Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War - Reception and Criticism

Reception and Criticism

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War was marked with strong sales, selling over 287,400 copies in Japan and over one million copies in North America,thus making this the most commercially successful Ace Combat title to date . The game was also favorably received by critics. Although reviewers point out that the game is remarkably similar to Ace Combat 04, most also agree that the game's similarity to its predecessor did not detract from its overall quality. According to GameSpot, "this latest installment doesn't do much to change an already-winning formula—but not much was needed to keep this series feeling fresh and exciting."

Overall, critics' reception of the title's gameplay was positive, particularly for the game's intuitive control schemes and large assortment of playable aircraft. The gameplay was also applauded for its "ideal" place between "overtly arcadey rubbish and inaccessible hardcore simulation." Reception of the game's new features, however, was mixed. The game's redesigned "target view" function was decried as "almost broken." Although GameSpy welcomed improvements to the game's radar display, other additions such as wingman commands were seen as "gimmicky" and having little effect on gameplay. The game's arcade mode was described as fun but lacking in features and storyline.

The game's presentation was better received. Various critics praised the way that the game's storyline ties cohesively with the missions, allowing for better and more involving gameplay. GameSpot praised the game for its "captivating storyline." IGN applauded that the game recognizes the player's accomplishments, adding a "sense of worth" to the campaign. Although Gamespy felt that the menu interface was not optimized in terms of usability, it lauded the look of the game's cinematics and briefing screens. Although others believed that the player's responses to wingmen had little effect on gameplay, Game Informer felt that the feature was a "brilliant way to create atmosphere."

The game was acclaimed for its graphics, particularly its improved special and environmental effects and its authentically modeled aircraft. However, critics note that the high level of visual improvement in some areas contrasts with little improvement in others. The game's voice acting received mixed reactions. Although some felt that taken as a whole the radio chatter sets the game's atmosphere and creates a "hectic feel," most critics felt that much of the chatter was contextually inappropriate or annoying. GameSpy compared the voice work in AC5 negatively with that in AC04, feeling that the dialogue seemed "forced" and that sometimes "characters start to blabber just because they can."