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is an
arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...
-style combat flight simulation video game franchise published by
Bandai Namco Entertainment is a Japanese multinational video game video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in ...
, formerly
Namco was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
. Debuting in 1995 with ''
Air Combat ''Air Combat'' is a 1995 combat flight simulator developed and published for the PlayStation by Namco. Players control an aircraft and are tasked with completing a series of missions, with objectives ranging from destroying formations of enemie ...
'' for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, the series includes eight mainline installments, multiple spin-offs, and other forms of media, such as novels,
model kits Model building is a hobby and career that involves the creation of physical models either from kits or from materials and components acquired by the builder. The kits contain several pieces that need to be assembled in order to make a final mode ...
, and soundtrack albums. Since 2012, the series has been developed primarily by
Bandai Namco Studios is a Japanese video game development, video game developer headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo. Its offices in Malaysia and Singapore, Bandai Namco Studio Malaysia and Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, are based out of Selangor, Malaysia and Infinite St ...
through its internal development group, Project Aces. The franchise emphasizes fast-paced action and dramatic plots with semi-realistic gameplay; for example, fighter aircraft have pitch, yaw, and roll control and can stall, but are also able to carry dozens of missiles in
hammerspace Hammerspace (also known as malletspace) is a fan-envisioned extradimensional, instantly accessible storage area in fiction, which is used to explain how animated, comic, and game characters can produce objects out of thin air. Typically, when m ...
. As of 2021, the ''Ace Combat'' franchise has shipped over 17 million copies worldwide, and has established itself as one of the longest running arcade flight action franchises. The main series of games takes place in a fictionalized world populated with fictional countries with details loosely based on real-life locations, events, and wars. One of the main selling points of the series is the ability to pilot a range of aircraft that include accurate or slightly modified representations of present-day military aircraft, prototypes that never saw actual battle, and fictional
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...
-type superweapons. There are hints that the games share a continuity, as some characters and events are referenced from one game to another.


Setting

The main entries in the ''Ace Combat'' series take place in an alternate version of
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
in a reality dubbed "Strangereal". Strangereal's Earth features entirely different
nations A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...
,
geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
,
continents A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
, 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. Strangereal was later established as part of Bandai Namco's ''United Galaxy Space Force''
shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
, representing the earliest period in its timeline. Though Strangereal is very similar to the real world, technology is shown to be more advanced than it is in real life, allowing for the development of superweapons and theoretical devices such as aerial
warships A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and ...
,
laser weapons A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The firs ...
, railguns, mass drivers,
space elevators A space elevator, also referred to as a space bridge, star ladder, and orbital lift, is a proposed type of planet-to-space transportation system, often depicted in science fiction. The main component would be a cable (also called a tether) anc ...
, floating cities,
submarine aircraft carriers A submarine aircraft carrier is a submarine equipped with aircraft for observation or attack missions. These submarines saw their most extensive use during World War II, although their operational significance remained rather small. The most fa ...
, orbital weapons, highly-capable combat drones, and advanced
experimental aircraft An experimental aircraft is an aircraft intended for testing new aerospace technologies and design concepts. The term ''research aircraft'' or ''testbed aircraft'', by contrast, generally denotes aircraft modified to perform scientific studies, ...
.
Nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
exist, but international agreements and
nuclear terrorism Nuclear terrorism refers to any person or persons detonating a nuclear weapon as an act of terrorism (i.e., illegal or immoral use of violence for a political or religious cause). Some definitions of nuclear terrorism include the sabotage of a ...
incidents are implied to have inhibited their development and use, resulting in a lack of
nuclear deterrence Deterrence theory refers to the scholarship and practice of how threats or limited force by one party can convince another party to refrain from initiating some other course of action. The topic gained increased prominence as a military strategy ...
and a greater focus on
conventional weapons The terms conventional weapons or conventional arms generally refer to weapons whose ability to damage comes from kinetic, incendiary, or explosive energy and exclude weapons of mass destruction (''e.g.'' nuclear, biological, radiological and ...
in arms races. This makes interstate warfare relatively common, and many nations field large militaries with diverse equipment, develop superweapons, train elite
special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
-esque fighter squadrons, or hire
mercenaries A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
to augment their forces. Most ''Ace Combat'' games are set after the "Ulysses incident", an
impact event An impact event is a collision between astronomical objects causing measurable effects. Impact events have physical consequences and have been found to regularly occur in planetary systems, though the most frequent involve asteroids, comets or me ...
that occurred in 1999. The
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
Ulysses 1994XF04, discovered to be on an collision course with Earth, was
destroyed Destroyed may refer to: * ''Destroyed'' (Sloppy Seconds album), a 1989 album by Sloppy Seconds * ''Destroyed'' (Moby album), a 2011 album by Moby See also * Destruction (disambiguation) Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a ...
using superweapons, but split into smaller fragments that struck the planet anyway, causing widespread destruction. The international tensions caused by the Ulysses incident and its aftermath eventually develop into the conflicts depicted in the series. ''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. Additionally, ''Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere'' is set in a futuristic
cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...
dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...
rendition of Strangereal, where the nations of Earth have been superseded by sovereign megacorporations.


