Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ace Combat 5<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
| |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Namco
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)</th><td>Namco</td></tr> |
| Release date(s) | October 21, 2004 (JP) October 24, 2004 (NA) February 18, 2005 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)</th><td>ESRB: Teen |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2
<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media</th><td>1 DVD</td></tr> |
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (エースコンバット5 ジ・アンサング・ウォー?) is a game for the PlayStation 2 developed by Namco. It is a semi-realistic fighter pilot simulation. It is part of the Ace Combat series of games. In Europe and Australia this game was released under the title Ace Combat: Squadron Leader.
Contents |
[edit] Game premise
With the campaign mode the player takes on the role of the trainee Blaze of the Osea Air Defense Force (OADF). After a routine training mission resulted in the death of two instructors and numerous trainees, Blaze is bumped up to being an active member of the Wardog squadron that includes Kei Nagase (Edge), Alvin Davenport (Chopper), and squad leader Jack Bartlett (Heartbreak One). Osea is subjected to strange recon activities by an unknown nation, believed to be the nearby Yuktobania, a massive superpower that equally matches Osea in military might. Tensions rise between Osea and Yuktobania, and the Wardog squadron is sent to investigate. Soon, The Union of Yuktobanian Republics declares war on the Osean Federation. But, this war was not instigated by Yuktobania, as is believed early in the game. The fallen nation of Belka {Squirrel in Russian}, which was defeated by the allied forces of Osea and Yuktobania in The Belkan War of 1995, sought revenge and pitted the two nations against each other.
With the arcade mode the player takes on the role of Mobius 1 from Ace Combat 04 in a more fast-paced game with different missions and objectives than the campaign mode.
[edit] Game play
During the course of the game, the player has the opportunity to buy 53 different planes, from those that actually exist to prototypes to fantasy planes. Many planes have alternate paint schemes, gained by meeting certain goals in missions. There are a total of 32 missions in the campaign mode, but due to multiple mission paths, there are a total of 29 missions flown in a single campaign.
The difficulty mode affects how many enemies are in a stage, how smart/accurate the enemies are, how much damage the enemies can take, and how much damage the player's airplane can take. On the hardest difficulty level a single missile from the enemy will down the player's airplane, whereas on the easiest level it takes several missiles.
The player ultimately gains control of a squadron of their own, and must purchase planes for squadron members. When preparing for a mission, the player gets to pick each airplane that each squad member will use. During missions some orders can be given to wingmen, such as whether to actively engage enemies, spread out, and use special weapons.
The player must purchase all airplanes they want to use — up to four of each model(one for each squad member).Players gain money by destroying enemies. Once the mission objectives are complete, the player is awarded bonus money for performing above and beyond the requirements of the mission objectives. With missions that require landing or refueling in mid-air, bonus money can be earned by doing them quickly
The game is only semi-realistic in the sense that the abilities of the airplanes are greatly exaggerated. Some of the most noticeable issues are:
- Some airplanes can carry nearly 100 missiles
- The afterburner has no limit in usage
- One airplane has a high powered laser
-(It should be noted that a variant of the JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) is set to be modified to carry a tactical fighter based offensive laser system... according to the program 'Future Weapons' on the Discovery Channel)
The game also bears other deviations from reality, including the player being able to fly through trees without taking damage, AI planes occasionally flying through terrain or underground/underwater, and the player's wingmen being able to sustain unlimited damage.
