has still fared well, harboring a large fanbase who enjoy its semi-realistic flight controls and thrilling arcadey gameplay. Out of the multiple entries and spinoffs that have come out of the series, however, one that many players fondly remember as being a truly excellent experience is the series’ fourth entry: “Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.”
Having recently gotten my hands on it, I can safely say “Ace Combat 04” is a supremely engaging air combat title with fun arcade gameplay and some of the most satisfying flight controls ever. Aside from that, it provides an emotionally riveting story, a great soundtrack and some impressive graphics for a game more than two decades old.
“Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies” was released in September and November of 2001 in Japan and North America, respectively (February of 2002 for Europe) as an exclusive for the Playstation 2. The game was developed and published by Namco, more specifically a team of developers known as “AC04 Project.” Namco would later merge with fellow Japanese company Bandai to form Bandai Namco Entertainment in 2006.
“Shattered Skies” is the fourth mainline entry in the series, coming after 1999’s “Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere.” Following the less-than-stellar reception of “Electrosphere,” Namco intended for “Shattered Skies” to be a reboot of the franchise. Their efforts paid off, as it would become the highest-selling game in the franchise until 2019’s “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.”
“Shattered Skies” takes place in a fictional world called “Strangereal,” where Earth has a completely different geography and history, and was devastated by an asteroid impact event in the late ‘90s. The main plot revolves around the fictional Continental War, fought between the Independent State Allied Forces (ISAF) and the Federal Republic of Erusea, over the continent of Usea. It’s a war that started after Eursea launched an invasion of Usea due to an increasing refugee crisis. The player controls Mobius 1, a fighter pilot who serves as the leader of ISAF’s air forces. Mobius fights against various Erusean forces, including the infamous air squadron the Yellow Squadron, led by ace pilot Yellow 13, and an anti-asteroid cannon codenamed “Stonehenge,” which has been repurposed by Eursea as an anti-air superweapon. In between Mobius 1’s missions, the story of “Shattered Skies” is told from the perspective of a man from the neutral city of San Salvacion, which was occupied by Eursea during the war, as he writes to Mobius 1 following the war’s end.
While it won’t break new ground in terms of storytelling, the narrative here is still riveting and points out a vivid, tragic picture of how war affects everyone. The narrator is a man whose life was completely changed by the war and who finds his home country occupied by enemy soldiers. This storyline also gives more focus to the Yellow Squadron, specifically their leader Yellow 13 and the narrator’s relationship with them. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least; Yellow 13 is indirectly responsible for the death of the narrator’s family, as a jet he shot down crash landed on their home. Despite his disdain for Yellow 13, he grows close to the squadron and sees them as their surrogate family. However, their relationship is made even more strained as the war goes on. It’s an interesting look into the effects of war, all culminating in a triumphant ending for Mobius 1 and ISAF, but a somewhat bittersweet ending for the narrator as he recollects on past events to the fighter pilot.
Aside from these interludes given by the narrator, the majority of the game focuses on Mobius 1, as he goes on various missions against the Erusean forces. In contrast to the somber and bittersweet nature of the narrator’s segments, there is an overwhelming sense of triumph and heroism present in Mobius 1. This attitude is perfectly exemplified by the game’s opening quote: “Amidst the blues skies, a link from past to future. The sheltering wings of the protector …”
Mobius 1 and his squadron are seen as heroes, almost guardian angels, by the people on the ground. They are the ones who have come to liberate their homes and put a stop to the war. You feel this way as you complete the game’s missions, hearing the cheers of your squadmates and the gratitude of those you have saved during specific sections. This sense of triumph is especially felt during the final mission of the game, as you finally bring an end to war. The game genuinely makes you feel like a guardian angel, as you destroy enemy forces while soaring across the skies. These feelings of triumph and genuine hope add a lot to the experience and just makes it all the more satisfying when “Mission Accomplished” appears on screen.
Despite being one of the oldest games for the PS2, “Ace Combat 04” features some truly impressive graphics. The game’s missions take place over a variety of landscapes, from deserts, mountains, grasslands, oceans and even cities. Each of these environments is rendered impressively well, and it’s made even greater by the missions usually taking place during different times of day and in different weather conditions. From a cloudy, rainy day to just past sunrise, it adds a lot to the environment and adds even greater beauty. The game also has a timeless feel to it. This is helped by the fact the narrator’s segments are portrayed using Manga-style comic panels rather than actual cutscenes. It’s one of the factors that helps the game age gracefully and make it to where it doesn’t feel like a game released in 2001.
Gameplay is also where “Ace Combat 04” comes out on top. The game contains 18 missions, all of which feature different objectives, such as destroying certain targets or scoring a certain number of points by taking down enemy forces. Before each mission, players have the option to buy and choose from a variety of different aircraft and weaponry for each plane, most of which are based on real-life fighter planes and military weaponry.
“Ace Combat 04” features a mix of both realism and fantasy in its gameplay. Jets have semi-realistic physics and can stall when reaching a certain altitude or when below a certain speed, but also have unlimited fuel and carry many more weapons than a real fighter jet. “Shattered Skies” also features some of the most satisfying aircraft controls of any game on the market. Seriously, soaring across the sky, fighting enemy pilots and destroying targets simply feels amazing. While it took me some time to get used to, it felt natural in a short period of time and just makes the game that much more fun.
The game’s soundtrack also really adds to the game’s triumphant edge and the satisfaction that comes with each mission. Featuring a variety of artists and several different styles, the music conveys a variety of emotions as you soar through the sky. From electronic beats, booming orchestral tracks and blazing guitar riffs, all of the game’s music works really well to establish various moods. The pulsing notes of “Gateway,” the percussion, strings and electronic notes of “Imminent Threat,” the tense, heavily orchestral sound of “The Northern Eye,” and the triumphant, string-heavy “Invincible Fleet,” it never fails at making you feel something. There are also plenty of softer tracks, such as the main theme “Shattered Skies” and the tracks “Victory” and “Sadly.” The game’s ending theme, “Blue Skies,” is probably one of the greatest ending tracks of all time, perfectly wrapping up the game’s story and delivering so much emotion with great instrumentation and excellent vocals from Stephanie Cooke.
“Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies” is a fantastic experience and is easily one of the best games from the PS2’s library. It has an emotionally engrossing story, a great soundtrack and phenomenal graphics for the time that still look good. It will have players hooked, and they will stay for the immensely fun air combat and satisfying controls. It provides an amazing arcade-like experience with some great missions and provides a true sense of victory and triumph after the completion of each, which only increases as the game progresses. While the “Ace Combat” series is certainly not in everyone’s minds nowadays, “Shattered Skies” encompasses everything people love about the franchise and is absolutely worth playing.
Nick McCoy is a senior at Fort Hays State University, studying digital media and journalism. An avid gamer and music listener, he reviews video games and songs, and hosts the radio show The Understanding of Nick for Tiger Media Network.
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