RaidersSphere4th

About

"RaidersSphere4th" is a single-player simulation game with a captivating plot, set on a Venus inhabited by humans. As ace pilot Sonic Venus, search for your missing father amid political intrigue, with Ace Combat-like gameplay. Uncover family secrets and reveal a transformation awaiting Venusian society. Immerse in outstanding mechanics and ingenious music for an unforgettable experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 117 reviews

story30 positive mentions

graphics11 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic Ace Combat titles, with engaging gameplay and a variety of missions.
The story, while not groundbreaking, features interesting characters and plot twists that keep players invested.
The controls can be customized, and the game runs well on lower-end systems, making it accessible to a wider audience.

The graphics are outdated and can be confusing, with poor texture quality making it difficult to distinguish between ground and sky.
Mission design can be frustrating, with some objectives being unclear and enemy AI exhibiting unfair advantages, leading to a challenging experience.
The control scheme is clunky and not fully customizable, which can hinder gameplay, especially for those using keyboard and mouse.

story
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and well-structured, while others criticize it for being disjointed and poorly translated. Set on Venus amidst political and economic turmoil, the narrative features a blend of visual novel elements and mission dialogue, but often lacks depth and coherence, leaving players feeling lost or frustrated. Despite its flaws, the game offers a variety of missions and some interesting plot twists, appealing to fans of the flight combat genre.
- “The story takes place on Venus, years after an immigration initiative and in the aftermath of an economic bubble's burst, where the Sentinels of Terra, a UN organization, are trying to keep things from spiraling out of control, and the Venus Mining Initiative has gained a monopoly because they were one of the few companies to survive the economic failure.”
- “The story, voice acting, and art are actually pretty good, and the people who made the story probably cared, but the gameplay could use improvement.”
- “The dialogue sequences are well meshed with both the plot and the gameplay, making each mission advance seamlessly to the next one.”
- “The story is weird and at points just straight up horrible.”
- “Terrible, incomprehensible story with a bad translation.”
- “The overall story is pretty lackluster in my opinion, and somewhat predictable.”
graphics
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
69%
19%
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized as outdated, often compared to early PlayStation 2 titles, with many users noting poor optimization and disorienting color choices that affect gameplay. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic and character designs, the overall visual quality is considered below average, detracting from the experience for those who prioritize graphics. Despite these shortcomings, fans of the genre may still find enjoyment if they can overlook the dated visuals.
- “I like the art style, especially the design of the protagonist.”
- “This game goes for a very precise aesthetic and nails it.”
- “The visuals and sound feel surprisingly nostalgic, like the early 3D era of Japanese video games on PSone and Dreamcast.”
- “There are a number of missions that are incredibly disorienting solely due to the graphics choices where ground, sky, and sometimes even walls are really close in color.”
- “The graphics are unfortunately below average, which wouldn't bother me in the slightest, but for a game that revolves around flying, one would consider it crucial to have a decent skybox and a field of vision, which is not the case.”
- “The graphics are totally outdated, the program has a hard time detecting controllers properly, and sometimes the language translation looks really sloppy, but it's a good game though; the AI is challenging and the gameplay responds alright.”
gameplay
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
66%
7%
The gameplay is widely recognized as solid and reminiscent of classic Ace Combat titles, featuring agile aircraft and a familiar control scheme. While some players noted minor issues with targeting mechanics and control configurations, the overall experience is engaging, with a mix of aerial and ground missions that maintain excitement. Despite criticisms regarding graphics and certain design elements, fans of the genre will likely find enjoyable gameplay that captures the essence of Ace Combat.
- “Gameplay: the gameplay is distinctly similar to Ace Combat, especially earlier iterations since AC4 and so on were the latest releases at the time, but the main difference is a Project Wingman-like pylon equip system and the fact that you're piloting small, agile, and still well-armed aircraft.”
- “The gameplay is really all that matters - it's solid and manages to be exciting.”
- “The controls are nice and responsive, the weapon system is great, and it really brings you the type of gameplay Ace Combat delivered in the PS2 days.”
- “What really bothered me was the targeting mechanic.”
- “I really don't know what's worse here, the lame visual novel Engrish translated train wreck, or the completely dismal attempt at a 'flight sim' (I can't stress how lazy/low quality the assets and gameplay here are).”
- “The gameplay resembles that of an older Ace Combat title, though a little less refined.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
30%
15%
The music in the game is generally praised for its variety and craftsmanship, effectively enhancing the storytelling and gameplay experience. While some tracks are considered exceptional, others fall flat, leading to a mixed reception overall. Despite minor audio glitches and sound quality issues, the soundtrack is noted as a standout feature that elevates the game's atmosphere and emotional impact.
- “Music: the music is varied and well-crafted, suitably selling the part of the story you're in right now.”
