Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

Ace Combat 6 is an Xbox 360 exclusive video game that is a flight simulation. Namco and Bandai was responsible for this flight extravaganza. Clearly, the Ace Combat franchise Ace Combat has finally made its next generation console debut with an emphasis on combat. The game is obviously inspired from movies such as Top Gun (which is not necessarily a negative). The plot entails the Republic of Estovakia fighting against the Republic of Emmeria. I do not know why those two nations are at war, and I do not care. The bottom line on the storyline in this game is that there is no story. I would like to discuss the storyline in the game; however, there is not much of a cohesive plot. The gameplay in the game is where it really shines. Gamers can make their aircrafts spin, turn, roll, ascend, and descend without any trouble. Ace Combat 6 does manage to keep the same arcade style that was in the previous fives adaptations. Utilizing the radar and making objects crumble to the ground appears to be majority of the gameplay. Fortunately, the game does not try to shove tedious missions down your throat. F-22 and bombers are a few of countless aircrafts available in the game. They all play differently. For example, a plane like the F-16 will be more maneuverable than a bomber. Even though the game has fifteen missions, the drawback of this game is the length. Ace Combat 6 can easily be completed in approximately eight hours. Luckily, all of the missions can be replayed to give the game some amazing value on the second time. It is impossible to view everything the game has to offer by finishing it only once. The missions themselves provides an exemplary balance that is intriguing. Players can issue order to his or her teammates with ease. At the start of each mission, you are given objectives.

The missions in the game will unfold differently depending on the order the objectives are achieved. There are some pros and cons to having your allies by your side. For instance, sometimes I noticed that my partners were acting like intoxicated pilots. Nevertheless, there were also times where I saw my followers easily dispose of foes. The graphics in the game are stunningly beautiful. Buildings, water, airplanes, and vehicles have a realistic quality to them. I was amazed with the inclement weather conditions and how well the weather was rendered. Ace Combat 6 is definitely a game that will make you feel like you are in control of an immensely sophisticated plane. The audio department could have used an upgrade. Yes, the gameplay sound effects are perfectly fine. Nonetheless, the actual "cut-scenes" are appalling. This is due in part to the ghastly manner the storyline is told. There are a gratuitous amount of convoluted metaphors that are incongruous. I did not care much for it. On the contrary, gamers are not playing this game for the drama (they are playing this game for the gameplay).

I have not seen nor heard of a script this poorly written since the last Ace Combat game (Ace Combat 5). Other than the single player campaign mode, there is a multiplayer mode. You can play on a various maps via Xbox Live with others who are willing to play. The off line multiplayer features a two player cooperative mode which allows you and a friend to play the single player campaign. For some reason or another, the online itself was somewhat arduous to navigate. On the bright side, the game does support an engrossing sixteen player multiplayer. Some of the playable modes entail team dogfights and solo dogfights. Namco has even decided to add some additional downloadable content on Xbox Live. Overall, this game has its faults with the disastrous plot and voice acting. But the immersive gameplay in Ace Combat 6 will swiftly make those flaws vanish.
Final Verdict: Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is a good game.
8 out of 10