Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
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Ace Combat 04 is the fourth release of the Ace Combat Series on the PlayStation 2. It is also the first Ace Combat game for the PS2. It is known as "Shattered Skies" in North America and Japan. It is also known as "Distant Thunder" in Europe. The flagship Aircraft of the game is currently the F-22A Raptor.
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[edit] Plot
The player takes on the role of Mobius 1, an elite fighter pilot serving in the Independent States' Allied Forces (ISAF) air arm, fighting against the Federal Erusean Armed Forces (FEAF) who have occupied almost all of the Usean continent after an apocalyptic event in 1999. A massive asteroid, codenamed Ulysees 1994 XF-04, struck Usea killing 500,000 people and turning many of the survivors into refugees. Erusea used this as an opportunity to occupy the continent after a prolonged military buildup. They achieved military supremacy using the superweapon called Stonehenge. This was a complex of giant railguns that were originally designed to destroy the Ulysses asteroids but have been found to be effective against aircraft as well. This allows Erusea to dominate much of the airspace over the continent giving their military a powerful strategic advantage. Consequently, the ISAF were pushed back to the eastern coast of Usea.
Between the missions the story is told through flashbacks, later revealed to be a long letter to Mobius 1 about the war and living inside the occupation. The letters are written by an unnamed boy whose parents were killed when a fighter jet crashed into their house in San Salvacion. This fighter jet was shot down by Yellow 13, the Erusians' top fighter pilot, and a member of the Elite Yellow Squadron. Following his parents' death the boy is taken in by his uncle, in the city who lives above a tavern frequented by Erusean soldiers, a failing taxi driver due to low fuel rations issued by Erusea. While in the tavern, he befriends Yellow 13 after meeting him and the other Yellow Squadron members. He also learns that the owner of the bar is a member of the local resistance against Erusea and becomes a "spy" for them due to his friendship with Yellow 13.
[edit] Playable Aircraft
- F-4E Phantom II
- F-5E Tiger II
- F-16C Fighting Falcon
- A-10A Thunderbolt II
- Mirage 2000
- F-14A Tomcat
- F/A-18C Hornet
- Panavia Tornado
- F-15C Eagle
- F-117A Nighthawk
- MiG-29A Fulcrum
- R-M01M Rafale M
- EF-2000 Typhoon
- F-15E Strike Eagle
- F-2A
- Su-35 Super Flanker
- F-22A Raptor
- Su-37 Terminator
- F-15 ACTIVE
- Su-47 Berkut
- X-02 Wyvern
[edit] Fighter Squadrons
Enemies:
- Yellow Squadron, a squadron that has never lost a member, headed by Yellow 13, the narrator is awed by the squadron until he realizes he has found haven with the enemy. (This squadron is your main enemy)
- White Squadron
- Black Squadron
- Blue Squadron
- Red Squadron
Allies:
- Omega Squadron
- Rapier Squadron
- Charlie Squadron
- Halo Squadron
- Viper Sqadron
- Mobius Squadron (The Ribbons, on Mission 18)
[edit] Difficulty Settings
Overall:
- Very Easy
- Easy
- Normal
- Hard
- Expert
- Ace (You only can play this setting after all the previous settings have been beaten)
Controller:
- Normal (In this mode you have total control over your plane it is more difficult.)
- Easy (In the games after this, this setting is called Novice. This mode is easier with "proverbial safety bars")
[edit] Multiplayer
AC04 is the second Ace Combat game with a split-screen Multiplayer mode, where two players can go head-to-head in a dogfight or a contest for points by destroying air, sea, and ground targets.
[edit] Cutscenes
In AC04, the cutscenes are in the form of stylized still anime style pictures, narrated by another character following the steps of the player.
[edit] Other Info
Namco's PROJECT ACES team created this installment as their first project.
This game is set in the same universe as AC2-ACX
One ISAF Pilot sounds remarkably similar to George Takei
