{"id":73745,"date":"2023-08-22T11:28:07","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T16:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=73745"},"modified":"2023-08-22T11:28:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T16:28:11","slug":"game-review-ace-combat-04-shattered-skies-is-triumphant-arcadey-thrillride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=73745","title":{"rendered":"Game review: ‘Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies’ is triumphant, arcadey thrillride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By NICK McCOY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiger Media Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to kicking back and having fun, nothing beats a classic arcade-like game. They are the games that don\u2019t 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\u2019s Ace Combat series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While flight simulation games aren\u2019t exactly the most popular genre nowadays, the Japanese company\u2019s 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\u2019 fourth entry: \u201cAce Combat 04: Shattered Skies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cAce Combat 04\u201d features a wide variety of aircraft and weaponry for the players to purchase, from air superiority fighters, ground fighters and stealth bombers. Many of the jets featured in the game are based on real-world aircraft, namely the F4e Phantom (above) and Eurofighter Typhoon (below). Both aircraft have appeared in most of the \u201cAce Combat\u201d games.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Having recently gotten my hands on it, I can safely say \u201cAce Combat 04\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAce Combat 04: Shattered Skies\u201d 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 \u201cAC04 Project.\u201d Namco would later merge with fellow Japanese company Bandai to form Bandai Namco Entertainment in 2006. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cShattered Skies\u201d is the fourth mainline entry in the series, coming after 1999\u2019s \u201cAce Combat 3: Electrosphere.\u201d Following the less-than-stellar reception of \u201cElectrosphere,\u201d Namco intended for \u201cShattered Skies\u201d to be a reboot of the franchise. Their efforts paid off, as it would become the highest-selling game in the franchise until 2019\u2019s \u201cAce Combat 7: Skies Unknown.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShattered Skies\u201d takes place in a fictional world called \u201cStrangereal,\u201d where Earth has a completely different geography and history, and was devastated by an asteroid impact event in the late \u201890s. 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 \u201cStonehenge,\u201d which has been repurposed by Eursea as an anti-air superweapon. In between Mobius 1\u2019s missions, the story of \u201cShattered Skies\u201d 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\u2019s end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it won\u2019t 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\u2019s relationship with them. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least; Yellow 13 is indirectly responsible for the death of the narrator\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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Like the rest of the series, \u201cAce Combat 04\u2019s\u201d gameplay has realistic and fantastical elements, and the missions task players with destroying enemy forces. This includes enemy aircraft and ground and naval forces such as AA guns, SAMS and Warships. The gameplay is arcadey, with players earning points based on what aircraft or object they destroyed using missiles, guns or bombs.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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\u2019s segments, there is an overwhelming sense of triumph and heroism present in Mobius 1. This attitude is perfectly exemplified by the game\u2019s opening quote: \u201cAmidst the blues skies, a link from past to future. The sheltering wings of the protector \u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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 \u201cMission Accomplished\u201d appears on screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite being one of the oldest games for the PS2, \u201cAce Combat 04\u201d features some truly impressive graphics. The game\u2019s 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\u2019s segments are portrayed using Manga-style comic panels rather than actual cutscenes. It\u2019s one of the factors that helps the game age gracefully and make it to where it doesn\u2019t feel like a game released in 2001.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gameplay is also where \u201cAce Combat 04\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAce Combat 04\u201d 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. \u201cShattered Skies\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game\u2019s soundtrack also really adds to the game\u2019s 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\u2019s music works really well to establish various moods. The pulsing notes of \u201cGateway,\u201d the percussion, strings and electronic notes of \u201cImminent Threat,\u201d the tense, heavily orchestral sound of \u201cThe Northern Eye,\u201d and the triumphant, string-heavy \u201cInvincible Fleet,\u201d it never fails at making you feel something. There are also plenty of softer tracks, such as the main theme \u201cShattered Skies\u201d and the tracks \u201cVictory\u201d and \u201cSadly.\u201d The game\u2019s ending theme, \u201cBlue Skies,\u201d is probably one of the greatest ending tracks of all time, perfectly wrapping up the game\u2019s story and delivering so much emotion with great instrumentation and excellent vocals from Stephanie Cooke.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAce Combat 04: Shattered Skies\u201d is a fantastic experience and is easily one of the best games from the PS2\u2019s 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 \u201cAce Combat\u201d series is certainly not in everyone’s minds nowadays, \u201cShattered Skies\u201d encompasses everything people love about the franchise and is absolutely worth playing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":73746,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/AceCombat04.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73745"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73751,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73745\/revisions\/73751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/73746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}