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Daily Egyptian - Arts & Entertainment - Carbondale, Illinois
'Ace Combat' soars high above competition
Brett Elston
Pulse criticWhen the Playstation launched back in 1995, most gamers were standing in line for either "Tohshinden" or "Ridge Racer." While Namco's racer proved to have serious staying power, one other series began that September day, survived just as long and attracted numerous fans. That game was Air Combat.
It featured (at the time) detailed aircraft and a perfect mix of arcade-style action and flight simulation nuance. The reasoning behind each mission was vague, usually nothing more than "stop the enemy!" Even its Playstation sequels did little to change the gameplay or the storyline in any way.
"Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War" represents everything a sequel should be. It boasts impressive graphics, a lengthy quest and a total overhaul of presentation. Even its predecessor, 2001's "AC04: Shattered Skies" attempted to involve the player a bit more in the plot, but it felt a little detached and ultimately unnecessary. Now we're treated to a fully developed drama complete with living characters and a lush back-story. For the fist time, the series makes you care about each and every mission.
But first let's tackle the basics. The game is divided into missions, obviously. Completing them eventually lets you see an ending and the same lackluster credit sequence.
Objectives for each mission are pretty standard, and much like the storylines of other flight games (including previous "Combat" titles). Most missions involve destroying all enemies, some are escorts and there are a few unique goals tossed in here and there. For the most part though, gameplay is unchanged from 10 years ago.
That said - the setup is just as fun today as it was back then. Each completed mission gives you cash, which you use to buy new planes. And they're all real planes, not made up fantasy ships that defy logic. Namco's vets have clearly researched their source material - even the flaps move accordingly.
Little touches like that serve to provide an amazing sense of air combat. Rain forms clouds of mists and swirls as it does in the real world, the ground is photographically realistic and of course the sun shoots a lens flare when you fly past it at the right angle.
The only aspects of the graphics that need improving are the buildings. Large ones look predictably good, but most city-based missions could use a little more spice. They look better here than they did on the original Playstation, but compared to "Shattered Skies," there's not an amazing amount of improvement.
The area of sound is well spoken for. The series has always had decent tunes and this one is no exception. There's some solid rock for guitar freaks and the obligatory background trance music in the menus that maintains a tension throughout the game. But if you watch the intro movie, or play the game enough, you'll notice Puddle of Mudd is brought up more than once. The band's hit "Blurry" is featured prominently. It's tough to decide if it detracts from the atmosphere where war is very real, or if the song's somber tone adds a hint of legitimacy to the series. Decide what you will.
One thing it does do is show how serious Namco is taking this game. Granted, it's a three-year-old song from a band that's all but dead, but any mention of the real world has always been stricken from the franchise and games like it. The song invokes memories in all who hear it, and now players can relate it to the trials the game's star pilots are going through: A peaceful world destroyed for no reason, an ancient legend coming true and wingmen being killed.
It's a lot like playing a good "Top Gun" game, minus the ancient legend bit.
Still, if you've never been a fan of flying this probably won't affect your gaming in the near future. It's a winning formula, but it's bordering on fan service as well. The game's new wingmen control ability doesn't move gameplay to new heights, but then again, it's a series that's soared high enough already.
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Last update: Thursday, November 11, 2004 at 4:46:57 AM
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