Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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Air Combat, the first flight sim for the PlayStation, swoops in with its most impressive and entertaining version yet in Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. Enhanced graphics, fluid controls, and a vast payload of planes, weapons, and missions will launch this game onto your fun radar.
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Danger Zone
Ace Combat 3 targets the future of aerial combat by featuring cutting-edge aircraft such as the F16XF Gryfalcon, state-of-the art weaponry, and missions that range from the seas to the skies and even into the stratosphere. One player suits up for twenty-six different missions against a variety of land-based and aerial opponents. Earn your wings on the initial easier missions, then earn the right to upgrade to more powerful planes and weaponry. Special tasks such as night missions, landings on aircraft carriers, and mid-air refueling add to the challenge and fun.
Bogey Busters
Namco expertly straddles the fence in providing enough elements of both hardcore flight sims and trigger-happy arcade fighters in Ace Combat 3. You will have to work hard to master the controls and nuances of your aircraft, but there are plenty of targets and objectives to keep you coming back for more. New features such as the 3D virtual cockpit allow you to look in all directions, helping create more heated dogfights, and the sharper graphics and smoother animation produce a realistic sense of speed and flight on your TV screen.
The smooth controls are very sensitive, much like flying a real plane. An analog controller is a must in order to replicate the sensation of commanding a flightstick. The PlayStation controller's physical limitations hamper the ability to maintain full control of all plane functions and yet be able to look completely around the cockpit. Although the onboard HUD graphics and third-person chase camera provide enough peripheral vision for the majority of instances, you will still need to visually track bogeys outside your direct line of sight while flying. This will take practice.
The graphics are sharper than previous versions of Ace Combat, and they throttle up the PlayStation's graphic engines to the max, but there are still problems with chunky pixels when you fly too close to surfaces. The replays are fun to watch and useful for observing your flying form. Sound effects are sharp and effective, especially the onboard warnings. Fortunately, there isn't a cheesy, inappropriate soundtrack to distract you from creating a believable flying experience.
Top Gun
Ace Combat 3 earns its place in the Ace Combat lineage by delivering solid, satisfying action and flying fun for the PlayStation. It would rank even higher had it offered two player competitive play and a stronger storyline, but that's just room for Ace Combat 4. Suit up and hit the tarmac - your flight's arrived!
