Release Date: May 30, 1997
The second part of the air shootout, which neatly combines arcade and simulation elements. Exclusively released on PlayStation 1, the production is a continuation of Air Combat from 1997.
Developed by Namco, the second installment of a series of arcade flight shooters, in which the players sit at the helm of modern combat fighter jets. The game combines arcade and simulation elements, trying to find a golden mean between them. The title is a continuation of Ace Combat, which was released in 1995.
A military organization is staging a coup in several countries on the Usean continent, taking advantage of the absence of leaders attending a peace summit hundreds of kilometers from their homelands. The rebels succeed in acquiring powerful weapons of mass destruction, the use of which could lead to another conflict on a global scale. In the face of danger, an elite air force combat unit, Scarface, sent on a mission to stop the terrorists. Depending on the decisions we make and successes or failures in key missions, the players can experience one of the three endings of the story.
Ace Combat 2 is an arcade flight simulator in which the players take on the role of a modern fighter jet pilot. As part of the campaign, they must complete a number of missions, carrying out the tasks entrusted to them during the briefing. In addition to the basic objectives necessary to complete a given level, the devs have also prepared minor side tasks, the completion of which enables us to discover hidden maps and planes and to win medals. Progress and success in battles are ranked, assessing the player and their progress in the game. A number of carefully reproduced fighters, including F-4, F-16, Mig-21, Su-35, F-22, Tornado F3 or A-4, have been put at the disposal of the players.
Depending on skills and expectations, the players can choose from several difficulty levels, as well as a simpler or more complex control model. In the latter, they gain more control over the aircraft and can perform more complex combat maneuvers. During the flight, the players can also give simple commands to their wingmen, ordering them to liquidate specific targets or to protect them from enemy attacks.
In addition to the campaign mode, the devs have prepared two additional modules. Extra mode enables to complete the campaign using other, previously inaccessible fighters. The free mode gives the players a multitude of configuration options and enables them to set the goals of a given task, the number of opponents and the level of their skills or the place of action of a given single mission.
Ace Combat 2 offers a much better audiovisual setting than the first Air Combat. The title once again focuses on dynamic and spectacular air battles, delighting with 3D models of aircraft and the effects of explosions.
Platforms:
PlayStation 1
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Age restrictions: 12+
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A series of aerial action games combining elements of simulation and arcade shooter. The brand was created and developed by the Japanese company Namco (now Namco Bandai) with development from Arsys Software, Access Games and Project Aces studios.
