Joystiq impressions: Ace Combat 6

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 19th 2007 at 10:03AM }

Did the Ace Combat series ever look this good? I have to admit -- flight games were never a genre I enjoyed. However, one look at Ace Combat 6 on Xbox 360 changed my opinion instantly. It looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous. If it weren't for the constant threat of war, we'd love to simply fly around and observe the environments. From afar, the world below looks photo-realistic. Remarkably, the world retains a great deal of detail even when flying up close. Namco Bandai has an incredible technical achievement on their hands: realizing that every building in the city below is actually rendered deserves applause.

Beyond the graphics, we were impressed by the surprisingly intense gameplay. The field of play is huge, and skirmishes can occur at any point in the map. Aerial, ground and naval combats all come into play ... and thankfully, you have allies at your disposal. It only takes a simple press of the button to command awaiting ships to fire missiles at enemies. In our E3 demo, we saw a massive flurry of missiles come from supporting naval troops. Dozens of smoke trails filled the sky in a truly impressive display. Not only does it look good, but it added a great feeling of being part of an actual war, one with multiple fronts.

Our brief time with Ace Combat 6 was a fun, visceral experience. The game will support online multiplayer through Xbox Live ... and we can't wait. Ace Combat 6 will be available exclusively for Xbox 360 later this year.

Gallery: Ace Combat 6

Tags: acecombat, e307, namcobandai

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Jerk Face @ Jul 19th 2007 10:05AM

Holy God Damn! Look at those graphics!

James @ Jul 19th 2007 10:08AM

I just peed my pants a little looking at that. :O

aC @ Jul 19th 2007 10:10AM

something they didn't mention is how good it SOUNDS as well.

When I first loaded this up, I forgot I had my surround cranked, and I almost shit my pants. Very deep bass and solid use of the surrounds.

I hate them for having the stick+game for $150, because that's $150 less in my pocket come the end of the year.

Oh and the demo is a blast. Easily repeat play worthy, and a great demo to show people getting into HD gaming.

Burritoclock @ Jul 19th 2007 10:13AM

my post below was written before this one...

Burritoclock @ Jul 19th 2007 10:12AM

Have you played the demo? Those screens are accurate unlike most, it looks simply gorgeous!

Here's to hoping the actual gameplay is just a smidgen more exciting than the demo and this will be a winner.

(Say goodbye to another $150, damn flight stick)

Alec @ Jul 19th 2007 10:14AM

Dudes, did none of you play Ace Combat 5? It looks exactly the same to me. They barely did anything to improve the terrain.

dpad @ Jul 19th 2007 10:17AM

Yeah I played it...and it doesn't hold a candle to Ace Combat 6.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 19th 2007 10:15AM

BUT ANDREW YOON IS TOBIAS FOR PS3!!!!!1

This game looks phenomenal.

Christopher Grant @ Jul 19th 2007 11:12AM

i no, rite? Don't tell him this is only coming out on xSUX 306! lolz

Tom Oldfield @ Jul 19th 2007 10:19AM

Should be fun achievements, double barrol role with a 360 twist - 5g :-D!
Looks Swish, can't wait!

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 19th 2007 11:58AM

Do a barrel roll! Press Z err right or left trigger twice!

chris ciancanelli @ Jul 19th 2007 10:28AM

I thought that the graphics were good, but to be honest, I wasn't totally blown away. The intro stuff looked great, but when you're flying thousands of feet up, and attacking enemies from a distance, the attention to detail is completely lost.

Also, the ground textures, while nice from the sky, were extremely flat up close. The action was also kinda bland, it was exactly like every other flight game before it - to me it was no different that Ace Combat 2 for PSX.

dpad @ Jul 19th 2007 10:44AM

You have to take into consideration that flight sim engines are incredibly taxing on resources. It's just not feasible to model every detail - especially when the majority of the viewing is going to be from high altitudes.

Every flight sim in the history of videogames experiences pixelated rendering when you get within the 100 feet range, it's just the nature of the beast. What Ace Combat 6 does so well is map high resolution satellite textures as well as model detailed buildings and other terrain objects.

The only flight sim that graphically compares to the ground detail is probably Lock On Modern Air Combat - and that's only because it incorporates multi resolution texture blending for different altitudes.

chris ciancanelli @ Jul 19th 2007 11:17AM

regardless, the textures, while looking flat, lose a ton of fidelity up close. I understand that these games may be taxing, but the article explicitly says that the ground textures hold up quite well, which I didn't necessarily agree with.

My real point was that when you have such nice visuals, the detail is lost on you when you are only shooting at little blips on your HUD, and not seeing the high polygon models that are in the images. Impressive visuals indeed, but no matter how good they look, the detail won't show from 1000 feet away when you shoot them down with a missile (which by the way have a pretty damn good effect on them).

dpad @ Jul 19th 2007 11:25AM

"My real point was that when you have such nice visuals, the detail is lost on you when you are only shooting at little blips on your HUD"

Well, that's the way modern flight combat works...besides, the beauty of the game is in the environment, not the enemy aircraft.

