Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies (PlayStation 2)

The first Ace Combat game to be released on the PlayStation 2 is finally here, and fans of Namco's venerable series of casual flight sims will undoubtedly find it to have been well worth the wait. Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies isn't only the best looking of the series, but also the first to integrate a compelling plot and believable characters with the typical harried action that's associated with these types of games.

Easily the most interesting aspect of the game is its unique narrative. Even though Ace Combat 04 boasts 21 real-world flyable aircraft, the game takes place around the fictitious continent of Eugea and its plot unfolds through the eyes of a young boy living in the occupied town of San Salvacion. The entire story is narrated by this boy through a series of beautiful hand-drawn animation stills, and he tells the tale of the occupying force's ace pilot, Yellow 13, and how your actions throughout the 18-mission single-player campaign affect his demeanor. Interestingly enough, you'll get to know more about this boy and Yellow 13 than you will about your own character, who remains faceless and nameless (except for your code name of Mobius One) throughout the entire game. You'll be greeted by these stills, which are further brought to life by a melodic soundtrack and great sound effects at the end of every other mission, and once you finish the game, you'll have the ability to watch any of these clips at your leisure.

This same attentiveness to detail can be found throughout the game as well. Ace Combat 04's graphics engine is an impressive one that can render beautiful environments, realistic weather effects, and numerous detailed airborne and ground-based objects while maintaining a steady 60fps. With varied terrain types such as canyon environments, beachheads, glaciers, and archipelagoes, none of the game's 18 levels look alike. Likewise, each of the 21 playable planes (as well as the noninteractive ones) boasts a very high level of detail, such as self-shadowing, local environment reflection, moving parts, and jet wash. The interface is similarly very clean, allowing you to quickly take note of your weapon stores, the amount of damage your plane has sustained, and scanning your radar.

And as the levels themselves are varied, so too are the individual missions. While all 18 of Ace Combat 04's missions are timed, their objectives differ from one level to the next and include everything from standard escort missions to a strike on an air base. These sorties are very well executed, and they always remain interesting from level to level. Some particularly noteworthy missions include intercepting several nuclear-tipped cruise missiles that explode in dramatic fashion, ground support for a beach invasion that's reminiscent of the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan, and a massive air war over a rocket launch site involving no less than 30 aircraft at once. Each of these levels has its own soundtrack, and this music ranges from sharp beats that convey the tense moments before an attack to an operatic score during a pitch battle amid a monsoon.