Air Combat

Air Combat
Developer(s) Namco
Arsys Software[1]
Publisher(s) Namco
Series Ace Combat
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
  • JP: June 30, 1995
  • NA: September 9, 1995
  • EU: October 1995[2]
Genre(s) Combat flight simulator
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Air Combat, known as Ace Combat (エースコンバット, Ēsu Konbatto) in Japan, is a semi-realistic flight-sim action game released by Namco for the PlayStation home video game console in 1995.

Story

A terrorist force starts an uprising (and inflicts massive damage across an unidentified country, later retconned to Skully Island which is part of the continent of Usea); efforts to defeat these terrorists through conventional means have failed and the situation turns desperate. In response, a mercenary air force is assembled to take the fight against the enemy and free the nation from the terrorist forces.[3]

Gameplay

Air Combat is considered an "arcade-style" flight game due to its semi-realistic physics and the fact that many of the planes can carry up to sixty-five missiles (an impossibility in real-life aircraft). The goal of the game is to destroy enemy targets dispersed throughout the various missions and earn money to purchase additional aircraft or employ wingmen. Extra money can also be earned by destroying "non-target", optional enemies. The player can choose from 16 different planes ranging from F-4 Phantoms to Su-27 Flankers and Stealth aircraft, except they are painted in a special "Phoenix" color scheme.[4] Replaying the game after beating it once unlocks the normal color scheme for these aircraft. The game has multiple missions spread out over the campaign map, making it possible to not clear all missions in a single playthrough. Later in the game, players can select new pilots to be their "wingman" during a mission, by assigning them one of three tasks. Each wingman has his own corresponding aircraft, and deducts a fee from the player's credit haul at the end.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings60%[5]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Famitsu31 out of 40[6]
IGN7.0 out of 10[7]
OPM (UK)6 out of 10[8]
Next Generation[9]

Air Combat received mixed-to-positive reviews;[5] IGN described the gameplay's elements as "rock solid", although they noted on its graphical flaws, stating that "the flickery images and bland colors do nothing to showcase the PlayStation's graphics prowess".[7] Air Hendrix of GamePro similarly described the graphics as bland, with backgrounds and explosions lacking the "detail and polish" seen in most PlayStation games. He also found the early missions simplistic and uninteresting, but said the later missions show compelling strategic depth, and concluded, "Despite Air Combat's substantial flaws, patient arcade-shooter fans will gradually get caught up in the gripping gameplay."[10] A brief review in Next Generation stated "This decent flight game is one of the earliest PlayStation titles and hasn't aged as well as some".[9] Air Combat was also awarded "Best Flight Sim of 1995" by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Corporate profile". Cyberhead. Archived from the original on October 24, 2001. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Air Combat (1995) PlayStation release dates - MobyGames". MobyGames. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Gameplay screenshot" (PNG). Vizzed.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "Air Combat". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. Emap International Limited (1): 40–47. October 1995.
  5. 1 2 "Air Combat (PlayStation)". GameRankings. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  6. ↑ New Games Cross Review: エースコンバット. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.342. Pg.32. 7 July 1995.
  7. 1 2 "Air Combat Review". IGN. 1996-11-26. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  8. ↑ "PlayTest: Air Combat". Official UK PlayStation Magazine. Future Publishing (1): 80–81. November 1995. In terms of excitement Air Combat is an A-class product but it doesn't deliver enough staying power. Its coin-op lineage is painfully apparent.
  9. 1 2 "Every PlayStation Game Played, Reviewed, and Rated". Next Generation. No. 25. Imagine Media. January 1997. p. 57.
  10. ↑ "Air Combat". GamePro. IDG (87): 68. December 1995.
  11. ↑ "Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide". 1996.
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