If you have ever played an Ace Combat game, you should already know what to expect from Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. It's a good simulation-looking flight game with an arcade feel. On top of that, it has absolutely stunning graphics and an interesting storyline.

Ace Combat 5 takes place in an alternate reality, similar to our near future. There is a war brewing between two rival nations. You are Blaze, a rookie pilot who soon becomes the leader of one of the most decorated squadrons in the conflict. The reason behind the war and Blaze's relationship with his fellow pilots unfold in the heat of battle and in the beautifully crafted cinematics between missions. This actually can make the story hard to follow. The radio chitchat in missions can be both helpful and extremely annoying. A lot of it tells parts of the story, but at inappropriate times. When I am making a bombing run on a heavily fortified complex with projectiles and explosions all around me, I'm not in the mood to hear about how beautiful the bird of peace is. The scripted chatter can also be somewhat confusing. After you have destroyed the enemies in the area, it is weird to hear allies complaining about enemy fire and being shot down. The cut scenes, however, are mostly interesting and worth a watch.

The gameplay itself should not disappoint fans of the series. The attention to detail might be intimidating when watching the gameplay, but the game itself is very easy to pick up and play. And if you are nervous about jumping into a mission right away, there is an optional multi-step tutorial mode, which is quite helpful. Like other Ace Combat games, the core concepts are dogfighting and ground assaults. With the large quantity of heat-seeking rockets each plane carries, most dogfights require you to get behind an enemy, fire off two missiles, and let them do the work. A few missions are actually easier if you conserve ammo, but if you can get into range, enemies aren't entirely difficult to destroy with your machine gun. Mission objectives aren't extremely exciting. You have the traditional escort, base assault, base defense, and intercept missions. Then there are the attacks against large enemy vehicles, which strikingly resemble boss fights.

The most innovate gameplay feature in Ace Combat 5 is the implementation of wingmen. Unfortunately, it is a mixed blessing. Your three wingmen add a touch of depth to the story. They are with you in the heat of combat, and their radio chatter does a good job of portraying their personalities. Too bad their personalities are clichéd and annoying. Chopper is your cocky, arrogant, classic fighter pilot. Edge is the female pilot who enjoys writing and peace. Then there is Archer, the rookie (read wussy) that doesn't believe in his skill. In missions, you can actually give them simple commands. They will begin most missions flying cover for you, which is good to help keep enemies off your six. But you can issue them commands, using the D-pad, to attack a target in your crosses (like a base) or to disperse to choose targets of their own (good for defensive missions). Overall, you will end up doing most of the work in missions. But thankfully, your wingmen do operate well autonomously so you don't have to worry about them a whole lot. They will even down a few enemies here and there. It feels like the wingmen feature has a lot of potential not completely harnessed by Ace Combat 5, but it has set up a good base feature if there is an Ace Combat 6.

Perhaps the best part of Ace Combat 5 is the visual presentation. The graphics are absolutely stunning. The terrain actually looks to be a living, organic world. From the trees populating the countryside to the skyscrapers in the surprisingly large cities, the world is quite scenic. Then there are the planes themselves. The models are beautifully crafted. The high-priced military equipment is easily recognizable all the way down to the accurately moving flaps. And the shadows that shift as the plane moves add a visual sense of realism similar to that of the Splinter Cell games. It is unfortunate that the only plane you really get a good look at is your own, as the others are usually just a high-speed blur in the distance. The only real downside to the graphics is the incredibly smooth ride you get from your plane. I'll admit, I've never flown in a fighter jet before, but I would expect it would rattle somewhat. The HUD in Ace Combat 5 seems merely superimposed over the action. Some shaking and/or vibration would really pull you into the game. But overall, the graphics in Ace Combat 5 truly shine (my apologies for the horrible pun).

Ace Combat 5 is one of the best flight games I have played on a console. The only real issue is the lack of multiplayer. Again, this is something that, if it is used correctly, could make the next Ace Combat game a must own. But Ace Combat 5 is still a good game. The missions will take a while to get through. And once you beat the game, you have to go back and work on unlocking all of the aircraft (unlockable by getting so many kills in each aircraft). For a great single-player experience, I recommend picking up a copy of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, especially if you can find it for under $35.

Jun 30, 2005 | 0 comments
Will