Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere - 11

Amazon.com The critically acclaimed Ace Combat series has long been known as the best way to get your flying kicks on the PlayStation, so it is no surprise that Ace Combat 3 takes things to new heights in terms of terrific visuals and overall gameplay. The standard mission design of previous games in the series remains intact, giving players complete control over their aircraft as they zip around in a fully 3-D environment. There are plenty of fun planes to fly this time around, from agile superfighters to lumbering bombers. Their maneuverability has been toned down from previous games in the series, which makes lining up targets more of a challenge, but it becomes second nature with a little practice. Don't be intimidated by some of the fancy moves available to thrill-seeking flyers here. After all, what's the worst that can happen when you decide to risk a daring loop and roll? The truth is that Ace Combat 3 is ultimately more about pyrotechnics and fast action than about realistic flight physics. Ace Combat 3 isn't the leap in technology over its predecessor that we expected, but it's still a great way to satisfy your urges to fly the unfriendly skies. --T. Byrl Baker Pros: Much-improved graphics Plenty of planes and missions to fly Cons: Linear gameplay isn't quite as compelling or replayable as that in Ace Combat 2 Product description "#1 Selling Action/Flying Series on Playstation" A Bogey Bustin', G Force-Pulin', Insanity Ride! 22 FLYABLE, CUTTING-EDGE AIRCRAFT - F-16XF Gyrfalcon, Su-37 Super Flanker, UI-4054 Aurora and more! 36 FURIOUS MISSIONS - Air-to-air, air-to-ground, air-to-sea, even into the stratosphere! 3-D VIRTUAL COCKPIT - Look in all directions during combat - lock your eyes on the enemy and never lose sght of the action! SPECTACULAR VISUALS - Fully-detailed targets, moving control surfaces, smoke trails, lens flares, and spectacular explosions! MORE HEATED DOGFIGHTS - Increase your kills by using real dogfighting maneuvers! ONLY IN ACE COMBAT - Thrill to takeoffs and landings, mid-air refueling, autopilot control, Instrument Landing Systems, and day and night aircraft carrier ops! FORCE FEEDBACK - Feel every bullet strike and crash impact through the DUALSHOCK analog controller! REPLAY MODE - Cinematic 'smart cam' shows you all the action. Become a 'hunter of the sky' Lock and load, you're in the Kill Zone Engage in maximum dogfighting action Skill an Guts are required here Night Fight: carrier landings are mission critical when you're dueling after dark. Review Namco's Ace Combat has a reputation for quality that is practically unassailable. The first game was a flawed but functional arcade-style shooter (which is Namco's forte, after all), but the second episode was such a substantial leap in quality (comparable to the leap from Ridge Racer Revolution to Rage Racer) that everyone sat up and took notice. Ace Combat 2 was extremely playable: It had a multitude of missions, branching paths, and a wide array of planes to earn depending on the paths you took and your level of success, for which you were given a score at the end of each level. Seeing as how Ridge Racer Type 4 was the expected logical step forward in terms of playability and graphic expertise, surely then, so too must Ace Combat 3 be. Yes, the game reeks of high production values, this much is true. Two discs are filled to capacity with high-quality animation, as evidenced by the (as always) stunning opening cinema, an expertly crafted amalgamation of hand-drawn cels and CG animation. The same animation is featured throughout the game with cutscenes and mission briefings outlined in glorious detail between each successful sortie. The graphics too, have taken an incremental step forward, with lush light sourcing, cleverly hidden horizon draw-in, sexy aircraft designs (once you've unlocked the better ships of course), and nice environmental effects. Due to the wide-open nature of the game, the graphical upgrade has less of an impact than that of watching the Ridge Racer series mature, but the game is pretty, there's no doubt about that. The sad thing is how predictable the game turned out, despite having a cast of characters, which presumably are meant to immerse gamers more deeply in the game by giving off the sensation that they have more invested in the game world - care for the characters and care for the game. Unfortunately, despite the efforts made to create the complete Ace Combat experience, the game suffers in spite of them. Here's why. Anyone who has had the pleasure of playing Ace Combat 2 will be disappointed with the modifications to the control scheme. Bizarrely, the controls have taken a step toward being more sim-like, defaulting to the same setup found on Ace Combat 2's expert control setting. Setting AC3's control to easy mode won't help restore that arcade-like control, either. In both modes, the R2 and L2 buttons controlling left and right banking, along with the D-pad or analog pad, naturally. The L1
ASIN: B00004R9IK
VSKU: LFV.B00004R9IK.VG
Condition: Very Good