IslandLife @ Jul 19th 2007 10:39AM

Wow, I'm a bit envious of you 360 guys. I've been playing this series since PS1 days and it's become one of my most loved series. I hope this comes soon to the PS3, but I'm glad you guys get to see how great this series really is.

horngreen @ Jul 19th 2007 11:11AM

Having played the Combat Flight Simulator series on PC this seems a bit dumbed down. It does look great and maybe the demo doesn't do it justice but truly fun dogfights in a game can only be done with prop planes IMHO. Firing a missile at a red square miles and miles away just doesn't seem as fun. In Combat Flight Sim you had to actually understand a large amount about flying a plane. I just wish these console games had more sim settings.

DjDATZ @ Jul 19th 2007 11:41AM

I've been playing this since AC2 (i never could find the original anywhere for a reasonable price...) on PS2, and when I heard that AC6 was exclusive for 360, i was ecstatic.

Jake @ Jul 19th 2007 11:42AM

You say "us guys" like people who own 360's (or rather don't own PS3's) have never played an Ace Combat game. You don't understand the 360 userbase very well. We didn't just start playing games when the xbox brand, catered towards hardcores, came out.

I thought the demo was sweet. This is NOT a flight sim, though, even though it looks realistic and has fairly realistic weapons. AC games have never really been about simulation.

My big question is how well online multiplayer will work. This could be awesome if it has objective type missions similar to FPS games like attack and defend, capture the flag, king of the glowing air sphere, etc.

HotShotX @ Jul 19th 2007 10:52AM

This game further justifies my recent Elite purchase :)
Now all I need is a next-gen Mega Man X game and good God I'll be set.

~HotShotX

Pete @ Jul 19th 2007 10:53AM

I played the demo on Xbox Live...the graphics are totally insane. I have never seen anything yet this realistic. During the cutscenes many times you literally cannot tell that it is not real, yet it is in-game graphics.

Keeko_ca @ Jul 19th 2007 10:56AM

Holy hell man. I saw this demo for DL, but didn't bother since I was never really into the series. Guess I'll have to try it now.

Jose @ Jul 19th 2007 10:56AM

Finally! The Ace Combat 6 gets some damned play. I first rented AC5 about two years ago, and had it beat by the end of my three day rental. I've been a fan since. AC6 has looked groin grabbingly good since I first saw it, and I'm glad someone new to the series (like me, just a scant few months ago) was able to pick up and get some serious enjoyment out of it.

To simply state that the combat, of Ace Combat, is "intense" is a horrid understatement; just pick it up and go at a few missions and you will realize this.

JonnyBoy2U @ Jul 19th 2007 10:56AM

I agree with Chris. The trailers made it seem like the graphics would completely outstanding/uber fantastic but the game itself was just meh...

It was nice. And it was decent. But nothing made me go, "WOW" like Gears did. I'm not saying that Gears should be the standard for every single game. But it would have been nice to notice something that amazed me. The buildings and the ground below looked very crappy to me. And the controls were a lil hard to get used to.

Is that how all flight games are like these days? This really isn't my genre of games so I was experimenting with the demo for quite some time.

Anyways I'm gonna mull over this one before I make any decision. I really want a nice flying game to enjoy with friends this fall. I thought the Wii would have some but none of those have gotten good reviews so I'm still waiting.

jkoch @ Jul 19th 2007 11:07AM

I don't understand how you can not like flight games, and then nice graphics changes your opinion instantly.

Vidikron @ Jul 19th 2007 12:47PM

If someone played pitfall they might decide they don't like platformers. Then later they might play a Mario game and decide they do based on the graphics upgrade alone. Graphics DO make a difference. I wish people would quit pretending they don't.

Roy @ Jul 19th 2007 1:42PM

Indeed. Graphics intensify the sense of realism, therefore making it an extra involving experience.
It becomes more fun to play around with, and you'll be likely to give it more time to like it. Also, graphics are the first thing to attract new players, like the article proves.

So they *do* matter.

MosquitoControl @ Jul 19th 2007 11:11AM

Graphics looked good, although there could be more buildings.

But the gameplay... it's just circling around, firing and forgetting. The arcade nature managed to make something alread boring (modern air combat) and make it worse.

