Absolutely stunning. There are no other words that can possibly be used to describe this game.
User Rating: 10 | Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies PS2
When I first picked up my copy of Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies, I was amazed. I knew that it would not be a true flight sim, because I had already played a few of the titles in the Ace Combat series. Let me tell you now, this is no flight sim. It is an arcade action game. If you are expecting a sim, try something else. Even so, I like flight sims, but this game is still one of my favorite games of all time. I think I have played this game more than any other game in my collection. You cant go wrong, especially at $20. The first thing I loved was the jaw-dropping graphics, and even by todays standards, they still fare pretty well. The aircraft have a high level of details and the gorund looks very good when you are at altitude, although, when you descend, a few levels look only marginal. But you wont be able to see that unless you are trying to see it. When you are flying low, most of the time you are fcused on not crashing, but still. The gameplay is very easy for people to just pick up and play, and as a result, most people will enjoy this game. However, one of the problems I encountered was n multiplayer. I like to fly using the advanced control scheme, where you roll when you push left or right whereas my friends prefer the easy setting, where pushing left or right turns you in that direction. This means that my friends cant play using my control scheme, and I have a hard time using theirs. As far as I can tell, there is no way to have 2 control schemes for two players. The story is pretty good, and I anticipated the end of each level in the hopes that I would see it unfold a little more. The story is told through the eyes of a young boy, who is in a city occupied by your enemy. In fact, you never see the face of your character. Several people have comlained that the stroy is told through drawings, and not CG. I really didnt mind this at all. The drawings get the point across, so I dont see why they whine about it so much. The missions are varied, both in environment and in objectives. You can be shooting anti-radar balloons with your guns or dropping bombs on huge anti-aircraft guns, all the same, it never gets old. There are plenty of aircraft to chose from, each with a selection of special weapons, such as missles that go very long ranges or precision guided bombs. You attain these aircraft by spending the money you are awarded for completing missions and destoying targets. The voice actors do a great job, and the sound effects are realistic. One other point I must point out is the difficulty. It is not a hard game, at least until you unlock "Ace" mode. 
