GAME REVIEW OF Don Barnes 9 29 03 CIS 487 Fall 2003 Assignment 2 Basic Information Game Title Ace Combat 04 Shattered Skies Company Author Namco Type of Game Flight Simulator Price 19 99 Minimum HW Req PS 2 Console System Actual HW Req PS 2 Console System Control Pad Memory card for saving game files Game Summary Quick Overview You are a fighter pilot whose mission is to make it through 18 breathtaking levels which include such acts as intercepting nuclear missiles providing ground support to friendly allies escorting a non military plane safely to it s destination and so forth Each of the missions are timed however the allotted time given is very generous and allows for the player to complete the level and all objectives without being rushed Story Line The storyline is probably one of the most appealing aspects of the game Throughout the game you play the role of a fighter pilot Mobius One for ISAF Independent States Air Force the good guys facing the Erusians the bad guys The interesting part of the story however is that during the game you view what s happening through the eyes of a young boy in San Salvacion who lost his family in an explosion caused by a plane that was shot down by Yellow 13 one of the ace pilots of the Erusians The narrative of the story is told through the perspective of this young boy and you will see hand drawn animation stills see Figure 1 1 as you progress through the story mode One of the interesting things about this story is that you will discover more about this young boy and Yellow 13 than you will about your own character The interesting twist to the story mode is that the story of this young boy Yellow 13 and Mobius One will become apparent as the story unwinds Fig 1 1 Player s Role You are Mobius One and your mission is to follow the order s given to you by your command ISAF You may be asked to provide support to fellow pilots on an air strikes or to destroy multiple ground structures and units All of the missions include some type of Seek and Destroy concept and the player must meet the goal usually scoring a certain amount of points for the level to advance Installation Since this is a console game there is really no installation needed The saving for the game is done automatically after each level where you are asked if you would like to save your progress User Interface The User Interface allows the player to take a first person or third person perspective in the single player mode depending on their preference Also there are a couple different third person views allowed in the game and include a close up view and far view from the rear of the plane also a side view of the plane Another Nice feature of the game is that all the information that the user will need is displayed in a neat and consistent manner for example Time Remaining radar points remaining missiles ammo and the damage of the plane is all displayed in the corners of the screen See Figure 1 2 Fig 1 2 Game Play Ace Combat 4 has a real time system and is pretty straightforward Throughout the game you are in the cockpit of some advanced planes and you have complete control of maneuvering along with throttle and braking of the plane Beyond control of the plane you also are given control of the weapons which will vary depending on the plane but usually includes ammo for a machine gun some sort of standard missiles and unique missiles bombs associated to each plane Of course the weapons are limited and once you deplete the supply that s it YOU ARE OUT OF AMMO Scoring The scoring system implemented in AC 4 is very simple you destroy something you are given a certain number of points which are displayed on the screen when you blow it up All targets have three categories of scoring and are associated with a color White Yellow and Red White targets range from 0 39 points Yellow targets between 40 69 and Red targets are 70 and above Whether the targets are air or ground or sea they always have a color associated with them and once destroyed the points will be displayed to the screen and will accumulate to the total points for the current mission Artwork The artwork in the game is very well done and is done in 3 D Even the animation stills are very nice looking and can immerse the user into the story For the most part the in game graphics are exceptional from the explosions of aircrafts See Figure 1 3 and ground units to the background scenery involved One minor note on the game is the close up views of the scenery such as the ground water and building where the image becomes somewhat blurred and distorted however this is a very minor flaw in the game and for the most part is not very noticeable Fig 1 3 Sound and Music WOW the music and sound effects in the game are great simply put The music tracks are chosen appropriately for each of the missions and keep the user interested for the most part also the sound effects are very well done from the roar of the engine when traveling at fast speeds to the sounds of the afterburner and to the explosions of enemy targets The commentary used is decent in the beginning of the game but after a few levels of hearing Mobius One shot one down can become very annoying since each level usually has 10 or more planes that you will end up destroying Special Features A really nice feature of the game is the ability to choose multiple aircraft to fly and being able to select the aircraft which will best suit a mission based on it s capabilities and the weapons for that plane Also the game does not allow you to just pick any plane and weapons you want instead you must earn money by completing each mission and gaining points which is converted into money and then you may purchase aircraft and weaponry for each of your aircraft that you own Another interesting feature of the game is learning different maneuvers with each of the planes and being able to master these techniques as they make the missions a lot more fun Techniques include the SU 27 Cobra maneuver and the A 10 will flip upside down to acquire their target Manual The supplied manual is decent and provides basic information that will help with the game if needed It also describes the different game modes and some of the aircraft in the game For the most part it is more useful to someone who has not had much experience with flight simulator games or is completely new to them Bugs Currently I have not noticed in major bugs in the game or things that could definitely be related to being a glitch GAME
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