Ace Combat Infinity

Last updated
Ace Combat Infinity
Ace Combat Infinity Cover Art.png
Developer(s) Project Aces
Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Games
Director(s) Natsuki Isaki
Producer(s) Kazutoki Kono
Designer(s) Jun Tamaoki
Taichi Wada
Programmer(s) Masato Aikawa
Artist(s) Kosuki Itomi
Writer(s) Kosuke Itomi
Yuta Hamanaka
Composer(s) Rio Hamamoto
Hiroshi Okubo
Series Ace Combat
Platform(s) PlayStation 3
Release
Genre(s) Air combat simulation
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Ace Combat Infinity [lower-alpha 1] 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.

Contents

Bandai Namco ceased all of the game's services on March 31, 2018. [3]

Gameplay

Ace Combat Infinity is a combat flight simulation game but it is presented in a more arcade-like format in contrast to other flight-sim games. The game has three modes - story, tutorial, and the multiplayer deathmatch/cooperative mode. Players could log on to the game itself through their PlayStation Network accounts. To fly in the story or multiplayer missions, the player will use one fuel credit; three Supplied Fuel units are rechargeable after a set period of time while Stocked Fuel credits were available as a mission reward or bought at the PlayStation Store. A lobby system allows the players to go through eight story missions and 39 multiplayer missions, with a few being Special Raid Missions that involve players taking on superweapons.

Infinity has around 50 licensed jet aircraft representing modern designs from the United States, Europe, and Russia, with the F-4 Phantom as the player's first plane. Further updates since the game's release gave players a chance to use some of the Ace Combat franchise's iconic superfighters as well as the Japanese ATD-0 Shinshin technology demonstrator. As they play through the game, they can earn enough experience points to advance in rank and in the global leaderboards for every tournament.

The game's mission reward system is based on drops of red or gold boxes; aside from possibly earning one, three, or five Stocked Fuel credits, players can win small amounts of credit, aircraft paint schemes and logos, Supply Ticket virtual coupons, and higher-performance versions of existing airplanes. The Supply Tickets are to be exchanged in a game catalogue for certain special airplanes (except for aircraft that are tournament rewards), skins and logos, radio messages, and nicknames. Players will also have a chance to research upgrades to their current aircraft through a special development tree, which will include options for new aircraft, aircraft parts, and weapons. The special aircraft, skins and logos include those from other Ace Combat titles, including the original Scarface Squadron (Phoenix) skins from the first Ace Combat game as well as those from notable air combat franchises such as Area 88 and Namco's own game franchises. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the JASDF, Namco Bandai included a special F-15J & F-2A that were featured at the 2014 Air Festival at Misawa Air Base in Japan. The US Department of Defense also authorized the use of the VF-84/VF-103 Jolly Roger high-visibility paint schemes for the F-14D and F/A-18F, the VMFA-232 skin for the F/A-18F, as well as renditions of the F-117, F-15C & F-16C in US flag livery. In mid September 2015, the game's 11th update was released and introduced piston fighters from the Second World War such as the P-38 Lightning, Messerschmitt Bf 109, Supermarine Spitfire and the A6M Zero

Plot

Setting and characters

Ace Combat Infinity is set in an alternate timeline, in which Earth was ravaged by the "Ulysses Disaster". In 1994, a fictional asteroid collides with one of Jupiter's moons, 5254 Ulysses. This event sends about 10,000 meteors heading for Earth, all expected to impact the planet in five years' time. Faced with the prospect of extinction, the world's major superpowers build "Stonehenge", a network of anti-meteor railguns across the planet. [4] The meteor storm finally hits Earth in July 1999. While Stonehenge destroys enough of the inbound meteors to prevent human extinction, the remaining meteors still ravaged about 20% of the Earth's surface, destabilizing the economy and collapsing the world order. [4] [5] [6] The disaster hits Europe and Asia especially hard, forcing the nations to reorganize and create autonomous refugee zones. Twenty years later, the United Nations find itself fighting against terrorist organizations around the world. To better combat the terrorist threat, the UN hires Arrows Air Defense and Security, a private military company specializing in aerial warfare. [4]

