Ace Combat 6

[Adrian Laguna]

Yuktobania is Russia. It's the USSR. Erusea doesn't look like that, it's more like Yugoslavia/Serbia or something.

The only country that Erusia reminds me of is 1990s Russia, with an asteroid impact replacing the fall of the Soviet Union, and some Nazi Germany thrown in for the lulz.

Law of Narrative Causality. Any time a beleaguered force has waged a desperate final stand at their very last airbase, they win the war. Happens in Ace Combat 2, 4, and Zero.

In 4 there was massive outside logistical support. In Zero, both superpowers sent whole armies to invade Belka. The player's team was just an extra mercenary force that represented one of the minor country's contribution to the counterattack.

Also, in AC4 the Eastern islands not under Erusian control represented about 10% of the continent's total landmass, and North Point itself seems to be an analogue of WW2 Great Britain, ie heavily industrialized and militarized. Hardly a desperate final stand. Though I don't know where Starglider gets the idea of outside logistical support.

The situation at the start of AC0 is even less of a desperate final stand. It's basically WW2 in Europe redux, except this time around Germany has no allies, there's no Great Britain (it's in another continent), and the Americans and Soviets switch roles.

Of course 5 still wins, for the 'you tried to invade our continent? screw you, we're going to destroy your landing forces then invade you right back' factor.

Yeah, but I was disappointed that the front line froze like the Western Front in WWI during the last few missions. It would have been cool if you could see some movement, especially if the sum of it added up to the Yuktobanians slowly pushing the Oseans back. In my mind, that's what was actually happening, it's just that they never bothered to update the maps for you because it didn't matter.

It also has something else cool; the enemy actually reacting realistically to the player's progress, i.e. single handedly shooting down hundreds of planes and destroying naval cruisers with a few sidewinder hits, while being seemingly immune to attack. By the end of the game they're shouting 'those can't be planes, they must be demons' and 'oh no, it's the Razgriz, we're all gonna die!'. Awesome

Also your allies get excited when you are part of the same operation as them. AC4 had the same thing, but not quite as blatant. Occasionally you would hear allied forces saying excitedly, "Mobius 1 is above us! See up there!". The Erusians, on the other hard, would scream in terror, "That plane has a ribbon! It's the Grim Reaper!".

[K. A. Pital]

The only country that Erusia reminds me of is 1990s Russia

Erusea is more similar to Yugoslavia while Yuktobania to Russia. A change of names. Erusea is smaller and not a superpower or part of superpower at all. Yuktobania is a superpower. Yugoslavia violentely fell apart, just like Russia, so I think the smaller power fist better.

[Vendetta]

In 4 there was massive outside logistical support. In Zero, both superpowers sent whole armies to invade Belka. The player's team was just an extra mercenary force that represented one of the minor country's contribution to the counterattack.

I like my explanation better . Also, the same thing happens in Ace Combat X, though that happens chronologically after AC6, so wouldn't have been considered in strategic planning.

[NeoGoomba]

Though I don't know where Starglider gets the idea of outside logistical support.

I wondered that too. Maybe since your faction is called the Independent States Allied Forces, there are other "Independent States" outside the major continent pitching in? But I don't think that is ever mentioned in-game, only that by mission one, ISAF has been pushed back to North Point.

[Loner]

Well they could have gotten some sort of Lend-Lease deal with Osea, as North Point was mentioned in AC5 for a summit on peace talks between Osea and Yuktobania.

Also,

AC4 = AC0 > AC5

[Vendetta]

AC4 = AC0 > AC5

AC0 didn't click with me. I'd say it's my least favourite of the series after the PS1. I think it was the repetition involved in actually earning some of the rewards.

[Loner]

I found the story in AC0 to be a bit more coherent than 5. The pilot interviews were great, and the music was magnificent.

[Vendetta]

I found the story in AC0 to be a bit more coherent than 5. The pilot interviews were great, and the music was magnificent.

What, even when Pixy decided to blow up everyone to stop war forever. Cause, y'know, that's clever.

The actual Belkan conflict felt almost like a side story in AC0, whereas what I'd wanted was more explanation of who the Grey Men were, more foreshadowing of the AC5 plot, some logical reason for, and at least some evidence of the presence of Yuktobania in the conflict, and, really, anything that made it feel like it was connected to AC5 at all. (and no, one or two cameos do not cut it).

[Loner]

I found the story in AC0 to be a bit more coherent than 5. The pilot interviews were great, and the music was magnificent.

What, even when Pixy decided to blow up everyone to stop war forever. Cause, y'know, that's clever.

Yeah, but he got stomped hard for that.

