Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies

XenGamers

Offers a heady, elating sense of flight, adrenaline-charged combat, perfect controls, and breathtaking visuals that will humble titles played even on the mightiest PCs.

Hot Games

Without a doubt the best flight sim available for a next-gen system. Ace Combat 04 shatters the competition.

Cloudchaser

This game is so beautiful and addictive that I fear the quality of the writing in this review has greatly suffered, since I find it difficult to concentrate as the game beckons to me even now.

GameShark

Simplistic and intuitive controls are what make the game fun to play. The analog controls are dead on, and very precise.

XGP Gaming

If you are looking for a topnotch flier, you can call off the search. This one is a must-have for any PS2 owner.

Gaming Age

There’s a dramatic war story and fantastic scenary, and the trademark Ace Combat arcade gameplay is more solid than ever.

IGN

Another one of those games that looks almost real, to the point where you can't quite peg exactly what it is that tips you off it's a videogame.

GamePro

The arcade gameplay retains the Ace Combat trademarks: tons of firepower and a simple control scheme.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Controls are practically perfect, plane selection is extensive, and the whole package is exceptionally polished. [Dec 2001, p.160]

PSX Nation

If you like games that tell stories, this is one of the best yet for the PS2. It’s shocking that it’s also one of the best shooting / action games as well.

GamerWeb Sony

The game seems to hearken back to the successes of "Ace Combat 2" by adding fair doses of realism with a good amount of action and intensity. The game's biggest fault lies in its brevity, as it ends much too soon.

TotalPlayStation

The best flight game ever made.

GameSpy

There is exceptionally thrilling gameplay, eye-popping graphics, a solid and plausible storyline, and an overall fun factor that will keep you coming back for more even after you’ve beaten it several times.

netjak

This is probably as close as a game is going to get to realistically portray what it’s like to get behind the helm of a fighter jet and waging battle in the air. Even though the game is over a year old and at a measly $20.00, Ace Combat 4 is a must have for the Playstation 2.

GameSpot

A highly enjoyable, well-executed flight sim that perfectly blends the action elements found in the series' earlier games with the sort of narrative typically reserved for other genres.

TotalGames.net

That the plot is furthered only periodically, rather than religiously at the end of each mission, highlights Namco’s tempered hand, ensuring that it’s the gameplay which remains firmly at centre stage.

Gamezilla!

Although some graphical elements are not what they should be, others look amazing. In addition, there are eighteen different jets with assorted armaments available, and they all handle well.

Game Informer

A complete game package that has been meticulously constructed to draw you in like a missile to an afterburner. [Nov 2001, p.102]

Yahoo! Games

Ace Combat 4 delivers all the necessary thrills at a blistering Mach 1 style pace.

Gamestyle

A combination of good graphics, excellent game play, a compelling story and a worthwhile soundtrack make this an essential purchase for fans of the genre.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Its gameplay isn’t revolutionary, and a couple of its missions get a tad tedious, but Ace Combat 4 sure looks pretty, which is half the reason flying buffs play these air-combat games anyway. [Dec 2001, p.234]

All Game Guide

Accessible and exciting. It's also disappointingly easy.