Behold! The greatest of the Ace Combat series: Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
Story
Characters (main)
Characters (supporting)
The use of professional voice actors (David Lucas, Crispan Freeman, etc.)
Length
No other Ace Combat game that I have played have had those qualities. Now for the actual review.
Graphics: For its day, Ace Combat 5 had outstanding graphics. Like every Ace Combat game before though it had a problem with ground textures and rather weak explosions. Aside from those points the game had almost perfect graphics for the PS2. The plane detail was amazing, the ships (if you got close enough to them) were fairly well detailed as well. The after-burners on you plane were among the first things that I noticed when I first played the game the day it arrived at my local (at the time) Gamestop. The missiles also looked nice in the way that they traveled and disconnected from your plane. The cut-scenes were also first rate.
Control: No problems here. Move along.
Gameplay: The gameplay of AC5 was also quite nice. As you would go through the game, new planes would be unlocked for purchase. Of course you would have to buy a total of four planes of the same type, but hey. As you would use these planes they would gain experience and you would, eventually, unlock more planes in that family. Among the Ace Combat titles, this game had the largest selection of aircraft. The only problem with the planes was the fact that you couldn't change the SP Weapon for each one. Once you selected the Su-37 "Terminator" you were stuck with those QAAM's. Also the lack of a return line in this game really made it more enjoyable for me. That way I had to be more frugal with my missiles and bullets.
Sound: The sound in this game is spectacular! The radio chatter in the game really gives you a sense of urgency in a lot of cases. The sounds of the individual planes closely resembles the actual planes they were modeled after. And the score was truly epic. The score truly helped to make the feel for the game in certain missions.
Story: In this game your character is simply referred to by his call-sign, Blaze. For the first two missions you fly as the number four pilot of the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the OADF (Osea Air Defense Force). This changes when, in the second mission, your captain, Jack Bartlett, is shot down and captured by your enemy nation, Yuktobania. You go through thirty missions to bring an end to the war with the "Yukes." Before it ends though, tragedy strikes the team and you find yourself, along with your wingmen, without a home. After a daring mission to save the Osean president from another power, the Belkans, the squadron, now with a new pilot on board, takes the title of "Razgriz Squadron." From this point the squadron is based aboard the aircraft carrier Kestrel.
The games story truly becomes epic after the battle above November City. This is the best story I've ever seen in a game like this. The characters make themselves known in the story and you get attached to them. Especially, in my case, Kei Nagase (Edge) and Alvin Davenport (Chopper).
Multiplayer: Oh wait. It doesn't have that function. One of the few bad things that I can say about this game.
Overall: I would say that this game is among my favorites, period. Everything meshes together in this title to create a true gem for the genre. The lack of multiplayer hurts it of course, but Namco rushed it out. The graphics in the game were superb for the its day. Aside from the ground textures, the lack of multiplayer, and the occasional miss with the voice acting, the game has very few, if any, other flaws.