Games

* ''
Air Combat ''Air Combat'' is a 1995 combat flight simulator developed and published for the PlayStation by Namco. Players control an aircraft and are tasked with completing a series of missions, with objectives ranging from destroying formations of enemie ...
'' (1995) is the debut entry of the series, being released as a launch title for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
in North America and titled ''Ace Combat'' in Japan. Produced by Kazumi Mizuno as a port and successor to a 1993 arcade game of the same name, the plot centers around a terrorist organization seizing control of the Skully Islands, and follows a team of mercenary pilots hired to defeat the terrorists. ''Air Combat'' introduced the series' arcade-like gameplay, a contrast to most other flight sim games at the time. In 2005, ''Air Combat'' was released for Japanese mobile phones under Namco's game subscription service. * ''
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 ...
'' (1997) was released for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, and created out of Namco's dissatisfaction with ''Air Combat'' from a technical standpoint. Designed by Masanori Kato, ''Ace Combat 2'' follows Scarface, a squadron of mercenaries (the same from ''Air Combat'') who are hired to liberate the continent of Usea from a group known as the Usean Rebel Forces. The sequel builds upon its predecessor in several ways, adding new mission types, playable aircraft, and multiple difficulty options. ''Ace Combat 2'' was re-released in 2005 for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
through ''
NamCollection is a video game compilation released in July 2005 by Namco in Japan only to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The compilation includes five PlayStation video games (''Ace Combat 2'', '' Klonoa: Door to Phantomile'', '' Mr. Driller'', ''Rid ...
'', a Japan-exclusive collection of Namco-developed PlayStation games. In 2011, the game was remade for the
3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
as '' Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy'', featuring new levels, an updated plot, and game mechanics borrowed from ''Ace Combat X''. * '' Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere'' (1999) was published for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, being the last game in the series for the console. While the previous two games carry a modern-day aesthetic, ''Electrosphere'' uses a futuristic aesthetic and setting, and follows a conflict between the megacorporations Neucom and General Resource, and the
peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare. Within the United N ...
organization UPEO, in a dystopia where corporations have superseded nation states to compete for power. ''Electrosphere'' is heavily reliant on story, with branching stage paths and anime-style video emails with full voice acting. The North American version of the game cut down much of its story and content to accommodate for financial constraints. * '' Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies'' (2001) was the first game in the series to be developed by Project Aces, then-known as "The AC04 Project". Released for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
and renamed ''Ace Combat: Distant Thunder'' in Europe, it was the first entry in the series to thoroughly flesh out Strangereal as the main setting. The game's plot tells the story of Mobius 1, a fighter pilot whose legendary exploits during a continent-wide war become instrumental in stopping the country of Erusea's plans to conquer the entire continent of Usea. ''Shattered Skies'' returned to the gameplay structure of ''Air Combat'' and ''Ace Combat 2'', with fast-paced action and mission variety in a more linear plot. * '' Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War'' (2004) was released for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, renamed ''Ace Combat: Squadron Leader'' for Europe. Produced by Kazutoki Kono and Project Aces, ''The Unsung War'' is one of the most expansive titles in the series, with over 50 playable aircraft and 32 campaign missions, along with fully-animated cutscenes. The plot follows the members of Wardog Squadron, who uncover a conspiracy fueling a large-scale war between the global superpowers of Osea and Yuktobania. The game also features an arcade mode, following Mobius 1 on a mission to defeat Erusean holdouts. In 2018,
Bandai Namco Entertainment is a Japanese multinational video game video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in ...
rereleased ''The Unsung War'' for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
as a pre-order bonus for ''Ace Combat 7'', with slight modifications to allow it to run properly on the console's hardware. * '' Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War'' (2006) was released for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, renamed ''Ace Combat: The Belkan War'' in Europe. It was the last ''Ace Combat'' game developed by Namco before their assets were folded into
Bandai Namco Games is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are resp ...
, who published the game outside Japan, just a week after its launch in Japan. ''The Belkan War'' serves as a prequel to ''The Unsung War'', combining ideas and mechanics from both it and ''Shattered Skies'' and explaining plot details and lore mentioned in ''The Unsung War'''s story. The plot, told through retrospective narration, recounts the exploits of Galm Team, a pair of mercenary pilots hired to defend the country of Ustio and its allies from an invasion by Belka in 1995. * '' Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception'' (2006) was released for the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
as the first entry in the series to be released on the PSP. The game features the ability for the player to choose their own route through the campaign, allowing for multiple different mission combinations in each playthrough. Its plot follows a war between the neighboring countries of Aurelia and Leasath, and the actions of Aurelia's Gryphus Squadron in the fight against Leasath. * '' Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation'' (2007) was released for the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