The player character and silent protagonist, callsign "Reaper", is a rookie pilot employed by Arrows. Arrows assigns Reaper to the "Bone Arrow" squadron, which includes long-time pilot "Omega" and ace veteran "Viper". Part-way through the story, Bone Arrow becomes rivals with Ridgeback Squadron, a squadron of elite UNF pilots headed by leader "Slash" and his second-in-command, "Edge". The main antagonist forces are the Sons of Troia, a group of armed terrorists who later create an independent "Federation of USEA" or USEA Federation. Reaper's actions against the Sons of Troia and USEA soon make him a recognized mercenary ace pilot. [4]

Elements in the game, such as the Ulysses disaster, the Stonehenge superweapon and the rise of the USEA enemy faction (the "United States of EurAsia", a new multinational military federation rather than a fictional continent) are direct references to Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies , but played on Earth instead of "Strangereal", the fictional planet setting of previous Ace Combat games. [7] Furthermore, the player character taking the role of a mercenary pilot of a private military company hired by the UN to keep the "post-Ulysses" world stable to regional dispute and terrorist attacks, is similar to the storyline of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War . Other elements, including fictional aircraft, names of locales and specific mission settings, reference elements of previous games in the franchise.

Plot

In early 2019, Reaper, a new recruit for the Arrows PMC's "Bone Arrows" Squadron, is deployed for his first mission in Tokyo, working with teammate Omega to destroy several UAVs attacking the UNF Pacific Fleet stationed in the harbor. The two are subsequently redeployed, alongside veteran pilot Viper, to defend the Comona Aerospace Center in the West Indies against another airstrike. Evidence points to the aircraft being used by a terrorist group called the "Sons of Troia", but other materials bear the markings of an international company called Wernher-Noah Enterprises, which denies involvement. The Bone Arrows join the UN Forces in a rescue operation to save the "Greymen", a top circle of world leaders who were kidnapped by the Sons of Troia and held somewhere in the Iyuli refugee zone in Russia. The UN troops reach the Greymen's purported location, but the hostages are nowhere to be found - and are promptly surprised by a barrage of railgun fire. The Bone Arrows and the UN's elite "Ridgeback" team are among the UN units able to escape the area. The UN confirms that the shots came from a Turkish Stonehenge Type-3 base, captured by the Sons of Troia prior to the rescue operation. The Bone Arrows, the Ridgebacks, and the UN Marines work together to destroy the gun installation, with "Reaper", gradually gaining a reputation. [4]

The Sons of Troia make a public statement after the Stonehenge raid through its leader Kacper Cohen, a former Wernher-Noah executive fired by the UN for working on a secret space weapons project. Cohen claims the UN has been fully concentrated on the wishes of the world's superpowers, not the Ulysses refugees. Having executed the nine Greymen, he declares the creation of the United States of Eurasia (USEA), a federation of multiple nations across the southern Eurasian continent. All military forces in southern Eurasia pledge loyalty to the USEA and take over their occupying regions; the UN, slow to respond and few in number, sends all of their forces to counterattack the USEA forces in Dubai and Tokyo. [4] Bone Arrow and the Ridgebacks fly to Tokyo to aid the UNF assault but run into tough opposition led by a large airborne fortress and an advanced aircraft - known as the "Butterfly Master" - controlling laser-armed drones. During the battle, Slash ejects but is killed by the drones; his wingman, Edge, is enraged, and it takes Viper to restrain her. [8] Reaper takes down the Butterfly Master and leads the assault against the airborne command cruiser. The UNF liberates Tokyo and forces the Useans to retreat. [4]

