Preview: Ace Combat: The Belkan War (PS2)

Franchises are ten-a-penny for modern videogaming, but since the original PlayStation, one series has quietly been busy refining and improving to become the definitive title of its genre. In its sixth version now, the Ace Combat series has remained the premier console flight sim, although to suggest the games are simulations is to misunderstand its style and feel. With its latest release, The Belkan War, Namco is seemingly aiming to produce the defining game of the series.

The most striking feature of The Belkan War is the graphics. Stunningly realised planes do battle over some of the most spectacular scenery ever seen on a console, with a wealth of varying terrain adding to the already well established art direction. Set 15 years before the previous game, Squadron Leader, the visuals help to add a sense of 'age' to the game placing it well within the franchise's historical context, although some of the more pseudo-futuristic planes do clash with this. But aside from the graphics, the most notable area of Ace Combat games has always been the atmosphere created by the strong narrative-based stories. Squadron Leader provided superb tension using the chatter from your wingmen and Gamestyle has been able to have a detailed look at Belkan War which shows even more exciting tension, helped by in-game radio talk, the cut scenes and the cinematic direction.

Players will take the role of a mercenary hired to fly for Ustio, a small country bordering the invading country, Belka. The game offers a degree of choice about how you fly and complete your missions. Feedback provided after each mission highlights your flying personality through the 'Ace Style Gauge System'. This will apparently factor in the player's style of flying and change different facets of the game accordingly. As a development for the series, rival pilots have been introduced; these could potentially add an extra dimension to the narrative with rivals being introduced in cinematic cut scenes during flights.

All of these new features will occur over 18 missions, and if all that becomes too intense, an all new and much needed multiplayer feature has been added. Gamestyle has been unable to give the multiplayer a hands-on test as of yet, but expect a massively in-depth review of this and the game as a whole, shortly after its September 15th release date.

Words by Ian Moreno-Melgar