One Last Sortie

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War (ACZ) is Project Aces' last hurrah for the PS2.

Ace Combat Zero
At a Glance


Graphics = 4.0
It ain't broke, so no need to fix it.
Sounds = 4.5
Great ambient sounds and lively chatter. Music is varied and top-notch.
Difficulty = High
Yes, it's easy on the early levels, but try getting through "The Gauntlet" at Ace difficulty with an F-4.
Controls = 5.0
Easy, Star Fox 1-style control for beginners, Flight Sim-esque controls for the veterans.
Learning Curve = Short
Instant gratification. Much much easier than piloting a PC-based sim.
Replayability = 4.0
Plenty of unlockables, Assault Records, and multiplayer, but not as engrossing as AC5.



The Story of Belka


In 1990, the nation of Belka, facing deep economic turmoil, allowed its territory to be broken up hoping that this would alleviate some of its troubles. When its economic problems worsened and the newly independent states of Ustio and Sapin found prosperity, Belka became bitter. Militant factions within Belka's government launched a Worker's Party revolution that led to a dramatic buildup of military arms.

Five years later, Belka surprised its neighbors by launching a blitzkrieg against the neighboring countries of Ustio and Sapin. With its forces left unchecked, Belka managed to double its territory within a matter of weeks.

Facing imminent annexation, the Republic of Ustio turned to mercenaries repulse the Belkans. It is here where we focus our attention on the Ustio 6th Air Force, 66th Fighter Squadron... The Galm Flight of "Cipher" and "Pixy." As Galm 1, you are the last hope in preserving the independence of Ustio.


The Mechanics of Ace Combat


Ace Combat Zero plays just like all Ace Combats of the past. You are a mercenary pilot who must not only fight your battles but outfit your squadron. This time around, you have one wingman (Pixy) whom you can relay four different orders using the D-pad.

Your aircraft are, to put it simply... Macross-like. They fly more like stunt kites than real aircraft. You can turn on a dime at Mach 1. Your A-10's top speed is Mach 2. And it carries 72 all-purpose missiles and 18 special weapons (in this case the XAGL, aka the AGM-65 Maverick). In normal difficulty, your A-10 can survive 4 missile hits.

And it's not just the A-10 you will be flying. As you progress, you will unlock more than 30 real-world aircraft including the nimble Su-37 Flanker, the stealthy F-22, the lumbering F-117, and the fantastic ADF-01 Falken. In addition to these planes, you can also purchase special weapons such as cluster bombs, long-range missiles, and jammers.

Your wingman has his own mount and the only thing you can assign to Pixy's F-15C is a special weapon. No matter... Pixy is a bit more deadly than his AC5 counterparts.

What's New?

ACZ packs some new and returning features. New to this edition is the Ace style. Ace style determines what type of pilot you are based on your mercifulness in combat. If you shoot disabled/neutral targets without mercy, you're considered a Mercenary Ace. Spare some targets and you'll be a Soldier Ace. Spare most or all of the targets and you'll be a Knight Ace. This is important because your ace style determines the cutscenes you'll watch and the ace squadron you will fight.

Speaking of ace squadrons, they are now an integral part of the opposition. During your campaign, you will fight eight different ace squadrons, each with their unique form of combat and aircraft formation. These dogfights are hairy and action-packed and a refreshing change from the target-rich environment-style missions that dominate the campaign.

Making a return is the multiplayer. Here you can either dogfight against your friend or take on custom missions cooperatively. This feature had been sorely missing in AC5 and it's actually quite lacking in ACZ. The lack of online multiplayer was very disappointing.

Look and Feel
The graphics and sound of ACZ is pretty much unchanged from AC5. You'd be hard-pressed to tell any differences. Expect the well-detailed player aircraft and environments, but low-poly enemy and wingman models.

In terms of sound, radio chatter abounds as you are thrust into epic battles involving numerous enemy and friendly forces. Complementing this chaos is a musical score that combines the typical rock/techno flare of the Ace Combat series plus the inclusion of Spanish classical guitar. The guitar ensemble gives the impression of a bullfight and is actually very well played. You must here the song "Zero" to fully appreciate it.

Get Some More

In terms of campaign length, this is the shortest Ace Combat of the bunch. A good pilot can finish the campaign in less than four hours. The replayability comes in unlocking up to five paint schemes for all 30+ aircraft in the game and shooting down all the enemy aces and sub-aces. There are over 200 aces in all spread over all major difficulty modes, so you will be replaying the campaign several times just trying to unlock all the stuff.

Someone who merely wants to play through and absorb the story will be disappointed. There isn't much of a story to speak of and the ace interview cutscenes are hammy and hardly interesting. But Ace Combat was never truly about that; it's all about beating the game in Ace mode and unlocking everything.