| Ace Combat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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[a] 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,[b] and has established itself as one of the longest running arcade flight action franchises.
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