The actual Belkan conflict felt almost like a side story in AC0, whereas what I'd wanted was more explanation of who the Grey Men were, more foreshadowing of the AC5 plot, some logical reason for, and at least some evidence of the presence of Yuktobania in the conflict, and, really, anything that made it feel like it was connected to AC5 at all. (and no, one or two cameos do not cut it).

I was thinking the Gault squad was connected to the 8492 from AC5.

[Adrian Laguna]

AC4 = AC0 > AC5

I have yet to play Zero, but between 4 and 5, I have yet to decide which one I like better.


Despite the fact that AC5 has two world super powers ducking it out, it fails at feeling truly epic in the way AC4 did. The former has six missions: Shattered Skies, Bunker Shot, Emancipation, Whiskey Corridor, Siege of Farbanti, and Megalith, that really stand out in your mind because they are awesome battles between huge forces. AC5, despite having almost twice as many missions, only has half as many epic ones: Front Line, Desert Arrow, and Sea of Chaos. Granted, those three missions didn't pull any stops, particularly the two sea battles, but given that the other 29 missions are basically, "Sand Island Squadron beats everyone up", I found myself disappointed by the overall lack of epic. Some might say that most missions in AC4 are "Mobius 1 beats everyone up", and that's true, but at least it felt like my allies were helping, even though they weren't.

Then there is the fact that AC4 has no pacifistic jerk-offs (damn you Chopper, you grate on my nerves every time I play Lit Fuse). Finally, the story of Shattered Skies is better. I don't know how to explain it, it sort of touched me in a way Unsung War didn't quite manage. Mind, both stories are great and inspiring, I think the Project Aces guys can really spin a good yarn, and both times I got watery eyed at the end. However, the sense of satisfaction, of accomplishment, is a bit greater with the former game.


Having said that, AC5's game play totally blows AC4 away. The flight modeling is more realistic, and so much better because of it. In AC4 I never really did get a "feel" for my fighter, I'd find myself wondering if the Immelmann I just pulled was too tight, and then I'd get my answer by getting shot down. I also found myself crashing against the ground, the sea, the buildings, the bridges, Stonehenge, Megalith... pretty much everything that I could crash my plane into. AC5 doesn't have this problem, I know where my fighter is, I can feel what it's doing, the aircraft's motions are intuitive and natural. Not only that, every plane feels completely different, the light fighters are nimble, the heavy fighters are brawny, the A-6 is a whale, the Mig-31 is a rocket, the Sukhois turn on dimes, and you really get to know why pilots love to fly the F-22 so much (I never fly it in AC4).

Then they toned down all the air-to-air missiles, especially the cum encrusted QAAMs, and beefed the air-to-ground munitions, making me very happy. The enemy fighter AI is noticeably better, and they even occasionally use their special AAMs (as opposed to never). Though Ofnir and Grabacr's last stand completely fails to measure up to Yellow Squadron's, maybe it's because the former outnumber you 2-1 and the latter 5-1. Mission wise, despite the sad epic deficiency, the fact that ground and air forces actually co-operate this time around was really a nice touch, and I really appreciated having so many missions. Plus, the game is more challenging overall than its predecessor, which I thought was a tad too easy. Finally, AC5 looks beautiful, not to say AC4 wasn't pretty, but... damn those planes look sexy, and there's so many more of them too!


On second thought... I know which one I like better. Shattered Skies is more fun when you're remembering it, but Unsung War is more fun when you're actually playing.

I was thinking the Gault squad was connected to the 8492 from AC5.

8492 is the code name Osea gave to the Grabacr squadron. Though Pops suggests that Grabacr was not their original name, so maybe, I haven't played Zero yet.

[Shroom Man 777]

I don't see why outside logistical support is all that strange for Ace Combat 04. From North Point to Farbanti, they couldn't have done it alone.

As for AC 04 versus 5, well... 5 had awesome gameplay that not even Zero could top. Zero was different in its emphasis over dogfighting and honorable combat between the aces. 04 had that with the Yellow Squadron, it was epic, but 04 is an old game and, yeah - gameplay wise, it's arcadey and simple. Story-wise, 5 is also epic in a sort of actiony way, like some kind of Tom Clancy novel done right and true - with characters, conspiracies, death weapons, and all that. 04, though, it's really special for me - it didn't have awesome prerendered cinematics, it was just simple... well, frame-by-frame artwork, but it had emotional resonance, man. From the boy to the Yellow Squadron, it's a unique storytelling POV that Zero tried to follow in its own different but awesome way.

Hell, that's why 6's storyline was ehh. It tried to follow 04 but failed.

Kei Nagase is hot.