Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

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Developer(s): Project Aces
Publisher(s): Namco (JP, US), SCEE (EU)
Genre: Simulation
Wikipedia: Link
Game review links: Metacritic89/100
Game description: During the course of the game, the player has the opportunity to purchase 21 different planes, from models that actually exist to prototypes or relatively new aircraft that were in development (at the time of game production) and their weaponry. Every plane has two alternate paint schemes, gained by achieving a superior, or S, ranking on a stage in normal difficulty mode, by shooting down the ace pilots on each stage, or by completing the challenge modes.

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

Ace Combat 04 NTSC Cover
Game general and emulation properties:
CERO rating: A
ESRB rating: E (Mild Language, Violence)
GPU intensive game
CPU intensive game
Software rendering only
Supports up to two local players
Languages supported:
English: SLUS-20152 & SCES-50410
Japanese: SLPS-25052
German: SCES-50410
French: SCES-50410
Spanish: SCES-50410
Italian: SCES-50410
Region NTSC-U:
Serial numbers: SLUS-20152
SLUS-20152GH (Greatest Hits)
Release date: November 1, 2001
October 23, 2004 (Greatest Hits)
CRCs: A32F7CD0
Windows Status: Playable
Linux Status: Playable
Mac Status: ?
Region PAL:
Serial numbers: SCES-50410
Release date: February 8, 2002
Windows Status: Playable
Linux Status: ?
Mac Status: ?
Region NTSC-J/C/K:
Serial numbers: SLPS-25052
SLPS-73410 (PlayStation 2 the Best)
SLPS-73205 (PlayStation 2 The Best)
SLPM-60149 (Trial)
Release date: September 13, 2001
September 16, 2004 (PlayStation 2 the Best)
Windows Status: Playable
Linux Status: ?
Mac Status: ?


Test configurations on Windows:


Environment Configurations Comments Tester
Region OS CPU/GPU Revision Graphics Sound/Pad
PAL ?
  • Intel Core i7 920 @ 4.0ghz
  • AMD Radeon HD 5770x2 (CrossfireX)
SVN r5051 GSDX D3D11 r5051 SPU2-X r5025 Needs powerful hardware just to go in-game. Needs investigation/optimization to make this game playable. ?
PAL Windows
  • Intel Core i5 2500 @ 3.1 gigahertz
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 (driver 314.22 + GeForce Experience installed)
1.0.0 GSDX
  • SPU2-X
  • ?
Europe v02.00 (14/06/2004), None, SkipMPEG, - Game launched via a retail copy., - Heavily "garbled" textures in the in-game menus (plane/weapon selection, plane/weapon buying and selling screen) : most of the textures of those menus are hidden by formless black polygons covering a large part of the screen.
NTSC-U Windows
  • Intel Core i7 @ 3.4Ghz
  • Nvidia GTX 285 768MB
1.1.0 r5546 GSdx 5542 SSE41
  • SPU2-X 2.0.0
  • LilyPad 0.11.0
Runs near full speed.
PAL Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
  • Intel Core i7 4790K 4.70GHz
  • 2 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (SLI)
1.2.1 r5875 GSdx 0.1.16 (MSVC 18.00, AVX2) SPU2-X 2.0.0 r5822 Hardware mode has many graphical glitches. Software mode renders the game accurately, but requires a very powerful CPU.

I can maintain the target framerate of the PAL version (50fps) even with the view set to external. When using the NTSC-U (60fps) version, the framerate drops to 52 - 55fps, rendering the game sluggish and unplayable.

Zhohner
NTSC-J Windows
  • I5 3330
  • HD radeon 6850
1.3 Git 28 of May GSDX
  • SPU2-X
  • ?
USA v02.20(10/02/2006), Little Heavy,can requires MTVU hack., Status
PAL Windows
  • I5 3330
  • HD radeon 6850
1.3 Git 28 of May GSDX
  • SPU2-X
  • ?
USA v02.20(10/02/2006), Hard to believe....but Is fine now,not issues more., Status
NTSC-U Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
  • Intel Core i7 4770K @ 3.50GHz
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 (SLI x2)
1.3.0-20140912204128 GSdx 20140912204128 (MSVC 18.00, SSE41) 0.1.16 [GSdx32-SSE4]OpenGL SPU2-X 20140912204128 2.0.0 Hardware mode runs fast, but there are too many texture glitches to be enjoyable. Software mode works well, but requires a fast CPU and only Virtual Cockpit view works. SpeedySPCFan


Test configurations on Linux:

Environment Configurations Comments Tester
Region OS CPU/GPU Revision Graphics Sound/Pad
NTSC-U Arch Linux
  • Intel Core i5 4570 @ 3.20GHz
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770
PCSX2 1.4.0-0-compiled on Jan 9 2016 GSdx 1.0.0 OpenGL SPU2-X 2.0.0 SDL Runs stable in hardware mode. Has severe terrain texture glitches that worsen the longer played, and in game player plane renders completely black. Distracting, but playable as they only happen in the distance. Software mode does not experience such issues but is prone to slowdowns. actioninja


Trivia

  • Original names: エースコンバット04 シャッタードスカイ (SLPS-25052), エースコンバット04 シャッタードスカイ PlayStation 2 the Best (SLPS-73410)
  • Also known as Ace Combat: Distant Thunder (EU)

Known Issues

Graphical issues

  • Status: Active
  • Type: Serious
  • Description: The game still has a lot of graphical issues in hardware mode. The aircraft, the hangar and the in-mission ground surface suffer from the most noticeable glitches. Black lines on screen and textures are incorrect.
  • Workaround: Software Mode has no graphical glitches but runs slow on most CPUs and has slow view modes.

Software mode FPS drop in Third Person or Cockpit view

  • Status: Active
  • Type: Minor
  • Description: In Software Mode, both third person and cockpit views make the game go unplayably slow.
  • Workaround: Use Virtual Cockpit mode or play in Hardware Mode.

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