And don't get me started on the constantly appearing videos of my pilots in my squadron saying the same three lines over and over. Developers - unless my fellow pilots are talking toads, I don't want to see them. Their faces are blocking out something important. And they all look the same in their flight gear!

gullum @ Jul 19th 2007 11:14AM

I LOVE the Ace Combat series and always have since it was called Air Combat! This new chapter looks great. It's a shame that I won't be playing this since it won't be available for PS3. Please namco bring this to PS3 or you will break a young ace's heart.

deaftly @ Jul 19th 2007 11:14AM

the demo for this game is simply incredible, this is one game i know ps3 owners must be pissed about not having

Trev @ Jul 19th 2007 1:08PM

Yeah. I'm a little disappointed I can't play a next-gen Ace Combat until it gets ported or 7 comes out. There are lots of other games I liked more, but this was always a good one.

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 19th 2007 11:16AM

Princess Rosetta looks shinier than these graphics and flight simulation is not my style. My brother enjoyed Sega's flight arcade but other than that we'd rather enjoy RPG's or Nintendo games.

WiNG @ Jul 19th 2007 11:27AM

Damn those graphix are sweet.

You can even see the pores in the F16

Good job MS, good job.

Also when will they make a true sequel to X-Wing vs TIE fighter?

Phranctoast @ Jul 19th 2007 12:37PM

good job MS????

you do realize that Namco makes this game right?

Inch75Vox @ Jul 19th 2007 3:59PM

That NEEDS to happen. I had a blast with the whole x-wing series, but Vs. took it to a whole new level. I ended up dropping some cash on a flightstick setup just to get an edge in multiplayer.

Anam @ Jul 19th 2007 11:43AM

Are those in-game screenshots? I'm finding that hard to believe, but that's what everyone seems to be insinuating.

If so, that's freakin' awesome!

cheese @ Jul 19th 2007 11:51AM

It's a timed exclusive for PS3 and will be out next year. This game will fare the same as some of the PS3 games that eventually came out on 360. They will be polished further and have the benefit of a standard installed hard drive and will probably have an install option as well.

ANt @ Jul 19th 2007 11:54AM

AC and Burrito, I am with both of you!!

The sound on my Onkyo 6.1 is beyond description!! The first time I fired it up and the planes took off, my pictures flew off the wall from the vibrating bass from the subwoofer on the floor.

Every non gamer that I showed this to, went beserk for it!! They could not believe it was a game. I believe this will sell systems.

Burrito, I am with you brother, I will own the flight stick, without question!!

32 man deathmatches, are you kidding me?? LOL.....VIDEO CRACK!!

Game Artist @ Jul 19th 2007 11:56AM

Its very pretty, but boring as hello. Wildly swing around until you get a red box. Fire. Rise and repeat. Snoooze. WWII air combat games are much more interesting.

danielOut @ Jul 19th 2007 12:05PM

Being in the actual Air Force myself I might be a little biased (okay, a lot biased, I'll admit it), but Ace Combat 4, 5, and Zero have had amazingly interesting stories to go with the gameplay. And while I haven't been able to download the demo yet as my 360 fell to the Ring of Death the day before it hit the marketplace, I can already (quietly, so that no one will hear) admit that I will be getting the flight stick as well. I missed out on one when AC5 came out, and I've regretted that to this day. It looks beautiful; can't wait until release!

Wilson @ Jul 19th 2007 12:11PM

Ok, so this is another good reason to get me an Elite ASAP, now, if I only had money -_-

Maurice M @ Jul 19th 2007 12:34PM

The demo was insanely dull. I'm a longtime fan of the series, but this demo was way too damn slow and easy. There was no challenge at all. Otherwise it worked fairly well as a standard "if it ain't broke don't fix it" sequel and I look forward to it (and the harder difficulty settings).

TyreDurgan @ Jul 19th 2007 12:49PM

Wow! That just looks amazing. I may have to pre-order this one.

MosquitoControl @ Jul 19th 2007 12:59PM

You preorder games based on graphics alone?

JonnyBoy2U @ Jul 19th 2007 1:03PM

Do you have a problem with it? Its HIS money and his opinion. If he wants to buy a game based on how it looks who are you to tell him not to?

I wanted the game because its been a LONG time since I've played a flight type of game and I thought one solely devoted to flight might be awesome. Especially on the 360 since I thought the attention to details both graphically and gameplay would be great.

But as someone mentioned early the demo was kinda boring. In all honesty the graphics were okay but nothing amazing. Just an average game so far.

Hopefully it will improve but this close to being released I doubt it. So we'll see.

MosquitoControl @ Jul 19th 2007 1:00PM

I'm with you, although I prefer WWI still. Nothing like having to worry about leading a plane with your guns, making sure no one gets on your tail, trying not to black/red out, and avoiding pulling too hard and ripping your own wings off.

Tyre @ Jul 19th 2007 1:04PM

"Our brief time with Ace Combat 6 was a fun, visceral experience. The game will support online multiplayer through Xbox Live ... and we can't wait."

I also like to read the article associated with the pictures. This particular article gave this game a good review, which would lead me to want to buy it.