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piloting
skills on the part of the rest of the team, that isn't so. Despite
their increased experience in combat throughout the game, they fail
to be much more than decoys to distract enemy planes away from the
player; they do, however, on occasion prove to be worthwhile, but
it would have been nice for the skills they display at those times
to be noticeable throughout. Still, they do more good than harm,
and it never hurts to have a few other targets for missiles to lock
on to. Due to how poorly they come across, being able to control
them seems a bit shallow since it rarely becomes necessary.
To help put the player more in the game, there is increased radio
chatter as well as questions that are answered by pressing the directional
pad left or right for yes or no. If no answer is given, the caller
gets annoyed, talks to themselves, or gets an answer from something
else. In theory, this sounds pretty cool. When the chatter makes
sense, it actually is effective at making the game a bit more engrossing.
But most of the time the questions that will be asked are absolutely
pointless. During a mission involving softening up defenses positions
for Osea marines, one of the other pilots asks if the missiles are
strong enough to damage the defenses, yes results in them disagreeing
with you (saying the missiles aren't strong enough), no results
in a vocal agreement, and no answer gets a rambling response. So,
if they don't agree with me, what is the point? In some cases, story
information or additional intel is given over the radio, and hints
on how to take an enemy down, but the situation like the one above
happen is the norm - just random, useless questions are asked that
have no baring on what's going on. Not only that, but the text for
the conversation and the response icons take up valuable screen
real estate, and there is little as annoying as when a missile is
incoming and you have the center of your screen taken up by someone
asking if you think their company is the best. The random chatter
did little to draw me in, and I don't know how, "This scenery clashes
with my Rock 'n' Roll" will engage anybody - that and a character
who always says 'Kid' in an obnoxious tone made me reach for the
mute button. There is an option for Japanese vocals so the few annoying
American voices can be ignored, so that's a plus -sure, they may
be saying something stupid, but at least I don't have to get a double
dose of it with a side of nails grinding down a chalkboard.
One of the new features that is solid through-and-through is the
new branching plane system. Each time a plane is used in combat,
it gains experience, and when enough is gained, some have variations
that become unlocked. With over fifty planes, some real and some
created by the developers, getting as many as possible, as well
as medals (awarded for kills, how the kills were done, etc.), becomes
pretty addictive. Despite their visual differences, the planes handle
only slightly differently, their main differences come in how many
missiles they can carry and what kind of special weapons are on
board (these can range from heat seeking missiles to small payloads
of bombs) - oddly enough, machine gun ammo is unlimited for all
planes and in both campaign and arcade mode. This was a good move,
because this safer route means players can jump from plane to plane
without having to worry about learning new intricacies, which fits
in well with the game's arcade approach.
Ace Combat has always been a good series exactly because
of its arcade approach. It is far from being a straight forward
sim, but it also doesn't let the player slam into the ground and
bounce around like a pinball. The developers have always been able
to reach a good median between real and arcade. A good example of
this is that the player cannot black out, but they can stall; likewise,
missiles can missed their locked-on targets, but hitting tree lines
won't cause the plane to crash. The game just has a really good
'feel' to it: the planes handle smoothly, the combat is intense,
and it all comes together very well for a fast-paced experience
that is easy to get into, yet still leaves room for improvement.
In addition to the main campaign, there is also an arcade mode that
has a separate story and only uses one ship. Its focus is on time
attacks with a branching level system where progression leads to
different paths of easier or harder levels. Those wanting to really
show off their stuff can take on these, which will require heavy
use of the machine gun and excellent tracking skills. Using the
radar can be a pain, because it's pressure-sensitive, and can get
fussy if held down (for the largest view) for too long, so get ready
for some finger cramps, particularly in arcade where missions will
have planes scattered all about.
While the difficulty in arcade gradually ramps up, the same cannot
be said for the main campaign. If there is one thing that needs
to be tweaked, it is the flow of the missions. In the midst of fairly
easy assignments will be one that is so frustrating that it can
really take some of the fun out of the whole experience. Similarly,
in the middle of harder missions will come a simple one that seems
to make no sense. Sometimes a mission will end without much reason.
The objectives, though, are pretty interesting. One mission includes
dropping payloads to put out biological chemicals set off in a city,
another tracks down a downed pilot by homing in on their beacon,
and others have the squad assault a special enemy class submarine
that launches missiles that destroy anything under 5,000 feet (it's
quite a rush to jam the afterburners and make it to 5,100 right
as the counter hits zero). There are also in-flight refueling missions,
as well as landings and take-offs (one is in the middle of an attack,
and it's really well done), and these are also skippable. A solid
set of tutorials will get new players on track, and those wishing
to get more info can check out the timeline of missions already
taken place and a gallery to view their medals.
To look at Ace Combat 5, it's easy not to be taken aback.
Visually, the game gets the job done - and does so with a little
class. Aside from the somewhat scary character models in the cutscenes,
the game features crisp graphics, good effects, and great plane
models. There are also three views to choose from (cockpit, clear
hud, and third-person), with the cockpits looking a little sparse.
Even though the music is good, if you're going to keep the American
voices, I would suggest Iron Eagle'ing it up and listening to your
own tunes. The other pilots can get very annoying, and if you don't
choose Japanese language after starting and saving, they're there
to stay. If you pre-empted the frustration of the American voices
(to be fair, not all are bad), then the music is an excellent choice,
with a solid blend of orchestral and rock. The sound effects are
minimal, but machine guns and other missile launches sound good.
Overall: 8/10
Despite the new additions of
squad control and radio responses not being much more than superficial,
the game's classic take on arcade flight combat still manages to
entertain. The new system of getting variations of planes based
on their use in combat is a great addition. The story, while not
as engaging as that of part four, partly due to a more melodramatic
script, is still enjoyable, and just as crazy, with mixing an alternate
reality with its own mythology. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
is solid action title, with plenty of replay value (re: it's difficult),
and a style all its own. For now, Namco continues to rule the skies.
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