[edit] Differences between Ace Combat 04 and Ace Combat 5
There are a number of key differences between Ace Combat 04 and Ace Combat 5. These include:
- AC5 does not have support for more than one player
- AC5 added the ability to give orders to the player's wingmen
- AC5 does not allow the player to rearm their airplane during missions
- AC5 awards medals for accomplishing various goals
- AC5 unlocks some planes by having the player destroy targets using the preceding plane in the same family
- AC5 awards credits to the player even if their wingmen shoot enemies; allied non-wingmen kills remain unrewarded
- AC5 wingmen may destroy mission objective targets
- AC5 allows the user to choose between two missions at points in the game
- AC5 gives players the option to select their wingmen's planes for optimal air to ground or air to air power for each mission
[edit] Aircraft
The following aircraft are pilotable. Other aircraft are in the game, but are not pilotable.
| Name | Missiles | Secondary | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-5E Tiger II | 52 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 12 UGB (unguided bomb) (Mk. 83) | none |
| F-20A Tigershark | 60 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 SAAM (semi-active air-to-air missile) (AIM-7F Sparrow) | F-5E (Tiger II) |
| X-29A | 60 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 QAAM (quick-maneuver air-to-air missile) (AIM-9X Sidewinder) | F-20A (Tigershark) |
| MiG-21bis Fishbed-L | 56 (AA-8 Aphid) | 8 RCL (rocket launcher pod) (UV-16-57 50mm Rockets) | none |
| MiG-21-93 Fishbed-J | 72 (AA-8 Aphid) | 12 QAAM (AA-11 Archer) | MiG-21bis (Fishbed) |
| F-4E Phantom II | 62 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 NPB (napalm bomb) (Mk. 77) | none |
| F-4G Phantom II (Wild Weasel) | 64 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 LAGM (long-range air-to-ground missile) (AGM-88 HARM) | F-4E (Phantom II) |
| F-4X | 70 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 XMAA (advanced medium-range air-to-air missile) (AIM-120 AMRAAM) | F-4G (Phantom III Wild Weasel) |
| A-6E Intruder | 60 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 UGBL (large unguided bomb) (Mk. 84) | none |
| EA-6B Prowler | 66 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 5 ECMP (electronic countermeasures pod) (AN/ALQ-99) | A-6E (Intruder) |
| F-16C Fighting Falcon | 60 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 UGB (Mk. 83) | none |
| F-16C Block 60 Fighting Falcon | 68 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 12 XMAA (AIM-120 AMRAAM) | F-16C (Fighting Falcon) |
| F-16XL | 68 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 XAGM (advanced air-to-ground missile) (AGM-65 Maverick) | F-16C (Fighting Falcon) |
| F-2A | 72 (AAM-3) | 12 LASM (long range air-to-surface missile) (ASM-2) | F-16C (Fighting Falcon) |
| F/A-18C Hornet | 64 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 LASM (AGM-84 Harpoon) | none |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet | 68 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 12 XMAA (AIM-120 AMRAAM) | F/A-18C (Hornet) |
| EA-18G Growler | 74 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 6 ECMP (AN/ALQ-99) | F/A-18E (Super Hornet) |
| Mirage 2000C | 60 (R550 Magic II) | 8 SAAM (Super 530) | none |
| Mirage 2000D | 64 (R550 Magic II) | 14 UGBL (SAMP BL4) | Mirage-2000 |
| MiG-29A Fulcrum-A | 60 (AA-8 Aphid) | 14 UGB (FAB-500) | none |
| A-10A Thunderbolt II | 64 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 XAGM (AGM-65 Maverick) | none |
| YA-10B | 71 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 FAEB (fuel-air explosive bomb) (CBU-72/B) | A-10A (Thunderbolt II a.k.a. Warthog) |
| F-14A Tomcat | 68 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 SAAM (AIM-7F Sparrow) | none |