, marking the series' debut on a
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
platform. It was the first ''Ace Combat'' title to implement online multiplayer and downloadable content, which have become staple inclusions since. Its story revolves around an invasion of Emmeria by the neighboring country of Estovakia, and the subsequent efforts of Emmerian forces to take back their country, led by the pilots of Garuda Team. Alongside a standalone release, Namco Bandai bundled ''Fires of Liberation'' with the Ace Edge, a
flight stick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal cont ...
designed by Hori specifically for the game, and a custom Xbox 360 console faceplate. In 2018,
Bandai Namco Entertainment is a Japanese multinational video game video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertainment America and Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, are respectively headquartered in ...
re-released ''Fires of Liberation'' for the
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
as a pre-order bonus for ''Ace Combat 7'', with slight modifications to allow it to run properly on the console's hardware. * '' Ace Combat: Joint Assault'' (2010) was released for the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
as the first game in the series to be set in the real world. ''Joint Assault'''s plot follows the pilots of Martinez Security, a
private military company A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...
hired to help defeat a heavily-armed global terrorist force. The game's campaign features cooperative gameplay for up to four players, and new aerial combat mechanics that simplify dogfights. * '' Ace Combat: Assault Horizon'' (2011) was released for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
, with a later release for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
in 2013 through
Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
. ''Assault Horizon'' features significant gameplay differences compared to other entries in the series, such as a "dogfight mode" and "airstrike mode" to simplify gameplay, a "gritty" ''
Call of Duty ''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter video game Media franchise, franchise published by Activision. Starting out in 2003, it first focused on games set in World War II. Over time, the series has seen games set in the midst of the Cold W ...
''-esque art direction, and unique turret sections for
helicopters A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
,
gunships A gunship is a military aircraft armed with aircraft artillery, heavy aircraft guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets either as airstrike or as close air support. In modern usage the term "gunship" refers to fixed-wing aircraft h ...
, and
bombers A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an aircraf ...
, the first time in the series that these types of aircraft are playable. Set in the real world, but in a different universe than ''Joint Assault'', the game's plot follows the 108th Task Force, a joint coalition of U.S. and Russian forces deployed to defeat heavily-armed insurgencies and criminal organizations. * ''
Ace Combat Infinity was a combat flight simulation video game developed by Project Aces and published by Bandai Namco Games is a Japanese multinational video game publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertain ...
'' (2014) was released for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
as the series' first
free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
entry. The game featured expansive multiplayer modes and a
freemium Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium," is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical (o ...
model. Set in the real world, but in a different universe than ''Joint Assault'' and ''Assault Horizon'', ''Infinity'' follows the aftermath of a real-world Ulysses incident and the rise of a terrorist organization in devastated
Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...
, with the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
enlisting several private military companies to fight back. ''Infinity'''s services were discontinued in 2018, with its plot left on a cliffhanger. * '' Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown'' (2019) was published for the
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
,
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
, and PC through
Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, and was the first mainline installment released in twelve years. It was created based on the commercial success of ''
Ace Combat Infinity was a combat flight simulation video game developed by Project Aces and published by Bandai Namco Games is a Japanese multinational video game publisher headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Entertain ...
'', with its mechanics being borrowed from both it and ''Ace Combat: Assault Horizon''. Designed by Project Aces and headed by producer Kazutoki Kono, ''Skies Unknown'' features multiple additions to the series, such as multiple game modes, enhancements to the ship tuning concept from ''Ace Combat X'', and
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...
support through
PlayStation VR The PlayStation VR (PS VR, known by its code name Project Morpheus during development) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. It is fully functional with the PlayStation 4 an ...
. Returning to the series' traditional setting of Strangereal, the game, set during a war between Osea and Erusea over a space elevator, follows the exploits of Trigger, an Osean pilot who is tasked with clearing his name after a false accusation of murder lands him in a penal squadron. The game also features three VR missions set five years before the campaign, following Mobius 1's continued fight against the Erusean holdouts seen in ''The Unsung War'''s arcade mode. * An untitled ''Ace Combat'' entry was confirmed to be in development in August 2021. The new entry is being developed by Namco and ILCA. As of December 2022, few details about the upcoming entry have been released, and no release date has been announced.


