Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
2001
- simulator
- arcade
- action
- warfare
- single player
- multiplayer
The story
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies is an aerial combat simulation. It allows the player to participate in semi-realistic dog-fighting with a collection of fighter jets, including the F-22 Raptor, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-117 Nighthawk, U-2 Dragon Lady, C-130 Hercules and SR-71 Blackbird. Eighteen missions will take the player from search-and-destroy buildings to one-on-one and all-on-all dog-fighting. Along the way it becomes possible to upgrade the fighter with defense systems, deadly weapons, and other accessories.
What it’s like
Hard-edged daylight and sea haze give Ace Combat 04 its look: sunlit cloud banks stacked over open ocean, grey-blue jets drawn in crisp, slightly glossy polygons, and the flat glare of afternoon skies that makes every contrail and missile plume stand out. The soundtrack is a mix of orchestral swells and driving rock-tinged tension cues, with radio chatter and clipped voice acting cutting in over engine roar, while the cockpit view settles into a steady, buzzing hum between fights. Sessions move in tight bursts, from long quiet cruises across the sky to sudden, hard-cut dogfights that tap the rhythm of a fast arcade shooter. The vibe is sun-bleached tension with a restless, lonely edge, well suited to an evening of focused play or a rainy afternoon when you want something absorbing and muscular. Violence is constant but bloodless: enemy aircraft break apart in bright fireballs, and there is no gore, though the wartime setting brings a sober undertone of death and loss. It suits players who enjoy arcade flight action, a bit of simulation crunch, and mission-by-mission progression with a military edge.
More games like Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skiesand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
