Missions award money that is used to purchase new fighter aircraft, each with its own unique weapons and strengths. Players control an aircraft and are tasked with completing a series of missions, with objectives ranging from destroying formations of enemies to protecting a specific target from enemy fire.

The Story Behind Air Combat

In 1995, a terrorist organization launches an insurrection against allied nations, specifically the Skully Islands in the fictional country of Usea. A version for Japanese mobile phones was released on August 25, 2005, for the EZweb content provider. On August 9, 1996, it was re-released in Japan under Sony's The Best budget title range.

Company employees Masanori Kato and Kazumi Mizuno were tasked with bringing the game to the then-new PlayStation, but decided to create a new game from scratch after realizing the PlayStation's hardware was not powerful enough to properly render the arcade version's gameplay. Air Combat is a 1995 combat flight simulation video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation, and the first title of the Ace Combat franchise. Air Combat was created by Namco designer Masanori Kato and producer Kazumi Mizuno.

How Air Combat Plays

Company employees Masanori Kato and Kazumi Mizuno were tasked with bringing the game to the then-new PlayStation, but decided to create a new game from scratch after realizing the PlayStation's hardware was not powerful enough to properly render the arcade version's gameplay. Additional wingmen can be hired by earning additional money during combat. In 1995, a terrorist organization launches an insurrection against allied nations, specifically the Skully Islands in the fictional country of Usea.

Air Combat is based on a 1993 arcade game of the same name that ran on the Namco System 21 hardware. Air Combat was both a critical and commercial success; its arcade-like gameplay, realism, and cinematic approach were praised, though several criticized its graphics and presentation for being below-average. Players control an aircraft and are tasked with completing a series of missions, with objectives ranging from destroying formations of enemies to protecting a specific target from enemy fire.

Why Players Still Load It Up

IGN said the graphics, which they criticized for their constant flickering, were the game's weakest point, alongside its poor presentation. House also liked the game's addictiveness and longevity. The graphics and presentation of Air Combat were seen as being below-average.

Writers from IGN, who compared it favorably to Warhawk, praised its action-packed gameplay, as did AllGames Michael House and a reviewer from Coming Soon. Several argued the game started off at a slow and boring pace at the beginning, but became more fun after a while; GamePro wrote that patient players would "gradually get caught up in the gripping gameplay". By 2008 the game shipped 2.23million copies, making it the second best-selling game in the franchise behind Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.

Air Combat — Frequently Asked Questions