Ace Combat: The Belkan War review

Let's be honest: every young boy had those Top Gun dreams of being Maverick, the loner with the supreme killing skills, a rebellious streak and the ultimate boys' toy of transportation. This is boys' territory and Gamestyle loves it, with the Ace Combat series being a perennial favourite. Famous for its arcade style approach to the world of fighter planes, Ace Combat places emphasis on action and fun which take place amidst a tangibly taught situation, aided by a wonderfully crafted atmosphere of tension. Planes can be thrown about, the basic laws of physics and G-Force almost ignored in the name of entertainment. Weapons are plentiful and enemies are frequently simple to take down, allowing you a constantly joyful challenge. Ace Combat 6, (or Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, to give it its correct name) is no different in these respects with one notable exception... the length.This game is short; too short. As little as five hours is enough to complete the normal difficulty level. At 30 a game, such meagre play time can only be derided and taken to be a major factor when considering a purchase. The harder difficulty levels, however, do offer a much sterner challenge and naturally eke a much longer run-through time; but at a paltry 18 missions, regardless of difficulty, Namco have unfortunately created a game that ends before it really begins. As a quick comparison, this game is roughly two thirds of the length of the previous game, which, quite frankly, is ridiculous.There are, of course, reasons as to why the game is so short and this is mostly because of the flexibility of missions and the replay factor attached to this. Several of the missions allow differing approaches to accomplishing them, with common options allowing for an air-to-ground, air-to-air or mixed assault. Each mission also offers a degree of freedom in allowing you to kill who you want, with the colour of the target on your HUD offering clues as to which enemies might be spared if you're benevolent, those which are wholly innocent, and those which just need all out blowing up.This mission data is taken into consideration during the debriefing, which examines your fighting style and offers a simplistic breakdown of how you performed, before labelling your 'Ace Style'. This is perhaps the biggest evolution for this sequel and positively tempts you into replaying levels for the sake of seeing how your fighting style may have differed if you followed a different path during combat, and similarly, how different decisions affect matters in-game. Although the post-mission breakdown of your performance does add an added dimension to the series (in-depth replays, statistical breakdowns of kills, method of kills and flying style all provide a hugely interesting element to the game), in reality, these are all small, incremental changes that don't affect the whole game to any real degree.The heart of the game has changed little, with perhaps the most useful revision being your wingman's AI. Significantly more advanced that in AC: Squadron Leader, your wingman will both obey your commands and freely go about doing as you ask in the most appropriate manner whilst being genuinely useful in dispatching enemies. Rival pilots have also been added, with your Ace Style determining which squadrons you face in the sky; but again, these additions add little in terms of genuine change. A much needed multiplayer option has been added, however it feels somewhat tacked on, with game options being severely limited and offering little in the way of true multiplayer fun. An online mode would have been much more appropriate and an Ace Combat MMOFPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Fighter Plane Game, obviously) is something that needs some serious consideration from Namco, particularly in light of the narrative within this game.Not that the narrative needs dwelling on; as with the rest of the Ace Combat series, this game is based around a befuddling and frequently confused story. There is a genuine attempt to create a cinematic experience here, but the amateur dialogue, the immature philosophical musings, the sometimes turgid soundtrack and the cheaply produced cut scenes fail to produce a truly gripping experience.That's not to say that the game is not without its merits; this is an immensely fun game with the dog fighting as enjoyable as ever. The sensation of speed and power is immense and the graphics are as good as anything the PS2 has produced so far. The problem with Ace Combat 6, then, is simply that it does nothing new. It's been polished to a supreme degree without creating anything new, overly interesting or different about it. It's a supremely solid game and one with a lot to offer, but it feels like an add on pack, a yearly update with little extra to offer other than an enjoyable, if somewhat disposable, experience. One for a rent, and you'll probably complete it in this time as well.