Having taken heavy losses in the operation, the Arrows accept the UNF's offer to join Task Force 118 "Arrowblades", a special combat force to take on the USEA army alongside the Ridgebacks and several mercenary units. [4] Their first mission is to attack an ICBM launch facility located in Russia's (fictional) Avalon Dam. With an AL-1B missile interceptor providing cover to stop any missile launches, the Arrowblades forces stream through a canyon to attack Avalon Dam and have the UN Marines open the silo doors. However, despite destroying the ICBMs, the strike team is caught off-guard by another, hidden ICBM prepared for launch against Washington, D.C.; all remaining planes successfully shoot down the missile. Upon returning to base, they find out that the USEA forces want to bring the war to the United States, and that the AL-1B had been mysteriously shot down. [4] In May 2020, the UNF scrambles Task Force 118 from their base in San Diego to intercept a large wave of USEA planes that took off from South America, and encounter them over Area B7R in Nevada. Edge is badly hit throughout the battle and is forced to withdraw. The UNF planes pull out after defeating all enemy aircraft, but the Butterfly Master - believed killed in the Tokyo operation - reappears with a formation of drones. The Arrowblades destroy the Butterfly Master's plane but learn that it is also a combat drone, and its remote pilot remains alive. [4] Five months later, Task Force 118 and the UNF take the fight to the USEA by launching Operation Bunker Shot, an amphibious operation targeting USEA territory in Eastern Europe. The landing forces who come ashore in Croatia are attacked by an orbital weapon - revealed to be the project Cohen was working on. The remainder of the UNF invasion force breaks through, and the USEA forces withdraw, signifying the start of a long campaign to defeat the USEA. The game's final cutscene revealed to players that the Butterfly Master was actually a young girl situated in a satellite in a Low Earth Orbit who, after her defeat in Nevada, dedicates herself to hunting "that Ribbon Guy," a reference to Reaper. A secret cutscene reveals a red version of the Mobius Squadron emblem, though it is unknown whether it belongs to Reaper or another version of Mobius 1.

Development

Infinity had a lengthy teaser campaign by Bandai Namco and Kazutoki Kono (director of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon ), consisting of posts from the Twitter accounts of Project Aces and Kono along with a website for the game published on July 11, giving various hints to fans of the series to decipher. The game's title and certain vague details were revealed through a 46-second trailer released on July 19, 2013. [9]

On August 2, a second teaser trailer was released containing more information on the game's single-player elements. The second trailer confirmed that the Stonehenge railgun network from Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies , along with the "Estovakian Aerial Fleet" (composed of numerous aerial fortresses) from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation , were to make an appearance in Infinity. In addition, an AWACS unit codenamed Sky-Eye was to be a recurring character, also referencing Ace Combat 04. [7] The game itself was simultaneously announced on Bandai Namco Games Europe's website, where it was also revealed that the game would use the free-to-play model (the first in the series to do so). Olivier Comte, Senior Vice President of BANDAI NAMCO Games Europe, said: "The Ace Combat franchise has evolved dramatically over the years, but never before have we been able to offer its amazing graphics and tactical action for free. The team at Project Aces listens very carefully to its players, and is bringing the best the series has to offer to ACE COMBAT INFINITY, with plenty of new surprises too".

On February 4, 2014 (after a false start in November and a Japan-only beta in December), a week-long beta for Infinity was publicly released worldwide. It featured the first two missions from the single player campaign and a work-in-progress competitive multiplayer mode. Players could submit feedback to the development team during the beta phase, which went into consideration during the production of the final release. [10]

The game became officially available worldwide in May 2014.

Reception

Ace Combat Infinity has a score of 54% on Metacritic. [20]

GameSpot awarded it a score of 6 out of 10, saying: "The soaring bird that has long served as the metaphor for the Ace Combat pilot becomes a vulture fighting over highway carrion, looping away incautiously when the odd car passes a little too close, before returning again for a final few scraps of flesh". [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: エースコンバット インフィニティ, Hepburn: Ēsu Konbatto Infiniti

Related Research Articles

<i>Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies</i> 2001 combat flight simulation video game

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 is an arcade-style combat flight simulation video game franchise published by 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.

<i>Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War</i> 2004 video game

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War is a 2004 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. The game was developed by Project Aces, an internal Namco group credited with the development of the Ace Combat series. A limited number of the games were bundled with the Hori Flightstick 2 accessory.

Combat flight simulators are vehicle simulation games, amateur flight simulation computer programs used to simulate military aircraft and their operations. These are distinct from dedicated flight simulators used for professional pilot and military flight training which consist of realistic physical recreations of the actual aircraft cockpit, often with a full-motion platform.

<i>Ace Combat 2</i> 1997 video game

Ace Combat 2 is a 1997 air combat video game developed and published for the PlayStation by Namco. 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.

<i>Air Combat</i> 1995 video game

Air Combat is a 1995 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation. 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.

<i>Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War</i> 2006 video game developed by Namco

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.

<i>Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere</i> 1999 video game

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 in 1999 and in Europe and North America in 2000. Players control an aircraft and must complete various mission objectives, such as destroying squadrons of enemies or protecting a base from enemy fire.

<i>Sky Kid</i> 1985 video game

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.

<i>Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception</i> 2006 video game

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.

