Ace Combat 2
| Ace Combat 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Distributor(s) |
‹See Tfd› |
| Designer(s) |
Asahi Higashiyama Takahiro Miura Takuya Iwasaki |
| Composer(s) |
Kohta Takahashi Nobuhide Isayama Hiroshi Okubo Tetsukazu Nakanishi |
| Series | Ace Combat |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release date(s) |
‹See Tfd› |
| Genre(s) | Combat flight simulator |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Ace Combat 2 is a semi-realistic combat flight simulation game made by Namco for the PlayStation game console. It is the company's second console offering in the Ace Combat series and continues the arcade style gameplay of the first game Air Combat, with major improvements.
In 2005 Namco re-released Ace Combat 2 as part of the NamCollection for the PlayStation 2 to celebrate the publisher's 50th anniversary.
Gameplay
Players complete missions by destroying various air and surface targets to obtain credits for their airforce. A mission briefing details the player's expected route of attack and the enemy opposition in a 3D map display. The player can also choose Novice or Expert control settings; the latter enables the player to execute realistic aircraft maneuvers such as rolls and high-g turns.
The mercenary wingman system from Air Combat returns, but instead of choosing pilots who have their own specific planes, the game introduces the player to only one male or female pilot to choose for the mission, but can opt to do the mission alone. Certain aircraft will be arrayed depending on the wingmen's mission assignments. Operation time will be dictated through a fuel gauge. The game mostly proceeds in a linear fashion, but later on, the player will have a choice of two branching mission paths (called Alphaville and Belissima). Certain targets in missions can also unlock secret missions and alternative endings.
Aircraft
Ace Combat 2 features many of the flyable aircraft seen in the first game, as well as new real-life aircraft. The game also introduces to the franchise the concept of superfighters, or jets that are unique from existing aircraft in design and performance. Two superfighters are introduced - the ADF-01 and the XF/A-27; players can only access the latter. A bar graph also indicates how many times the aircraft have been used. The planes also sport actual military color schemes, dispensing of the phoenix-style scheme found in the first game.
Aces
Ace Combat 2 introduces the concept of aces, elite pilots that have better flight performance than standard enemy pilots. They are identifiable by their planes' unique color schemes and their callsigns. Some of the aces fly together as a squadron. Shooting down a legendary pilot or squadron will earn a medal in the player's record.
Plot
A group of rebel military forces launch a massive insurrection all over the Usean continent. The takeover occurs just as several political leaders attend a peace summit in a faraway location. The speed of the coup enables the rebels to acquire special strategic weapons. The danger of such a threat prompts the deployment of Scarface, an elite mercenary air force, to quell it.
The above plot is fleshed out in the 3DS remake, Assault Horizon Legacy. Fearful of being caught in the saber-rattling between the Osean Federation and Union of Yuktobanian Republics four years after the events of the Belkan War, the nations of the Usean continent agree to unite and form a third-force alliance. However, countries in southern Usea consider joining the Osean Federation after it offers to sign a military treaty with them. The other countries in Usea object to this move, but the southern nations press ahead with the treaty. Conservative military personnel in these countries engineer a coup on the day of the treaty signing, and even military forces in the other Usean nations join the rebellion. In danger of total collapse, the Usean government executes an offensive codenamed Operation Fighter's Honor, with the Special Tactical Fighter Squadron Scarface leading the attack.
Characters
Nintendo 3DS Remake
A Nintendo 3DS remake was released as Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy in North America on November 15, 2011 and Europe on December 2, 2011. The Japanese version, titled Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble, was released on January 12, 2012. This remake features reworked voice acting and a reimagining of the level design.
External links
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