Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies is an aerial combat simulation. It allows the player to participate in semi-realistic dog-fighting with a collection of fighter jets, including the F-22 Raptor, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-117 Nighthawk, U-2 Dragon Lady, C-130 Hercules and SR-71 Blackbird. Eighteen missions will take the player from search-and-destroy buildings to one-on-one and all-on-all dog-fighting. Along the way it becomes possible to upgrade the fighter with defense systems, deadly weapons, and other accessories.