Ace Combat 6 seeks to distinguish itself from its predecessors with more involved gameplay and a new level of eye candy.
A developer on Ace Combat 6, in development for the Xbox 360, fleshed out the series’ new “Live Battlefield” concept in an interview with IGN.
The action-oriented flight simulator features a diverse variety of combat aircraft – and, for the first time, a bevy of other air and ground units and installations that can be directed and even commanded by the player.
Developer Natsuki Isaki summarized the gameplay thusly:
“They act systematically, set up units, and try to accomplish a number of different missions. For example, some battle crafts try to get command of the air, some tanks try to break through the enemy’s defense line, some helicopter units try to conquer the enemy’s facility, etc… Those missions simultaneously occur in real time. Imagine the real battlefield.”
Another notable aspect of the game difficult is the impressive level of graphics detail, as apparent in the screenshots and this HD game trailer.
Isaki said the hardware capabilities of the console made more realistic graphics and greater and more dynamic detail, such as missile contrails and machine gun firing, possible.
On a related note, the game will be featured in an optional package that also includes a hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) bundle for $150.
The setup appears to be a re-branding of a Saitek controller for the PC – where, pointedly, both joysticks and flight and space simulators have been visible by their relative absence in recent years.
