28.2.2005

To be honest, I've never been an Ace Combat fan, I remember playing Ace Combat 3 on the PS1 and thinking it was an "okay" game, but there was no real skill involved, you could just blast away the enemies with your missiles and you hardly got targeted yourself, let alone shot down. However after playing a rather generous three level demo of the game I was impressed, out of gut feeling I decided to give this game a chance, and now I can safely say I'm glad I did.For a start I'll counter my views on AC3 and say that this game dose involve skill, you cant just fly around blasting away your enemies with missiles without a worry in the world,the pilot AI of your enemies is surprisingly sophisticated and if you just try to shoot them down with a missile without running them down they'll dodge it easily and you'll soon be fresh out of missiles. In-fact by the end of the game the enemies were so nimble getting a missile hit is nearly impossible and I ended up relying on the machine gun about 80% of the time. Also flying isn't just a walk in the park, a lot of missions force you to fly at stupidly low altitudes (to avoid radar or to attack ground units), which leads to some pretty slick flying on your part and some intense in-game dog fights. If all this is a little difficult to grasp for new comers there's a very good (if a little long winded) tutorial mode that will take you through everything you need to know.The thing id really compliment this game on though is the quality. Flying around shooting down enemies can get pretty repetitive and boring, but the whole experience is livened up by the radio chatter you hear constantly from your wingmen, enemies and allies. They make the whole experience much more enjoyable and intense, it also builds up the characterisation of your wingmen, you get to know about their personalities and you either get to like or hate them (you may end up hating Grimm). The characterisation is also pushed forward a little more with the occasional FMV, which leads me to the next good thing, the story. For a simple concept, this game has a surprisingly interesting story, and it dose have some very good plot twists in it, this in-turn leads you into many varied missions, though most of the missions are based around the same sole objective (destroy everything on screen to advance). Gameplay has been made more interesting by the new addition in the AC series of the wingman commands, these don't greatly affect the turn out of a battle but they can get you out of tight circumstances, when you tell your wingmen to cover you they do actually cover you and don't just keep flying around aimlessly shooting bad guys. Also about five or six missions into the game you can buy aircraft (credits are earned depending on your rank at the end of a mission) and choose which ones you and your wingmen can pilot before you leave on missions. Each aircraft have their own set of attributes, some have specialised tasks like bombing, while others like the stealth bomber are purely for show. Also just thought id mention if you ever need a break from a frustrating mission there's an arcade mode, which is very entertaining, if very short lived.Although this game dose have its faults (as many games do) the quality clearly shines through all that and you can tell a lot of thought and effort has gone into making this, I would highly recommend it.

2.8.2015

As I write this review today, I'm currently listening to the games soundtrack. It's bringing back a lot of fond memories from the best part of a decade ago. Ace Combat Squadron leader is to this day still my favorite from the series for many reasons. Yes, It's 2015 and PS4 and Xbox are the mainstream when it comes to console gaming, but I'm never going to forget the long hours I spent at ten thousand feet in my F14, battling massive super weapons.Why? This game is a clear example of a classic arcade flight simulation with it's photo realistic renders of a great selection of planes, a thrilling story and a rather surprising addition of a fun supporting cast in the form of your three wing mates.Archer, Chopper and Edge are wonderful characters, each with their own unique traits. The game is set in a fictional 2010, focusing on your squadron as they face the many hurdles of a war which at times gets rather personal, making you feel for each and every one of them. Namco really did a wonderful job. That horrible stereotype of the type of game being "Everything blows up in thirty seconds and the characters are forgetful" is nowhere to be found here when it comes to the main story.The cut scenes take the form of footage shot on a video camera, which allows the character who's telling the story to follow your journey through thirty missions, documenting the events of the war and how it affects your team as they progress, Building up to some great twists and sudden surprises which will leave you wanting to know more from the second your jets take flight again.With the huge selection of jets to choose from and a decent selection of customization features, replay value holds up well, speaking from experience. I remember spending a good few hours trying to unlock all the Tornado variants, finding each one was suited to a different combat task, for examples sake, You'd be better taking an F3 flight up into an air battle and a GR4 quartet into a ground assault.I long for the day when this game comes to Playstation's network, as it gave me many years of enjoyment way into the era of more modern entries for the reasons mentioned above. Will we ever see a game like it again? I fear not as the Ace Combat series moved into the real world with Assault Horizon and Joint Assault on PS3 and PSP respectfully. For me this instantly killed one of Ace Combats most memorable points. A wonderful fictional world mixed with real world elements.Add a surprisingly good soundtrack into the mix and you've got a classic Ace combat game which even ten years on, still makes my PS2 an option on a rainy weekend. Long live the classic era of flight simulation shoot 'em up's. If you'll excuse me, my wing mates are waiting on the flight line as I take a trip down memory lane to a time when games were simpler, yet in many ways, better.

