Ace Combat

Ace Combat's 25th anniversary mobile wallpaper

"Out of all of the games that I regularly play, Ace Combat games are the most consistent for moments that have made me feel so thrilled with gaming that hairs stand up on the back of my neck that I'm so goddamn excited to be playing it."

― John Bain (TotalBiscuit)

Ace Combat (often stylized as ACE COMBAT) is an arcade flight action video game franchise developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment since 1995. The franchise typically features accurate real-life military aircraft in addition to unique fictional designs. The Ace Combat games are typically characterized by dramatic stories, fast-paced arcade gameplay, and grandiose soundtracks. The majority of Ace Combat games are set in a fictional world called "Strangereal," which bears some similarities to the real world while also featuring fictional continents, nations, and technologies.

Ace Combat is regarded as one of the most successful and longest-running arcade flight franchises in the video game industry. As of January 2025, the franchise has sold over 20 million total copies across all games and regions. The newest installment in the franchise is Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, which was released in January 2019 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, February 2019 on Steam, and July 2024 on Nintendo Switch.

Gameplay

See also: Category:Gameplay

Most Ace Combat games follow the same general gameplay format. In the single-player campaign, players are tasked with completing a consecutive series of missions. These missions start with briefing cutscenes that outline the main objectives and the enemy forces the player will face. After the briefing, the player can select one of their owned aircraft or purchase a new one, as well as a secondary weapon in addition to standard missiles.

Ace Combat mission objectives, enemy types, and friendly supporting units greatly vary across the franchise. Players will sometimes shoot down a squadron of enemy bombers, destroy ground installations, face off against ace squadrons, or battle a massive superweapon. Gameplay remains the same throughout; the player controls their aircraft in a 360° field in the sky with freedom to fly anywhere within the mission boundaries. Missiles must lock on to an enemy target to be guided, but players can also use an assortment of unguided weapons such as machine guns, bombs, or rockets.

Some missions also feature a Mission Update, where the objectives and enemy types change partway through. Once all objectives are cleared, most games follow to a debriefing screen that summarizes the player's performance in the mission. Some games also feature a Replay Mode that presents the player's flight in various cinematic viewpoints. Players are also treated to additional story cutscenes during and between missions to provide context to current and past events affecting the conflict.

Games

Numbered Series

The "Numbered Series" is the main series of Ace Combat games. These games feature a number in the title and all take place within the Strangereal universe.

Title	Platform	Year	Sales	Metacritic
Air Combat	PlayStation	1995	2,230,000	N/A
Ace Combat 2	PlayStation	1997	1,092,000	83
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere	PlayStation	1999 (JP) 2000 (EN)	1,164,000	N/A
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies	PlayStation 2	2001	2,640,000	89
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War	PlayStation 2	2004	1,802,000	84
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War	PlayStation 2	2006	792,000	75
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation	Xbox 360	2007	700,000	80
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown	PlayStation 4 Xbox One Steam Nintendo Switch	2019   2024	6,000,000	80 79 78 86

Secondary Games

The "Secondary Games" are handheld Ace Combat games that take place within the Strangereal universe.

Title	Platform	Year	Sales	Metacritic
Ace Combat Advance	Game Boy Advance	2005	100,000	56
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception	PSP	2006	476,000	75
Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion	iOS	2009	N/A	61
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy	Nintendo 3DS	2011 2015 (+)	N/A	71 63
Ace Combat: Northern Wings	Mobile phones	2011	N/A	N/A

Spin-Off Games

The "Spin-Off Games" are Ace Combat games that do not take place within the Strangereal universe.

Title	Platform	Year	Sales	Metacritic
Ace Combat: Joint Assault	PSP	2010	N/A	71
Ace Combat Assault Horizon: Trigger Finger	iOS	2010	N/A	N/A
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon	PS3 / X360 GFWL / Steam	2011 2013	1,800,000	77 / 78 77
Ace Combat Infinity	PlayStation 3	2014		54

Other Games

All games in this list were also developed by Bandai Namco and feature some ties to the franchise, but are not officially considered to be part of Ace Combat.

Title	Platform	Year
Air Combat	Namco System 21	1992
Air Combat 22	Namco System 22	1995
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces	Nintendo Wii	2008
AR Aircraft Hanger	iOS	2012
Mach Storm	Namco System ES3	2013

Unreleased

All games in this list were also developed by Bandai Namco and feature at least some ties to Ace Combat, but were never released.

• Ace Combat SS: The Young Yellow
• Brave Arms / Second / Chain Lim!t
• Galaxian Heroes