Ace Combat | |
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Genre(s) | Combat flight simulator |
Developer(s) | |
Publisher(s) | |
Platform(s) | PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Mobile phone, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PC, iOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 |
First release | Air Combat June 30, 1995 |
Latest release | Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown January 18, 2019 |
Ace Combat [lower-alpha 1] is an arcade-style combat flight simulation video game series by Project Aces, an internal development team of Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. Debuting in 1995 with Air Combat for the PlayStation, the series includes eight mainline installments, multiple spin-offs, and other forms of media, such as novels, model kits, and soundtrack albums. Since 2012, the series has been developed primarily by Bandai Namco Studios through its internal development group, Project Aces.
The Ace Combat franchise emphasizes fast-paced action and dramatic plots with semi-realistic gameplay; for example, aircraft have flight dynamics controls and can stall, but are also able to carry dozens of missiles in hammerspace. One of the main selling points of the series is the ability to pilot a range of aircraft that includes accurate or slightly modified representations of modern military aircraft, prototypes that were never adopted (or even built) in real life, and fictional boss-type superweapons. The main series of games is set in "Strangereal", a fictional universe loosely based on the real world, featuring similar events and entities but with an entirely different history largely centering around advanced technology and the effects of an asteroid impact event in the 1990s; however, certain games are set in fictional renditions of the real world.
As of 2023, the Ace Combat franchise has shipped over 19 million copies worldwide, [lower-alpha 2] and has established itself as one of the longest running arcade flight action franchises.
Most installments in the Ace Combat series are set in "Strangereal", the series' fictional universe. Strangereal's Earth features entirely different nations, geography, continents, and history compared to the real world, though some nations, locations, and events are loosely based on those from real life, and most aircraft in the series are real models with few alterations.
Though Strangereal is very similar to the real modern world, technology is shown to be significantly more advanced than it is in real life, allowing for the development of superweapons and theoretical devices such as aerial warships, laser weapons, railguns, submarine and airborne aircraft carriers, orbital weapons, mass drivers, lethal autonomous weapons, nearly-sentient artificial intelligence, and advanced experimental aircraft. Nuclear weapons exist, but international agreements and nuclear terrorism are implied to have inhibited their development and use, resulting in a lack of nuclear deterrence and a greater focus on conventional weapons in arms races. This makes interstate warfare common, and many nations field large militaries with diverse equipment, develop superweapons, train elite special forces-esque "ace" fighter squadrons, or hire mercenaries to augment their forces.
Most Ace Combat games are set after a 1999 impact event with an asteroid designated "Ulysses 1994XF04" which split into many smaller fragments upon approaching Earth. Anti-asteroid weaponry was developed and used to destroy many of these fragments, but some still struck the planet, causing widespread destruction and global crises. The international tensions caused by the Ulysses impact and its aftermath play a large role in the some of the conflicts depicted in the series, and some of the game's superweapons are described as originating from anti-Ulysses devices. Another major event in the series' continuity is the 1995 "Belkan War", a World War II-esque conflict in which the highly-technological but fiercely-nationalist country Belka attempted to invade neighboring countries during an internal crisis, was repelled by an international coalition, and used nuclear weapons on their own territory to prevent a retaliatory invasion, causing their defeat and earning them global condemnation and scorn; Belkan nationalists seeking revenge for their defeat play major roles in some of the games.
As shown in Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere, the nations of Strangereal shown in most of the series are eventually superseded by sovereign megacorporations. Strangereal was later established as part of Bandai Namco's United Galaxy Space Force shared universe, representing the earliest period in its timeline, in which the nations of Strangereal unite to form a world government around 2090. [1]
Ace Combat: Joint Assault, Assault Horizon, and Infinity are not set in Strangereal, and are instead set in their own fictionalized versions of the real world.
