Console Flights Sims Getting Better (Ace Combat Distant Thunder (PS2))

Member Name: SlyClone2k

Product:	Ace Combat Distant Thunder (PS2)
Date:	10/04/02 (297 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning Graphics, Easy to pick up, Great choice of planes

Disadvantages: Short, Bit Easy

I'm a big fan of Flight Sims, there is something ultimately satisfying about learning what all the buttons on your keyboard do in respect to launching missiles, releasing landing gear and what not. So I'm always a little bit dubious when it comes to playing a flight sim on a console. I mean that can't be a fully immersive experience can it? Surely not.
Well actually I think it can. Not all the Ace Combat series have been as good as this, but I can safely say 2 and 4 seem to have managed it. So this is what you'd be playing Ace Combat:Distant Thunder. Or Ace Combat 4.

AC4 is a very good flight sim on the whole. A delightful story unfolds telling a story of a boy living in occupied territory. The story rather than rely on animated cutscenes tells itself through a picture like illustrations. These pictures while simple are charming and tell the story beautifully. A story which isn't essential to your gameplay, but certainly gives something to your missions.

Your missions then. Well they are all largely go out there and defeat the enemy. The game itself is set in an non-existant country, but as with all of these things it could as well be a struggle between east and west. You are given a varierty of missions to fly which are good and engrossing. They come to a total of 18 missions that develop the story, not so much of you but that of the relationship of a boy and his hero Yellow 13, who happens to be your enemy, and and the enemy occupier of his home.

The missions vary from Dog fights, to ground support, to escort missions. The battle grounds are usually quite expansive and there is always plenty to shoot at.

The game is easy to pick up and play, with a rather standard set of controls. All of the important information you require is provided by the HUD display.

You get to play the game utilising a total of 21 aircraft. Which of course aren't all immediately available, your career earns you mo
ney which can be used to purchase newer aircraft and weaponry.

The aircraft range from the F4 Phanton to the Tornado to some of the more silky aircraft including SU-37 and F15a.
Each of the planes has some of its real life counter parts abilites Vector thrust sees you performing great combative stunts that leave you feeling satisfied when you wipe out another aircraft during the replays.

Attention to detail persists and you are more than likely to see the occasional AWAC and KC10 in your airspace.

The sound during the game is fantastic. If you put on the surround sound you occasionally have to stop yourself ducking as another jet roars past your "cockpit".
The music is also suitably dramatic, playing through out the missions. Leaving you feel like you have an inflight stereo!

There are a handful of multiplayer missions, and a group of extra missions that add to playability. Which is probably just as well because if I have one gripe it was that even on Hard this game still managed to finish itself with around 14 hours of play.

Summary: