Common Sense Note
Parents need to know this game was rated "Teen" because the core gameplay mechanic is attacking and destroying enemies as you fly around. As you defeat enemies they will explode, but you are always fighting vehicles and never uncovered soldiers out in the open. While you might hear a "damn" or "hell," the bad language doesn't escalate above that. This game has an online multiplayer component, so parents need to decide whether their child is old enough for that experience.
Families can talk about why these types of modern war games are popular. How does a game about aerial combat set in the current time frame compare to one set in WWII? Does the United States' presence in Iraq affect how you react to this game?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Marc Saltzman
What do you do for an encore after selling 10 million copies of intense aerial combat action games? If you're Namco Bandai, the creators and publishers of the Ace Combat series, you make it bigger, better, and even more photorealistic than its predecessors. And then add a multiplayer component so you can play against friends online.
In ACE COMBAT 6: FIRES OF LIBERATION for the Xbox 360, players climb into the cockpit of authentically detailed modern aircrafts -- such as the F-15 E Strike Eagle, the F-22 Raptor, and the Tornado -- as well as give commands to allied fleets, be it aerial, naval, or ground combat units. While dog-fighting against enemies over ocean water or taking out ground targets in a huge city, the action keeps you glued to the screen for "just one more" mission.
If you concentrate more on your missions at hand -- and less on the corny story, characters, and dialogue -- players will get a lot out of the 20-hour single-player campaign (and if you're good enough, you'll unlock a very hard mode by completing the game). Serious aerial combat fans can get even more out of the game by picking up the optional Ace Combat 6 bundle ($149.99), which includes the game, a durable flight stick and throttle controller, and an Xbox 360 faceplate to decorate your console.
When you're ready to take to the unfriendly skies online, multiple Xbox Live game modes range from straight-forward "kill or be killed" death-match play, to team-based head-to-head matches, to co-op gaming to work together when taking on computer-controlled adversaries.
For another worthy military games, check out World in Conflict. And for a game that focuses on flying instead of combat, turn to Microsoft's Flight Simulator X.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
 |
||
ViolenceWhile the game contains violence, it's against machinery -- such as other aircraft, buildings, boats, and tanks -- as opposed to seeing soldiers die. You don't really see any people at all, just these exploding vehicles. |
|
 |
||
LanguageUsually heard during radio chatter with allied forces, players might hear "damn" or "hell." |
|
|
||
Message |
|
|
||
Social Behavior |
 |
 |
||
CommercialismThe newest installment in the Ace Combat franchise. |
|
 |
||
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
||
Educational Value |
|
|
||
