Ace Combat 5 Review

Ace Combat 5 Review

The makers of Ace Combat 5, Namco, aimed to create a highly realistic piloting game with the series' trademark photorealistic graphics. Also, it's obvious that Ace Combat 5 attempts to take its storyline to the next level through cut scenes, giving the characters the power of emotion and expression.

This the game handles wonderfully; the controls are easy to use and will have you performing barrel-rolls in no time. In terms of game play, Ace Combat, does fairly well. Sorties, or missions, vary from the simple %u201Celiminate all targets%u201D to extremely difficult missions where the player attempts to fly through an extremely touchy radar-field. The player will have to have a great deal of patience to suffer through the handful of dull, non-combat sorties which, admittedly, will make the player a better flyer. Some of these missions can become downright frustrating, including the final sortie which pits the player%u2019s squadron against a giant, heavily-armed, flying fortress. However, to let this game maintain a fast-paced, arcade feel, some sacrifices in reality had to be made. Fighters in the game carry anywhere from forty to seventy missiles, while these planes should actually have a payload of about ten. Also, physics have been slightly altered for Ace Combat. It%u2019s possible to easily perform many aerial, acrobatic maneuvers in a row, a feat in the real world that would require super-human skill and stamina to execute. The G-forces alone would probably kill a normal pilot. Still, these sacrifices to a series that prides itself in its realistic game play and graphics are made in the name of fun. Honestly, who wants to pilot a plane with ten missiles when there are hundreds of enemies swarming in the skies above?

Where the game takes off, though, is in a category flight games aren%u2019t known for: its story. The story of the Wardog squadron, hailing from the fictitious Belkan Empire, a group of fighter pilots stationed at a remote air base, is rendered with top-quality cut-scenes. The voice acting and dialogue for the game also shows what a first-rate game this is, providing depth and realism to the characters. The player first thinks that the story will revolve around the war with Yuktobania, once an ally of Belka, which launched a surprise assault on the country. However, after the first few missions, the Wardog pilots question the motives of the war. When they start asking questions, though, the squadron is inexplicably charged with firing upon Yuktobanian civilians, proceeding to their immediate arrest and discharge. In an attempt to escape capture from their own government, the squadron feigns their own death only to reappear in the skies a few days later, nicknamed the %u201CRazgriz%u201D after a demon from a fable which came back to life. Now with no allies, the squadron must unravel a conspiracy in their own government and fight the Yuktobanian threat at the same time. Ace Combat 5 isn%u2019t your typical flight-simulator; it becomes something greater with a brilliant story, cut scenes and voice-acting.

Anyone who simply enjoys good production values, extremely good graphics, voice acting, story, and a killer soundtrack should pick up the well-polished Ace Combat 5. This game is a no-brainer for any wannabe aces or anyone who enjoys fast-paced arcade games.