3.3.2005

Great game, but have I played this before?, October 27, 2004Okay, this is a awesome game. It has wonderful graphics, the airplane details are superbly represented, and the sound is really good. One of the signature differences between this new title and the previous Ace Combat 4 is the addition of the CGI cutscene movies, whereas the Ace Combat 4 used the storyboard type representation. If you have played Ace Combat 4, this game is easy enough to pick up and jump right in to the action. Minor changes have been made to controls to allow for the "wingman" control scheme with the D-pad. This enables you to direct you wingmen to either cover, attack, disperse and use their special weapons on a target.

11.8.2005

Strap yourself in, hold tight and hit the throttle for Namco's 5th installment of the epic ACe Combat series. I can only really find one thing bad with the game at the moment and that is how difficult it is to get a copy of the damn thing. I originally ordered it from Amazon new with the site telling me that it was going to take 1-2 weeks for the product to get here. 1-2 weeks turned into 4-6 weeks so I decided to cancel. I wentr to play.com and numerous other sites but alas nothing there. Eventually I settled for a 2nd hand copy of the game and began to play. Amazingly the game didn't finish when i thought it would. It seems to just keep going and going.

3.3.2005

This game is a very nice game to play!And you don't easily get bored with it.I've also finished this game twice. (I haven't finished it 100%)As well as this, there is actually 3 missions that you have to fly at low altitudes to avoid being detected by a Radar.One of them is the sneak mission where you have to destroy the Himfaxi at low altitude. But adventualy they will detect you if your a bit close to the Himfaxi, as a result you can just attack it as high as you want!(not worrying about the altitudes)The second one is when you have to go to your enemy's base at low altitude to avoid being detected by a radar, and to take a picture of the enemy base.And thirdly,

23.2.2005

I got this game when it was first released here in the U.K. I think Ace combat 5 is better than Ace combat 4 becauseAce combat 5 features the following:. Over 30 missions.. over 50 unique real world planes with selectable colour schemes.. Stunning new Graphics. Redefines realistic graphics in console air combat. Enjoy vividly rendered aircraft, exquisitely detailed environments, real-time weather effects and dynamic lighting.. Issue orders and coordinate group attacks to your 3 Wingmen.. Multiple Modes of Play. Master your skills in any of four different gameplay modes, Free Mission, Free Flight, TUTORIAL (Over 13 tutorial missions for those of you new to the series.)

27.6.2006

ace combat 4: distant thunder was a brilliant game in almost every way, fast paced, sharp graphics and briliant gameplay. no way it could be improved on right?........ WRONG! Ace combat: squadron leader is some how significantly better? its faster, the planes are much more responsive and handle like a dream (not too arcade..ish, but it doesnt try to be a simulator)and whats more, its gorgeous. the missions are also very varied, in one mission you,l be defending your home base, then youl be flying formation over a large crowd and then youl be thrust back into action against an entire fleet of ships. but probably the best feature in this game is the wingmen. you really get a sense that your not alone up there,

2.3.2005

I got my AC5 when it was also first released here in U.K. Well i don't have any problems with it... At first you have to finish all 3-5 missions so you can buy Jets if you want. If you want to hit your enemy with a missile accurately (don't just shoot them!take your time.. but always look at how many time you still got left on your mission) you have to first lock on to your target, then fire 2 missiles to destroy them. Moreover you will have 99 missiles if you play on Very easy mode, 60-75 missiles if you play on easy mode,and about 50-60 missile in normal mode, ect.. In some missions you will have 20-39 enemies but no more than 55-60 enemies so you will still have many missiles left!