| F-14B Tomcat | 70 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 12 GBP (guided penetrating bomb) (GBU-32 JDAM) | F-14A (Tomcat) |
| F-14D Super Tomcat | 72 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 XLAA (advanced long-range air-to-air missile) (AIM-54C Phoenix) | F-14B (Bombcat) |
| Tornado-GR.1 | 68 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 BDSP (bomblet dispenser) (JP.233) | none |
| Tornado-GR.4 | 72 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 12 SOD (stand-off dispenser) (Storm Shadow) | Tornado-GR1 |
| Tornado-F3 | 68 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 XMAA (Skyflash) | Tornado-GR1 |
| Tornado-ECR | 70 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 5 ECMP (Cerberus) | Tornado-GR1 |
| MiG-31 Foxhound-A | 70 (AA-8 Aphid) | 14 SAAM (AA-6 Acrid) | none |
| MiG-31M Foxhound-B | 74 (AA-8 Aphid) | 14 XLAA (AA-9 Amos) | MiG-31 (Foxhound) |
| F-15C Eagle | 70 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 10 SAAM (AIM-7F Sparrow) | none |
| F-15E Strike Eagle | 76 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 SFFS (self-forging fragment submunition a.k.a. cluster bomb) (CBU-97) | F-15C (Eagle) |
| F-15S/MTD | 80 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 XMAA (AIM-120 AMRAAM) | F-15C (Eagle) |
| Su-27 Flanker-B | 72 (AA-8 Aphid) | 10 SAAM (AA-10 Alamo) | none |
| Su-32 Fullback | 80 (AA-8 Aphid) | 16 XAGM (AS-14 Kedge | Su-27 (Flanker) |
| Su-35 Flanker-E | 80 (AA-8 Aphid) | 14 XLAA (AA-9 Amos) | Su-27 (Flanker) |
| Su-37 Flanker-F | 82 (AA-8 Aphid) | 14 QAAM (AA-11 Archer) | Su-35 (Super Flanker) |
| F-117A Nighthawk | 56 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 16 GPB (GBU-27 Paveway III) | none |
| JAS-39C Gripen | 68 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 12 RCL (Bofors M70 135mm rockets) | none |
| EF-2000 Typhoon | 78 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 XLAA (Meteor) | none |
| R-M01 Rafale M | 74 (R550 Magic II) | 14 LASM (Exocet) | none |
| R-B01 Rafale B | 76 (R550 Magic II) | 14 SOD (Matra Apache) | R-M01 (Rafale M) |
| F-35C Lightning II | 76 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 LASM (AGM-84 Harpoon) | none |
| YF-23A Black Widow II | 80 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 12 QAAM (AIM-9X Sidewinder) | none |
| F/A-22A Raptor | 82 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 16 XMAA (AIM-120 AMRAAM) | none |
| FB-22 | 82 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 18 SOD (AGM-154 JSOW) | F/A-22A (Raptor) |
| Su-47 Firkin | 82 (AA-8 Aphid) | 14 SAAM (AA-10 Alamo) | none |
| S-32 | 82 (AA-8 Aphid) | 14 QAAM (AA-11 Archer) | Su-47 (Berkut) |
| MiG-1.44 Flatpack | 80 (AA-8 Aphid) | 18 UGBL (FAB-1000) | none |
| T-1.A Hawk | 56 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 6 QAAM (AIM-9X Sidewinder) | none |
| X-02 Wyvern | 84 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 XLAA | none |
| ADF-01F Falken | 84 (AIM-9M Sidewinder) | 14 TLS (Tactical Laser System) | none |
[edit] Operation Katina
Ace Combat: Operation Katina puts the player in control of Ace Combat 04's pilot "Mobius 1," the legendary Ace fighter pilot who brought the ISAF to victory singehandedly. The player's mission is to play through a number of stages filled with enemies and defeat a certain number of them in order to advance to the next stage. As the player progresses the game naturally gets more difficult and the player will have to adopt new techniques for countering the increasingly aggressive enemies' attacks. The mini-game is split into four branches, levels 1-4: 1 being the least difficult and 4 the most challenging. "SkyEye," the AWACS from Ace Combat 04 returns as well and provides mission support for the duration the game.