1995 | Air Combat |
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1996 | |
1997 | Ace Combat 2 |
1998 | |
1999 | Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere |
2000 | |
2001 | Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies |
2002 | |
2003 | |
2004 | Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War |
2005 | Ace Combat Advance |
2006 | Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War |
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception | |
2007 | Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation |
2008 | |
2009 | Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion |
2010 | Ace Combat: Joint Assault |
Ace Combat Assault Horizon: Trigger Finger | |
2011 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon |
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy | |
Ace Combat: Northern Wings [2] | |
2012 | |
2013 | |
2014 | Ace Combat Infinity |
2015 | Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy+ |
2016 | |
2017 | |
2018 | |
2019 | Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown |
Some Ace Combat games have differences in their title, depending on the region (NTSC or PAL) the game was sold in:
With the release of Assault Horizon in 2011, Project Aces created Aces at War: A History, a special artbook detailing the content from Ace Combat 04, 5, and Zero from an in-universe perspective, as well as production commentary. This was packaged with the special editions of Assault Horizon released in Japan. [14] [15] Aces at War: A History would later be updated and rereleased as part of a special edition of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. [16]
In March 2012, ASCII Media Works released Ace Combat: Ikaros in the Sky. A tie-in novel for Assault Horizon, Ikaros tells a story of series character Kei Nagase as she participates in the JASDF's ASF-X Shinden II fighter program. [17]
Game | Units sold | Metacritic |
---|---|---|
Air Combat | 2.23 million shipped [18] | - |
Ace Combat 2 | 1.092 million shipped [18] | 83/100 [19] |
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere | 1.164 million shipped [18] | - |
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies | 2.64 million shipped [18] | 89/100 [20] |
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War | 1.802 million shipped [18] | 84/100 [21] |
Ace Combat Advance | 100,000 shipped [18] | 56/100 [22] |
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War | 792,000 shipped [18] | 75/100 [23] |
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception | 476,000 shipped [18] | 75/100 [24] |
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation | 700,000 [25] | 80/100 [26] |
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon | 1.07 million [25] | 78/100 [27] |
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown | 5 million shipped [28] | 80/100 [29] |
Ace Combat has been a consistent commercial success, with most mainline installments reaching over one million units shipped. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the most successful title with over 3 million copies shipped by 2021, [28] followed by Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies and Air Combat . [18] The games have sold well predominantly in North America and Japan, where over 75% of all revenue was generated from the series by 2008. [18] In total, the Ace Combat franchise has shipped over 19 million copies. [lower-alpha 2] [31]
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies is a 2001 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. It is the fourth entry in the Ace Combat series and the first in the series to be released for the PlayStation 2. The game's plot, set in a fictional alternate universe where Earth has been ravaged by asteroid impacts, follows the player character "Mobius 1", a fighter pilot in a multinational military coalition who spearheads the liberation of the fictional continent of Usea from the expansionist country of Erusea.
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War is a 2004 combat flight simulation video game by Namco for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed by Project Aces, an internal Namco studio credited with the development of the Ace Combat series. A limited number of the games were bundled with the Hori Flightstick 2 accessory.
Ace Combat 2 is a 1997 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation. It is the sequel to Air Combat and the second in the Ace Combat franchise. The player controls one of 24 different fighter jets through 21 different missions with certain objectives to fulfill, such as protecting a base from enemy fire, intercepting a squadron of enemies, or taking down an aircraft carrier.
Air Combat is a 1995 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation, and the first title of the Ace Combat franchise. Players control an aircraft and are tasked with completing a series of missions, with objectives ranging from destroying formations of enemies to protecting a specific target from enemy fire. Missions award money that is used to purchase new fighter aircraft, each with its own unique weapons and strengths.
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is a 2006 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. Part of the Ace Combat series, the game was first released outside of Japan by the newly formed Namco Bandai Games. Set in the Ace Combat series' fictional universe of Strangereal, the game's story takes place before the events of most other entries in the series, and follows the actions of "Galm Team", a mercenary fighter squadron led by the player character "Cipher", as they fight to repel an enemy invasion during the titular Belkan War, a World War II-esque conflict that was mentioned but not elaborated upon in previous entries.
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere is a combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation. The third game in the Ace Combat franchise, it was released in Japan on May 27th, 1999 and in Europe and North America by January 21st, and March 7th 2000, respectively. Players fly fighter aircraft and must complete a variety of mission objectives, such as destroying squadrons of enemy planes or protecting a base from an invading unit.
Sky Kid is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game released by Namco in 1985. It runs on Namco Pac-Land hardware but with a video system like that used in Dragon Buster. It is also the first game from Namco to allow two players to play simultaneously. The game was later released on the Famicom, and both this version for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and Wii U and the original arcade version for the Wii were later released on Nintendo's Virtual Console service, and for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives line of digital releases. The NES version was also ported to arcades for the Nintendo VS. System as VS. Super Sky Kid, but promotional materials and the cabinet for this version just use the name VS. Sky Kid.