21.2.2005

THIS GAME IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER PLAYED. The graphics for instance, are better than computer game graphics and the sound effects make you believe you are REALLY in a cockpit. The game has a campaign mode with a brilliant storyline with a mixture of an all out dogfight and true emotion. There is a huge choice of planes which all have highly detailed cockpits and exteriors. As you progress you can 'buy' planes and unlock some. There are many mission scenarios from shooting down unwanted planes to protecting aircraft carriers!! There are tutorials, an arcade mode and everything you could wish for. The arcade mode is where you have to shoot down as many planes as possible in a minute.

21.2.2005

Ace Combat Squadron Leader is without a doubt an excellent flight combat simulation without getting bogged down into the realms of ultra-detailed complexity that goes with a PC flight sim. The graphics are superb, the flight and weapons control are very obvious and natural, the missions are good and varied....very much like the previous offering (AC4). However, with the exception of the definitive improvement of ground graphics detail, this game is not that much different to AC4. Don't get me wrong, if you don't have a combat flying game, you won't be disappointed with this. If you already have AC4....is ACSL worth the £'s? Probably not right now...wait until the price goes down.

5.4.2006

This is really a nice game. It was the first simulation type of game I buy and I definetly enjoyed it. The story line is really nice and especially the cut scenes and videos. The dialogue between you and your team pilots makes the game a lot more fun to play and enjoy. The selection of the fighters you can choose is quite good,, but could have better options like color, or motto or stuff like that. The missions are quite good, sometimes they get really hard and annoying, especially towards the end. They also get repetitive sometimes, and sometimes impossible to finish. Control system is quite easy, and you can start immediately to play in the mission mode which is the best feature of the game.

21.2.2005

This has got to be one of the best flight sims ive ever played, and its also the best out of all the ace combat additions.the graphics are absolutley mint and the intro movie is well worth a watch too.game description.........if you fancy tearing through cities and forests at low level in some of the best and upto date aircraft in the world then this is for you, you really do get a sense of speed and realism from this game it is really second to none, you also have 3 additional wing men you can give orders to and they do come in quite useful when in a sticky situation and need backup.as you progress through the game more aircraft become available to you like the f-117 stealth bomber su-27 flankers etc each one with noticable differences,

9.6.2005

I've always been a fan of the ace combat series which has never failed to be a great experience every time I have played it. Ace combat 5 succeeds in creating a well balanced flight sim game with a compelling storyline which makes the game a lot more involving and enjoyable.Not only does the new wing man controls help make the action fast paced and fluid but also draws you into the story.Ace combat 5 is similar to AC4 but with additions such as the new 'aircraft family tree' where you gain a new aircraft to purchase once you have a certain amount ok kills in a particular aircraft. There are a larger array of missions which can be a lot more varied than in AC4,

13.2.2005

I'm hardly an Ace Combat veteran but that's the whole beauty of no. 5. You are squadron leader codename Blaze (default) and your mission is to build up your squad into a bunch of tobaco-chewing hard-nuts terrify the enemy and get chummy with the only female in your squad Nagase. As you progress you get awarded new aircraft and can then choose who to give it to to make them happy (there may as well not even be that choice).But the graphics are legendary and yes even the ground looks very lifelike; even up close and the gameplay is slick, fast and the missions i have played have all been one which is absolutely FRAN-TIC,

13.7.2005

Been playing this game a little over 2 weeks now and haven't put it down! It is a great flying sim/action game from Namco, the graphics, gameplay and sound are amazing, and the replays of your mission are a very nice touch, along with the in flight talk and commands you give to your wingmen make it all feel very realistic.There are 50 fully licenced planes to choose from and they all look spot on with their own characteristics, my fave being the tornado GR1, the wings sweeping back as you reach over 400mph all adds to the realism! Ive played a number of flight sim games on pc and this title on PS2 doesn't look out of place in comparison, but a little more 'pick up and play'

Ace Combat - Squadron Leader (PS2) - Reviews

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