For years, the Ace Combat series has been pretty much the only flight combat game to really get everything right. And now, if the box art it to believed (we’ll check back in 6 months to a year …), Ace Combat 6 is exclusive to the Xbox 360. Ace Combat 6 looks and sounds absolutely stunning, has a wealth of both single and multiplayer modes, and features smooth and easy to learn controls that make the game fun for newcomers and veterans of the series alike. Find out more right here.
Quick Hits
- Title: Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
- Platform:Xbox 360
- Publisher: Namco Bandai
- Developer: Namco Bandai
- ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen
- Genre: Modern jet fighter combat
- Pros: Nice presentation; smooth, easy to learn controls; multiplayer
- Cons: It takes a while to really get going; flight combat isn’t for everyone
Features
The single-player campaign in Ace Combat 6 covers 15 missions. The difficulty and objectives start out pretty easy at first, but gradually ramp up over the course of the game leading to the last few levels which are just spectacular. The overall story is a tale of war between two countries, but there are also personal stories that you see during cutscenes that feature several different characters on both sides of the conflict. These stories are kind of cool, and the cutscenes themselves look great, but they don’t really have much impact on the actual missions you are doing. They are there to give the war and your actions context, but they just seem rather disconnected from the gameplay and your main focus of blowing stuff up.
Ace Combat 6 also has a full selection of online multiplayer modes. Up to 16 players can take on free-for-all or team battles or objective based games such as siege where teams take turns attacking and defending a large number of targets. You can also play co-op with up to four players in special co-op missions. As you would expect, all of these online modes are a lot of fun because human opponents prove to be much more formidable.
Gameplay
Namco Bandai
The gameplay in Ace Combat 6 is where everything really comes together. Most flight combat games suffer from the same handful of problems. They are either too hard, too easy, or too much of a simulation which all usually drives casual gamers away. Ace Combat, on the other hand, gradually ramps up the difficulty, offers easy to learn controls, and puts the focus squarely on combat and having fun rather than worrying about too much. Ace Combat 6 doesn’t try to be realistic, and instead just tries to be fun. You control your speed with the triggers, yaw with the bumpers, and flight path with the left stick and the right stick lets you look around. There are a couple of different camera angles, including and in-cockpit view, and all of them give you a great look at everything. You also have options for things like a novice control option and even the choice as to whether you want to manually take off and land. Your weapons include machine guns, tracking missiles, and special weapons that can clear out an area in a hurry. Mission objectives involve straight up dogfighting as well as attacking ground targets among other things. Another cool aspect of the game is that missions will change and adapt depending on what order you complete the objectives in, and things can get easier or harder depending on your choices. One thing that is at the same time nice, but also kind of strange is that you have unlimited ammo, so you can just blast away with missiles all day long if you want. Not realistic, of course, but incredibly fun.
Graphics and Sound
Just like pretty much every other aspect of the game, the presentation is polished and very impressive in Ace Combat 6. The aircraft are all very detailed and nice looking, and the environments are simply outstanding and range from cities to canyons and more. Special effects for smoke and explosions are also top notch.
The sound is also very good. During combat, your squadmates and commanding officers are constantly chattering and giving you orders, and the sound of your jet and your weapons and explosions all sound really nice and realistic. The music is also noteworthy because, while it has the grand symphonic soundtrack that most war games feature, it actually has some memorable tunes and not just generic “epic” themes.
Bottom Line
Namco Bandai
All in all, Ace Combat 6 is a very solid flight combat game that represents the very best the genre has to offer. It is fun and accessible and has plenty of single and multiplayer modes to keep you busy for a good long time. My one real complaint about it is that flight combat games just aren’t going to be for everyone. Tracking tiny little targets through the sky, getting used to the controls, and learning how to act and react in relation to the way your plane moves and your enemies are moving can be pretty overwhelming. Ace Combat 6 is definitely easier to get into than a lot of flight combat games, but it isn’t immediately familiar and enjoyable the same way a FPS or adventure game is. Also, it needs to be noted that you can experience some motion sickness with games like this, and if that is a concern then Ace Combat just might not be for you. With all of that said, this is a great game overall, but I do suggest you try the Xbox Live Marketplace demo before you decide on a purchase.