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception is a 2006 combat flight simulation video game for the PlayStation Portable. It is the first installment of the Ace Combat franchise for the PlayStation Portable, and the second for a handheld game system.
Ace Combat Advance is a 2005 combat flight simulation video game in the Ace Combat series. Developed by Hungarian studio Humansoft, it is the first entry in the series released on a handheld game console and the first 2D entry in the series. Unlike other Ace Combat games, Advance was not released in Japan. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is a 2007 arcade-style combat flight simulation video game developed by Project Aces and published by Namco Bandai Games exclusively for the Xbox 360. It is the seventh entry in the Ace Combat franchise, the first mainline game in the franchise to not see a release on a PlayStation platform as had been done with previous titles, and the first game in the franchise to include downloadable content. Like other Ace Combat games, Ace Combat 6 features standard gameplay from the series that mixes arcade flight with authentic flight simulation.
Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion was a 2009 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for iOS.
Masaru Shiina, known professionally as Go Shiina, is a Japanese music composer primarily known for his work in video games. He joined Namco in 1997 and was best known during his time with the company for writing music for a number of games in the Tales, Mr. Driller, and God Eater franchises, He gained widespread recognition with his score for Tales of Legendia in 2005. Since then, he has also contributed music for several titles in the Tekken, Ace Combat, and The Idolmaster franchises. In addition to video games, Shiina has also composed soundtracks for various anime series and films, starting with the 2011 film Sakura no Ondo and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, as well as composing and arranging songs for bands and other artists.
Ace Combat: Joint Assault is a 2010 combat flight simulation video game developed by Project Aces and Access Games and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation Portable. It is the second in the Ace Combat franchise to be released for the PlayStation Portable and the fourth for a portable platform. It is also the first game in the franchise to be set in the real world.
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is a spin-off installment of the Ace Combat flight simulation video game series. It was developed by Project Aces and published by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms in October 2011. The game was later released on Microsoft Windows in January 2013 through Steam and Games for Windows – Live, with the latter notably being the final retail release for the platform shortly before its discontinuation. The title has also been removed from Steam listings.
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy, released as Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble in Japan, is a 2011 combat flight simulation video game developed by Access Games and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Nintendo 3DS. Despite the game's international title outside Japan, it has little relation to Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, and is instead a remake of the PlayStation game Ace Combat 2. The original Japanese version features compatibility with the Circle Pad Pro accessory.
Ace Combat Infinity was a combat flight simulation video game developed by Project Aces and published by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation 3. It is the sixteenth title in the Ace Combat series, and was released worldwide in May 2014. It is the first partially free-to-play title in the series, and unlike most games in the series, Infinity takes place on Earth. However, it includes certain elements from past Ace Combat games, including historical events, organizations, superweapons, and original aircraft.
Bandai Namco Studios Inc. is a Japanese video game developer headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo and founded in 2012, with divisions in Singapore and Malaysia. Bandai Namco Studios is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Entertainment, which itself is part of the wider Bandai Namco Holdings group. The company works under its parent company as a keiretsu; Bandai Namco Studios creates video games for home, arcade and mobile platforms, while Bandai Namco Entertainment handles the managing, marketing and publishing of these products.
Mach Storm is a 2013 combat flight simulation arcade game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games. The player controls a fighter craft, the leader of the Storm Squadron, in a mission to prevent a terrorist group from attacking major cities worldwide. Its gameplay involves destroying fleets of enemy fighters with a lock-on targeting system and avoiding collisions with their projectiles and level obstacles. Five levels are present, each taking place in famous cities such as Miami, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a 2019 combat flight simulation game by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The first new entry in the Ace Combat series since 2014's Ace Combat Infinity, the game was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in January 2019, and for Windows in February 2019. A Nintendo Switch port was released in July 2024.
Air Combat is a 1993 combat flight simulator arcade video game developed by Namco. The arcade game was released in 1993 for the polygon-powered Namco System 21 arcade hardware, and received praise for its 3D graphics and technological capabilities. The game was a commercial success at Japanese and American arcades in the 1990s, and inspired several later Namco games, including the arcade sequel Air Combat 22, the PlayStation game Air Combat, and the Ace Combat series.