- “From introducing the southline family to the final showdown, the music will immerse you nicely.”
- “The sound quality is not top-notch, but the melodic, well-arranged, and overall memorable soundtrack makes up for it in spades.”
- “It's not a bad game, but I can't recommend it to the general public - its heavily 'doujin' quality, a lot of places are bare-bones and has tons of annoying audio glitches (like music starts to loop on its own, or missile alert sound doesn't stop, no game credit ending).”
- “The soundtrack is hit or miss, with some tracks being amazing, and others being on the 'meh' side.”
- “Weak points are the soundtrack and fighter designs, but the gameplay is solid fun.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
Overall, the game's optimization on Windows is generally good, but users report significant performance drops related to poorly optimized shaders, particularly on the RS4th. While turning off these shaders can improve performance without sacrificing visual quality, some players find the water effects require higher settings to look acceptable, indicating inconsistencies in optimization.
- “Performance is great on Windows.”
- “If you do suffer performance drops, I suggest you turn off shaders because the game still looks good without them, or you can use Reshade, which does a better job overall.”
- “Performance can be a bit iffy.”
- “Shaders are wack on RS4th, so expect performance drops, even on an RTX card.”
- “If you do suffer performance tanking, I suggest you turn them off because the game still looks good without, or you can use Reshade, which does a better job overall.”
- “Water requires at least 'high' shader settings to look good, which is poorly optimized.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is criticized for numerous bugs and glitches, including audio issues and outdated graphics, which detract from the overall experience. Players have reported frustrating moments, such as timeouts during post-mission dialogue, indicating that the game feels unfinished and lacks polish. As it is still in early access, users should anticipate ongoing stability issues.
- “Where I quit in frustration was after taking down one particularly annoying enemy superweapon (cool setting though) only to discover that whereas AC freezes the timer after mission objectives are completed, RS4 slapped me with a timeout failure during the post-mission celebratory dialogue as the timer ran out during it.”
- “It's not a bad game, but I can't recommend it to the general public - it's heavily 'doujin' quality, a lot of places are bare-bones and has tons of annoying audio glitches (like music starting to loop on its own, or missile alert sound not stopping, no game credit ending).”
- “Well, since this is currently in early access, expect several bugs and glitches in the game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by significantly improved radio chatter that fits the historical context, along with background sounds that contribute to the signature Ace Combat feel. Many players consider this aspect to be the standout feature, as it elevates the overall experience and immerses them in the game's world.
- “It is probably the best part of the game; just as a soundtrack is supposed to, it lifts the atmosphere to the skies.”
- “Chatter over the radio sounds noticeably improved, which is appropriate for the timeframe this game takes place in, and the background chatter, when it's present, adds that Ace Combat flair to the atmosphere.”
- “It is probably the best part of the game, but just as a soundtrack is supposed to, it lifts the atmosphere to the skies.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding in the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly during dogfights where enemy mechanics feel unbalanced and punishing. The experience is described as unfun and lacking the engaging action typically expected from arcade-style flight games like Ace Combat.
- “Every dogfight is tedious because half the time the enemies are almost at stall speed, and despite the fact that you cannot hit them in a light turn, the enemies will hit you in everything (even at poor angles) but a full-on turn (which you must accelerate up to, something unseen in both simulator and arcade games like Ace Combat). Even then, the missiles will potentially kill you.”
- “All in all, the game is tedious, unfun, and probably one of the laziest impressions of that blowing stuff up with airplanes arcade experience that Ace Combat has to offer.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be situational and often self-deprecating, as illustrated by experiences where hard-earned purchases are quickly overshadowed by better options, leading to a sense of playful frustration with the developers.
- “After saving for many missions, I finally bought a new plane that became available, only for the next mission to have a better model of that same plane available for half the price. It felt like the developers were laughing in my face.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers noted that the character development, particularly for the villain, was lacking, suggesting that this aspect detracted from the overall narrative depth and engagement of the game.
- “What I found most lacking was the villain's character development.”
- “The protagonist's growth felt forced and unconvincing throughout the game.”
- “Supporting characters were one-dimensional and lacked meaningful backstories.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be impactful, highlighting a blend of heartwarming and cozy moments alongside inspiring and intense experiences, all enhanced by a compelling soundtrack.
- “Combined with the soundtrack, it serves you enough heartwarming, cozy moments, and in contrast, ass-kicking and inspiring moments.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players feel that the game offers significantly enhanced replayability compared to initial expectations, suggesting that it provides a more engaging and varied experience upon multiple playthroughs.

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RaidersSphere4th
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