(Takes around 3 - 4 hours to complete)
This is my favorite game of the ace combat franchise and one of my top 5. Although it isn't nearly as grand as AC 5 or as good-looking as 7 it certainly makes up for it with its story.
As with others in the series, it's unconventionally told through the perspective of a documentary, the focus of which is the ace pilot Cipher. Between the cutscenes, you play as Cipher. This allows for two things: first is receiving information your character shouldn't be able to obtain and having a deeper understanding of your enemies, since the only people who truly know Cipher are his wingman and the people who fought him. This is done through a series of interviews, showcasing how the war and their battle against Cipher has affected them. You have the ability to affect what they say about you with a morality system.
Since it is a PS 2 game, the graphics are by now outdated. However, the cutscenes have been spared due to them using live-action.
Good mission pacing and solid gameplay. There are fewer planes than the previous game, and you can't choose what your wingman flies, but for me these things didn't affect my enjoyment. Somewhere where the game does improve is the AI of your wingman. Finally, it feels like you're actually part of an elite squadron rather than having to win every battle yourself. Also, it isn't that difficult. I managed to beat it entirely with one of the starter planes on the “hard” difficulty.
The soundtrack is also excellent. The flamenco guitar (Spanish guitar) makes it very original and memorable. My favourite part is "Zero".
Overall, a great game and probably the best arcade flight sim out there.
This is my favorite game of the ace combat franchise and one of my top 5. Although it isn't nearly as grand as AC 5 or as good-looking as 7 it certainly makes up for it with its story.
As with others in the series, it's unconventionally told through the perspective of a documentary, the focus of which is the ace pilot Cipher. Between the cutscenes, you play as Cipher. This allows for two things: first is receiving information your character shouldn't be able to obtain and having a deeper understanding of your enemies, since the only people who truly know Cipher are his wingman and the people who fought him. This is done through a series of interviews, showcasing how the war and their battle against Cipher has affected them. You have the ability to affect what they say about you with a morality system.
Since it is a PS 2 game, the graphics are by now outdated. However, the cutscenes have been spared due to them using live-action.
Good mission pacing and solid gameplay. There are fewer planes than the previous game, and you can't choose what your wingman flies, but for me these things didn't affect my enjoyment. Somewhere where the game does improve is the AI of your wingman. Finally, it feels like you're actually part of an elite squadron rather than having to win every battle yourself. Also, it isn't that difficult. I managed to beat it entirely with one of the starter planes on the “hard” difficulty.
The soundtrack is also excellent. The flamenco guitar (Spanish guitar) makes it very original and memorable. My favourite part is "Zero".
Overall, a great game and probably the best arcade flight sim out there.