

It's an arcade-style flight sim where you pick your aircraft, set to the skies and complete the objectives of the given mission, whether it be destroying all primary targets or getting a high enough score before time runs out. The core gameplay of AC4 is fundamentally the same as previous entries. As the up and coming pilot Mobius 1, you'll need to push back against the Erusean forces and basically save the world by the end of it. He prides himself on never losing a wingman, and yearns to face an opponent in battle that is worth a damn (a.k.a you). He's not interested in showing off his incredible kill count or trying to impress anyone. One of the enemy ace pilots in the game, codenamed Yellow 13, has a real sense of honor to him. Hell, the narrator even hangs out and befriends a few of the opposing forces. It's a very well-told and interesting story, with characters that aren't just blatantly evil.

The story is told from the perspective of a man recounting the days of a devastating war he gets caught up in, and reacting to not only the enemy forces (the Eruseans) that occupy his city, but also the actions and consequences caused by you, the player. While the series started providing a heavier emphasis on story back in AC3 (at least in the Japanese version), one of the biggest additions in AC4 was the creation of it's own alternate universe called Strangereal, a setting which would become the basis for future games in the series. When I got older, however, and decided it to give it another go, I immediately fell in love with the game, and it helped to kick-start my love for the series. My closest experience with flight games up to that point was Star Fox 64, but that game certainly didn't require the level of skill and precision needed for Ace Combat, so sadly I wasn't able to fully appreciate it as a kid. Not only was this my first AC game, It was one of the first games I ever played on the system.and I was absolutely miserable at it. This was the series' big Sixth Generation debut, launching shortly after the release of the PS2, while also adding a few touch-ups. This was the While Ace Combat 3 introduced features that would set the standards for the rest of the AC series, AC4 was the big game-changer.

While Ace Combat 3 introduced features that would set the standards for the rest of the AC series, AC4 was the big game-changer.
