Ace Combat 3
Encyclopedia
is the third installment in the Ace Combat
series of games. A major departure from every other game in the series, it featured a futuristic storyline involving a war between a group of multinational corporation
s.
fighter known as the X-49 Night Raven. During a period of financial chaos, the many governments of the world have eroded to nothing but corporatocracies
. These corporations, like the governments they control, have disputes often, and eventually a war is sparked.
The aircraft acquisition system from the first two games was shelved in favor of a fixed system. Certain missions can present the player with a limited number of planes to choose from (or only one plane in certain cases). They can ran the gamut from futuristic versions of real-world planes to unique concept planes. All planes are eventually unlocked in the Mission Simulator, which is activated when all missions in the game have been finished.
Ace Combat 3 is the only game in the franchise to be released in two discs. Because some mission paths are longer, they are carried over into the second disc. The player can also unlock five endings depending on faction loyalty.
It is the only game in the series so far to feature a mission in outer space
. Although there is only one, it featured a reasonably accurate physics model of a zero-gravity situation. The game was also a departure in other ways; the style is reminiscent of the Wipeout series of games, especially the Head-Up Display
.
cutscenes, detailed characters, and 52 missions, with multiple paths through the game and 5 possible endings. The Japanese version introduced some elements carried over to Ace Combat 04
, including radio chatter between comrades and enemies, and intelligent wingmen. The American and European versions, released a year later, have been extremely criticized for removing almost all of the story elements, including all of the cutscenes, and cutting the game down to 36 missions. The anime cutscenes and the fictional aircraft also alienated Japanese fans of the series, who were expecting something closer to the arcade style of Ace Combat 2
. However, sales in Japan were still strong (though still 100,000 copies less than Ace Combat 2), but the cutting down of the storyline led to a lack of success in other markets.
The majority of the songs were done by Tetsukazu Nakanishi, who also did the majority of the songs and sound effects on Ace Combat 04
as well as being the sound director on that game and its two PlayStation 2
sequels, Ace Combat 5
and Ace Combat Zero
, as well as Ace Combat 6
for the Xbox 360
.
While the developers do not intend to remake Ace Combat 3, one of them commented that if there is enough demand and various issues can be resolved, he thinks it may be worth it.
Ace Combat
Ace Combat is a hybrid arcade-simulation flight action video game series featuring 12 games, published by the Japanese company Namco Bandai Games...
series of games. A major departure from every other game in the series, it featured a futuristic storyline involving a war between a group of multinational corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s.
Plot
The plot, taking place in the future (between January 1 and July 21, 2040), revolves around a war between a group of corporations fighting over territorial disputes in the Usean continent, and eventually a prototypePrototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
fighter known as the X-49 Night Raven. During a period of financial chaos, the many governments of the world have eroded to nothing but corporatocracies
Corporatocracy
Corporatocracy, in social theories that focus on conflicts and opposing interests within society, denotes a system of government that serves the interest of, and may be run by, corporations and involves ties between government and business...
. These corporations, like the governments they control, have disputes often, and eventually a war is sparked.
Gameplay
AC3 was the first game in the series to feature a third-person 360-degree camera that could be rotated on all three axes with the right thumbstick, and has a camera that can focus on the player's current target. It was also the first game to allow the player to choose their aircraft's armament.The aircraft acquisition system from the first two games was shelved in favor of a fixed system. Certain missions can present the player with a limited number of planes to choose from (or only one plane in certain cases). They can ran the gamut from futuristic versions of real-world planes to unique concept planes. All planes are eventually unlocked in the Mission Simulator, which is activated when all missions in the game have been finished.
Ace Combat 3 is the only game in the franchise to be released in two discs. Because some mission paths are longer, they are carried over into the second disc. The player can also unlock five endings depending on faction loyalty.
It is the only game in the series so far to feature a mission in outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
. Although there is only one, it featured a reasonably accurate physics model of a zero-gravity situation. The game was also a departure in other ways; the style is reminiscent of the Wipeout series of games, especially the Head-Up Display
Head-Up Display
A head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
.
Development history
Released in 1999, the Japanese version is extremely story-driven, featuring animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
cutscenes, detailed characters, and 52 missions, with multiple paths through the game and 5 possible endings. The Japanese version introduced some elements carried over to Ace Combat 04
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
, released in PAL territories as Ace Combat: Distant Thunder, is a semi-realistic flight simulation developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console...
, including radio chatter between comrades and enemies, and intelligent wingmen. The American and European versions, released a year later, have been extremely criticized for removing almost all of the story elements, including all of the cutscenes, and cutting the game down to 36 missions. The anime cutscenes and the fictional aircraft also alienated Japanese fans of the series, who were expecting something closer to the arcade style of Ace Combat 2
Ace Combat 2
Ace Combat 2 is the sequel to the 1995 Arcade/Flight-sim Air Combat, released in 1997 by Namco. Ace Combat 2 is part of Namco's Ace Combat series and continues the arcade style gameplay of its predecessor, with major improvements. Various subsequent Ace Combat games use similar maps or missions...
. However, sales in Japan were still strong (though still 100,000 copies less than Ace Combat 2), but the cutting down of the storyline led to a lack of success in other markets.
The majority of the songs were done by Tetsukazu Nakanishi, who also did the majority of the songs and sound effects on Ace Combat 04
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
, released in PAL territories as Ace Combat: Distant Thunder, is a semi-realistic flight simulation developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console...
as well as being the sound director on that game and its two PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
sequels, Ace Combat 5
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
, released in the PAL region as Ace Combat: Squadron Leader, is a semi-realistic flight combat video game for the PlayStation 2. Like other titles in Namco's Ace Combat series, Ace Combat 5 features gameplay that is a mix between arcade flight and authentic flight simulation...
and Ace Combat Zero
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
is a semi-realistic flight simulator developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is part of the Ace Combat series of games...
, as well as Ace Combat 6
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
is the sixth installment developed by Project Aces and published by Namco Bandai Games exclusively for the Xbox 360 as part of the Ace Combat franchise...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
While the developers do not intend to remake Ace Combat 3, one of them commented that if there is enough demand and various issues can be resolved, he thinks it may be worth it.