<i>Ace Combat Advance</i> 2005 video game

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 was criticized on release for its awkward controls, lack of appeal, difficulty, and poor graphics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MiG Alley</span> Site in North Korea known for dogfights during the Korean War

"MiG Alley" was the name given by United Nations (UN) pilots during the Korean War to the northwestern portion of North Korea, where the Yalu River empties into the Yellow Sea. It was the site of numerous dogfights between UN fighter pilots and their opponents from North Korea and the People's Republic of China. Soviet-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 were the aircraft used during most of the conflict, and the area's nickname was derived from them. It was the site of the first large-scale jet-vs.-jet air battles, with the North American F-86 Sabre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandai Namco Entertainment</span> Japanese video game publisher

Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. is a Japanese multinational video game publisher owned by Bandai Namco Holdings. It was founded in 2006 as Namco Bandai Games Inc., following the 2005 merger of Namco and Bandai. Namco acquired Bandai's video game business division through a corporate split. In 2009, Bandai Namco Games absorbed Bandai Networks. It is headquartered in Minato, Tokyo.

<i>Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation</i> 2007 video game

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.

<i>Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion</i> 2009 video game

Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion was a 2009 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for iOS.

<i>Ace Combat: Joint Assault</i> 2010 video game

Ace Combat: Joint Assault is a 2010 combat flight simulation video game developed by 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. The game was released in 2010 in Japan on 26 August, in North America on 31 August, and in Europe on 24 September.

<i>Ace Combat: Assault Horizon</i> 2011 video game

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.

<i>Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy</i> Video game for the Nintendo 3DS

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 Ace Combat 2. The original Japanese version features compatibility with the Circle Pad Pro accessory.

<i>Mach Storm</i> 2013 video game

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.

<i>Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown</i> 2019 video game

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, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in January 2019 and for Microsoft Windows a month later.

References

  1. ↑ Hussain, Tamoor (22 April 2014). "Ace Combat Infinity gets Japanese release date and new trailer". Computer and Video Games . Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Gera, Emily (23 April 2014). "Ace Combat Infinity launching for free to PS3 on May 27". Polygon . Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Romano, Sal (2017-12-08). "Ace Combat Infinity to end service on March 31". Gematsu. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Project Aces (May 27, 2014). Ace Combat Infinity (PlayStation 3). Bandai Namco Games.
  5. ↑ "Ace Combat Infinity - PSN - Create new skies...(Teaser trailer)". YouTube . 19 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "ACE COMBAT INFINITY M1". YouTube . 7 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Ace Combat Infinity - PSN - Create new skies...(Teaser trailer)". YouTube . 2 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  8. ↑ Project Aces (May 27, 2014). Ace Combat Infinity (PlayStation 3). Bandai Namco Games. Viper: [when Slash is killed by a UAV in mid-air] What is it? / Omega: [stunned] …I saw it happen. / Viper: What? What did you see?! / Omega: Slash... in mid-air... They're shooting at bailed-out pilots?! / Viper: Tch! Omega! Keep it together! / Edge: You call yourself a pilot…? I swear I'll kill them all! / Viper: You too, lady!
  9. ↑ "Ace Combat Infinity - PS3 - The day our sky fell...(Teaser trailer)". YouTube . 19 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Burrow, Alex (4 February 2014). "Ace Combat Infinity open beta starts today". PlayStation Blog. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  11. ↑ "Ace Combat Infinity for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  12. ↑ "Ace Combat Infinity review". Edge . July 2, 2014. Archived from the original on August 1, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Capozzoli, Nick (27 June 2014). "Ace Combat Infinity Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  14. ↑ Destri, Francesco (June 17, 2014). "Ace Combat Infinity - Recensione". IGN . Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Test : Ace Combat Infinity". Jeuxvideo.com . June 6, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  16. ↑ Freeman, Will (21 June 2014). "Ace Combat Infinity review – a fine free-to-play air combat adventure". The Guardian . Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  17. ↑ Varela, Roman (June 3, 2014). "Análisis de Ace Combat Infinity PSN (PS3)". El Español . Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  18. ↑ Price, Ronan (June 26, 2014). "Ace Combat Infinity: Air on a free string". Irish Independent . Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  19. ↑ Stinton, Alex (June 5, 2014). "Ace Combat: Infinity Review (PS3)". Push Square . Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Ace Combat Infinity". Metacritic. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.