Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War

Not to be confused with Balkan Wars.

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
File:USAbox-acz.jpg
Developer(s)	Namco
Publisher(s)	JP: Namco WW: Namco Bandai Games
Director(s)	Naoto Maeda
Producer(s)	Hiroyuki Ichiyanagi
Designer(s)	Ryosuke Waki
Programmer(s)	Hiroki Odagaki Yoichi Murakoshi
Composer(s)	Keiki Kobayashi Tetsukazu Nakanishi Hiroshi Okubo Junichi Nakatsuru
Series	Ace Combat
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release	JP: March 23, 2006 NA: April 25, 2006 EU: September 15, 2006 AU: September 21, 2006
Genre(s)	Air combat simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is a 2006 combat flight simulation video game developed and originally published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game was first released outside of Japan by the newly formed Namco Bandai Games. Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is a combat flight simulation game but it is presented in a more arcade-like format in contrast to other flight-sim games arcade-style. It is part of the Ace Combat series of games. In Europe the game was released under the title Ace Combat: The Belkan War.

Gameplay

File:Ace Combat Zero screenshot.png

The player firing missiles at enemy fighters

Ace Combat Zero's gameplay is split into a single-player campaign mode and a two-player versus mode. The mechanics themselves are a mix of features from Ace Combat 04 and 5.

The game features primarily older versions of fighter aircraft seen in its predecessor game, such as the F-15C, F/A-18C, and several second- and third-generation fighters like the Saab 35 Draken. The player begins the game with an F-5E, an F-1, and a J35J, but is able to unlock and purchase more advanced aircraft by completing missions and destroying targets to earn credits. The game introduces the ADFX-01 Morgan superfighter (resembling the cancelled PZL-230 Skorpion attack aircraft), but players can also access the ADF-01 FALKEN from Ace Combat 2 and the X-02 Wyvern from Ace Combat 04.

The game revives Ace Combat 04's aircraft customization system - players can buy up to three special "SP" weapons per plane but can only choose one for the mission; they can also pick their wingman's SP weapon but not their plane. Another returning feature from Ace Combat 04 is the ability to withdraw from the battlefield for rearming at home base during long missions.

Zero retains Ace Combat 5's wingman-command system. During most campaign missions, the player can issue orders to the AI wingman using the DualShock controller's directional pad.

The game continues the Ace Combat series tradition of taking on aces who fly aircraft with unique paint schemes. Aside from the pilots and their squadrons whom the player faces as boss characters, many missions will have other enemy aces scattered throughout the game map; defeating them will list their unique plane and short pilot biographies in an in-game digital album.

Ace Style

One element of the game's mechanics is the Ace Style system. Over the course of the campaign, the player will encounter enemy targets that are incapable of fighting against the player and neutral entities, both of which are marked as yellow dots in the map display and yellow crossed target icons in the HUD. A horizontal bar with three boxes marked "Mercenary", "Soldier" and "Knight" can be found at the mission debriefing screen. The player's conduct during missions will see the rank slider bar sway toward one of these three boxes.

Which type of ace the player is will determine radio chatter, which ace squadrons the player encounters, as well as what FMVs play. Different aces earn different planes, and at the end of the game, each plane acquired will carry color schemes representing each fighting style.

• Mercenary Ace - Mercenary aces are pilots who destroy the opposition without mercy and are not concerned about their own allies, as announced by in-game FMVs. Players who kill all targets including non-hostile targets in a mission and ignore allied support requests, will see their ranking bar go left.
• Soldier Ace - Soldier aces are pilots who can fight as circumstances permit and change the flow of battle, as announced by in-game FMVs. This ranking is achieved by balancing kills of non-hostile targets while sparing some, and accepting some requests for support.
• Knight Ace - Knight aces are pilots who believe in fighting fair during the battle and protecting the weak, as announced by in-game FMVs. Players can attain this ranking by coming to the aid of allied units and not destroying non-hostile targets, which will result in the slider bar going right.

Plot

In 1995, the Principality of Belka invades several of its immediate neighbors which were former provinces of Belka itself. Much of Ustio falls to Belka's advance and the might of its air force. The Ustian government hires mercenary pilots to off set the Belkan advantage, and narrowly avoids total defeat by working with the Allied coalition of forces from Osea, Sapin and Yuktobania. With the help of "Galm" Team, Ustio is liberated and the allies begin their counter-offensive into Belka.

Galm Team consists of two pilots: Cipher and "Solo Wing" Pixy (Nicknamed as such after his F-15C's right wing was shot off by enemy fire, yet he returned to base safely. It is a reference to the 1983 Negev mid-air collision.) Cipher successfully destroys a Belkan tactical anti aircraft laser installation, but wingman Pixy becomes disillusioned with the war when a Belkan city is bombed by Allied forces indiscriminately. Unable to stop the Allies' advances, the Belkans detonate seven nuclear bombs on their own soil in an attempt to halt the Allied invasion, though this kills thousands of civilians. Pixy deserts Cipher, nearly killing him in the confusion and as a result of the nuclear blasts a cease-fire is ordered among Allied troops.

Following the detonations, the Belkan government accepts surrender and its resource-rich territory is divided between the coalition forces. Arguments ensue among the Allies over territory, resulting in military forces from every country forming A World With No Boundaries; a terrorist organization intent on erasing national borders and unifying the world. Cipher, along with his new wing man PJ are ordered to eliminate the new threat, culminating in the siege of a heavily fortified dam that houses Belkan nuclear weapons. Galm Team successfully destroy the facility and the nuclear threat posed, though PJ is shot down by Pixy, who is subsequently shot down by Cipher in the following duel, ending the terrorist threat.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	75/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
CVG	8/10
Eurogamer	6/10
Famitsu	35/40
GameSpot	7.9/10
IGN	8.8/10

Award

Publication	Award
Famitsu	Platinum Hall of Fame

The game received positive reviews. It holds a 75/100 score on Metacritic. As of January 2008, it has shipped 792,000 copies worldwide. IGN's Juan Castro graded the game at 8.8/10, stating that Namco took a chance in slowly evolving the series, and it offers "slight modifications" into the engine". He also took note of the story as different from other console flight games and the cooperative mode is a blessing to fans.

Computerandvideogames.com lauded the game's release date as a refresher from the multiple games of different genres that came out at the time. He noted the good graphical presentations and the sheer difficulty provided by the Aces.

Eurogamer's Rob Fahey, however, said the game's "incremental" changes confuse players with what has changed between this and Unsung War.

External links

• Official website