Unlike the Campaign Mode of Ace Combat 5, the player starts off with a low ammunition count and must carefully make his or her shots meet their mark. However, throughout the various levels there are different aircraft and ships that can be destroyed by the player to collect extra weapons from these special targets. The special target will be marked as for example, "C-130 M." In this case the C-130 is carrying extra missiles and shooting it down will result in the player being restocked with 10 missiles. The player can refill missiles and special weapons only; the machine gun uses unlimited ammunition.
[edit] Background
During the Usean Continental War (see Ace Combat 04) that spanned from late 2004 to mid 2005; the nations of Erusea and the ISAF (Independent States Allied Forces) fought a long and vicious conflict. Erusea was trying to crush the ISAF resistance and totally conquer the Usean continent whereas the ISAF was struggling to liberate their constituent states from the Erusians' clutches. Eventually the ISAF were victorious, but at an enormous cost in lives. About a year after the ISAF's hard-earned victory, there are still remnants of the Erusian military that refuse to accept the surrender and are calling for uprisings across the land. After some time, they have succeeded in capturing an old military factory and a very large quantity of weapons.
It seems that only one person can stop this rising threat. That person is a quiet pilot that goes by the callsign of Mobius 1.
[edit] List of major characters
[edit] Wardog/Razgriz Squadron
- "Blaze" is the callsign of the player, his real name and his appearance are never revealed. Blaze rises from trainee to squad captain of the Wardog squadron after Bartlett is shot down.
- Captain Jack Bartlett, 42, callsign "Heartbreak One", is the leader of the Wardog squadron. He has been a Captain in the Osean army for many years. Additionally, he helped Pops after they were both shot down over enemy territory. During the events of AC5 he is shot down and considered KIA for some time, until is revealed that he survived, and rejoins his former pupils after helping in the rescue of Yuktobania's Prime Minister.
- Kei Nagase, 23, callsign "Edge", is the only female pilot in the Wardog squadron. She remains dedicated to protecting Blaze after seeing Bartlett shot down. She is shot down during a mission to rescue Osean POWs (Ice Cage), but is rescued shortly thereafter.
- Alvin Davenport, 29, callsign "Chopper", is a member of Wardog squadron. He is killed in action when he crashes his badly-damaged aircraft in the middle of November International Stadium rather than risking having it crashing into the evacuating crowd, while flying cover for the Osean Vice President's speech in the stadium (Journey Home).
- Hans Grimm, 19, callsign "Archer", is a trainee pilot who ends up taking the fourth spot in Wardog squadron after Bartlett is shot down. He has a brother who is part of the ground forces.
- Captain Marcus Snow, 34, callsign "Swordsman", is leader of Kestrel's air wing (CVW-7, VFA-206). He joins the Wardog squadron after helping them fake their deaths (Final Option).
[edit] Other Characters
- Captain Nicholas Anderson, 61, is the Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier Kestrel.
- 2nd Lieutenant Peter N. Beagle, 56, a.k.a. "Pops", a.k.a. "Huckebein the Raven", is a mechanic for the Wardog squadron, but was a very accomplished ace many years prior when fighting for the Belkans. Ace Combat Zero suggests his real name is "Wolfgang Buckner", and that he was pursued by Schwarze Squadron during the events of 'Mayhem'.
- Albert Genette, 32, is a photojournalist assigned to Sand Island. He covers many of Wardog squadron's battles and turns them into living legends.
- Captain Allen Hamilton, 36, is the Adjutant Base Commander at Sand Island. It is revealed that he once flew with the Grabacr Sqaudron, and that he is actually working for the Belkans ( Final Option ). He was killed during Operation Aces by a richocheting plane in the tunnel.
- Vincent Harling is the president of Osea who was kidnapped by the 8492nd Squadron and later retrieved by the Ghosts of Razgriz.
- Seryozha Viktrovich Nikanor is the Prime Minister of Yuktobania.
- "Major", a.k.a. Nastasya a female Yuktobanian Army intelligence officer that was rescued along with the Prime Minister Nikanor by Captain Bartlett. She was also the one who broke Bartlett's heart 15 years ago and was referred to by "Pops" as Bartlett's lady friend during a discussion with Genette.
