"Zero? In my book, Zero is an excellent number."

Introduction:

Welcome back to NAMCO's world of Ace Combat. This game is a prequel to both AC 4 and 5 on the PS2. It is the story of the Belkan War 15 years prior to Ace Combat 5.

Gameplay/Controls: 8/10

There's not much I can say here for controls. You have three different layouts to choose from. The first is an original control scheme for the game. The other two are back from AC5. So, if you've played 5 a lot, you will want to choose it.

Their is a new feature added for those who've had a severe dislike of how the targeting system worked in the past. Instead of cycling through targets with the Triangle button, they've given us the ability to bring up a "Target Circle". When this is up, the first enemy that enters the circle is automatically locked onto.

An ACE Style gauge is also implemented into the Campaign mode. As you complete missions, your style will change depending on your actions. The three styles are Mercenary, Soldier, and Knight. Mercenaries being ruthless. Knights being honorable. And Soldiers being a mix of the two.

For example: If you destroy all enemy targets (Red and Green) while sparing retreating enemies or harmless targets (Yellow), you will move further into the Knight portion of the gauge.

Scenes are done with real life characters. This is something I really like. Most involve pilots that you've shot down being interviewed about you. I haven't seen this done real well in a while.

Story: 8/10

You are Cipher, a mercenary for hire. You've have been employed by the government of Ustio. Pixy, then later on PJ, flies alongside you as your wingmen. Ustio is a country on Belka's border.

Belka has begun war, and is invading every country around them for the possession of natural resources found in area B7R (Better known as The Round Table). After a few days, the only remaining Ustio forces are holed up in the mountains to the east.

You begin the game by taking out an incoming flight of bombers that are ready to destroy the last remaining bits of the Ustio military.

Graphics/Sound: 8/10

Graphics and sound are on par with previous games. Sound has definitely been updated. Now, when you are hit by bullets, you hear the sound of metal being hit, not just a thunk. There's even more chatter here. I love hearing so many pilots during the missions.

The graphics have risen some. Most everything looks the same, but there are little details that can be noticed in cockpits. Terrain looks nice from a distance, but once you get extremely close, it kind of lacks. But hey, this is a flying game. You shouldn't be on the ground anyways.

Play Time/Replayability: 7/10

Due to the updated AI, you can expect the 18 missions to last you quite some time. Now, if you are a truly hardcore gamer, you will complete it in about 10 hours on Normal difficulty. As you complete missions, you unlock new planes to fly. However, since you have to purchase each plane and special weapon if your gonna use them, it will take several playthroughs to get everything. You will have to complete it at least once with each style to unlock the final planes.

There is also assault records and Medals to earn. Assault Records are a list of named enemy planes that you can shoot down. The higher the difficulty, the more that appear in a level. And since you can't play on Ace difficulty from the beginning you can't complete that in one go as well.

Final Recommendation

In short, this is another excellent AC game. If you are a true fan of the series, then this is a must buy. However, I'm not saying that others should just ignore it. It's a flight sim thats meant to be enjoyed multiple times. So if you like to play once then leave it alone, it may not be for you.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/28/06