Title differences

Some ''Ace Combat'' games have differences in their title, depending on the region (
NTSC The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by National Television System Committee (NTSC)National Television System Committee (1951–1953), Report and Reports of Panel No. 11, 11-A, 12–19, with Some supplement ...
or
PAL Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a colour encoding system for analogue television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 ...
) the game was sold in: * The Japanese ''Ace Combat'' was renamed ''Air Combat'' in the North American and European releases of the original game. The second game was initially set to be released as ''Air Combat 2'' in the U.S., but by the time of release the game (and series) switched to using ''Ace Combat'' internationally. * In NTSC territories, the fourth installment of the series is known as ''Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies'', while in PAL territories the game is known as ''Ace Combat: Distant Thunder''. The Spanish version of the game is known as ''Ace Combat: Trueno de Acero'', which can be translated as ''Ace Combat: Steel Thunder''. * The NTSC version of the fifth installment of the game is known as ''Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War'', while the PAL release was renamed ''Ace Combat: Squadron Leader''. * In PAL territories, the word "Zero" in ''Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War'' was removed, making it the first game since the series introduction to not have a significant name change in PAL territories. * ''Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy'' in English-speaking territories was originally titled ''Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble'' in Japan.


Printed media

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. ''Aces at War: A History'' would later be updated and rereleased as part of a special edition of ''Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown''. 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 The , , also informally referred to as the Japanese Air Force, is the air and space branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace, other air and space operations, cyberwarfare and electronic warfare. ...
's ASF-X Shinden II fighter program.


Reception

''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, followed by '' Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies'' and ''
Air Combat ''Air Combat'' is a 1995 combat flight simulator developed and published for the PlayStation by Namco. Players control an aircraft and are tasked with completing a series of missions, with objectives ranging from destroying formations of enemie ...
''. The games have sold well predominantly in North America and Japan, where over 75% of all revenue was generated from the series by 2008. In total, the ''Ace Combat'' franchise has shipped over copies.


See also

* ''
Air Combat 22 is a 1995 air combat arcade game. Released by Namco, it is the sequel to Namco's 1993 arcade game ''Air Combat''. Its name comes from it running on Namco's Super System 22 hardware. It was released as both a dedicated deluxe arcade cabinet, an ...
'' * ''
Project Wingman ''Project Wingman'' is a combat flight action video game developed by Sector D2 and published by Humble Games. It was released on 1 December 2020 on Microsoft Windows and later released on 28 October 2021 on Xbox One. The game features two game ...
'' * '' The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces'', a spiritual spin-off released exclusively on the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
as a tie-in for the film ''
The Sky Crawlers is a Japanese novel series by Hiroshi Mori (writer), Hiroshi Mori. First published by Chuōkōron-shinsha in June 2001 and spanning six books, it follows the journeys and tribulations of a group of young fighter pilots involved in dogfight w ...
''


Notes


References


External links


Ace Combat official website
{{Authority control Bandai Namco Entertainment franchises Video game franchises Fiction about aerial warfare Combat flight simulators Video game franchises introduced in 1995