- Colonel Orson Perrault, 48, is the Commander of the Sand Island base. He is duped into thinking that Wardog squadron are spies, forcing them to escape with Pops' help (Final Option).
- AWACS Thunderhead is the Osean AWACS for Wardog squadron.
- AWACS Oka Nieba (Means 'Eye of the Heavens' in Polish) and ('Sky Eye' in Yuktobanian, which is also the name of the AWACS in Ace Combat 4 and Ace Combat: Operation Katina) is the Yuktobanian AWACS for Razgriz squadron's last two missions.
[edit] Trivia
- The name "Nagase" is also used in other Namco games. In "Ace Combat 4", the First Officer's last name on the damaged civilian flight carrying the Stonehenge designers was 'Nagase'. Also, Reiko Nagase appears as a "race queen" in several Ridge Racer titles.
- The band that Chopper listens to is named "Sky Kid", just like the bar the narrator of Ace Combat 4 works at.
- From Ace Combat 4 through Ace Combat Zero, There is a squadron called "Meteor" in each game.
- On the last level, "The Unsung War", there are two cars from Ridge Racer on the side of the highway.
- The BAE Hawk's special color scheme (SP) appears similar to the paint scheme of the S-211's of the Philippine Air Force.
- In the first mission, "Namco" and "50" are written in crop circles, commemorating Namco's 50th anniversary.
- In the last mission, "The Unsung War", Grabacr One says that he was the one who shot down Huckebein 15 years ago. In AC0 your character, Galm One (Cipher), would see Huckebein engaging Grabacr during the Ustio mercenary's encounter with Schwarze Team (Mission "Mayhem", under Mercenary Ace Mode). Cipher has the option to chase and shoot Huckebein down, help Huckebein escape by shooting down Grabacr, or just let the two of them battle it out (and Huckebein indeed CAN be shot down by Grabacr).
- The song heard playing prior to the air raid in "First Flight" is Blurry by Puddle of Mudd.
- On the mission "Aces", a SU-37 is flying through the tunnel which is labeled "Yellow." The "Yellow" tag was given to the Yellow Squadron in Ace Combat 04 which was the best Erusian fighter squadron.
[edit] Mythology
- The demon of Razgriz is heavily referred to in this game, although the origins of this demon, and reason for using this name, are unknown. The name Razgriz possibly refers to a Valkyrie named Rathgrith (Ráðgríð or Ráðgríðr), a word meaning "Counsel of Peace" or "The Peace of the Gods".
- The Hrimfaxi and Scinfaxi submarines take their names from the Norse Myth of Fifiäum.
- Other references to various mythological characters and places are made throughout the game.
[edit] External links
- Ace Combat 5 official site
- The Electrosphere - the largest AC Database on the net
- AceCombatSkies, AC Fan Site and Forum
|
| Ace Combat series |
|---|
| Video games |
| Air Combat | 2 | 3 | 04 | 5 | Zero | Advance | X: Skies of Deception |
| Objects and locations |
| Countries / Organisations: A World With No Boundaries | Aurelia | Belka | Erusea | Gründer Industries | ISAF | Leasath | Osea | Sapin | Usea | Ustio | Yuktobania |
| Planes: ADF-01 Falken | ADFX-01 Morgan| X-02 Wyvern | R-100 Delphinus | XFA-27 | XFA-36A | R-311 Remora | X-49 Night Raven | XR-45 Cariburn | XFA-24A Apalis | YR-302 Fregata | YR-99 Forneus |
| Superweapons: Arkbird | Excalibur | Hrimfaxi & Scinfaxi | Megalith | SOLG | Stonehenge | XB-0 Hresvelgr | Gleipner | Meson Cannon | Fenrir |
| Other |
| Aircraft of Ace Combat | Characters of Ace Combat | Ace Combat X Super Aircraft |
