Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

The player firing missiles at an enemy fighter.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War is divided into three gamemodes: Campaign, where players progress through story-driven levels; Arcade, which removes most of the story from Campaign mode in favor of gameplay; and Tutorial, which teaches the player the base mechanics. The gameplay in these three modes is largely consistent; players pilot an aircraft and must complete a series of missions that must be completed in the allotted amount of time. Missions feature a wide array of objectives, ranging from destroying all enemy aircraft in a level to protecting a specific target from enemy fire. The game features over fifty playable aircraft, including military and experimental aircraft licensed from the United States and Europe, in addition to original designs created specifically for the game.[8] The majority of these aircraft are unlocked by progressing through the Campaign mode, while others are unlocked while destroying a certain amount of enemies with a particular craft.

In the Campaign mode, the player can issue orders to computer-controlled ally fighters, a method known as wingman interaction. With this, players can have fighters team up to take down a single target or spread out to cover more ground.[9] Wingmen can be assigned specific aircraft before beginning a mission. Completing missions awards money that can be used to purchase aircraft, while certain missions unlock side games like midair refueling.[7] The player's fighter has a limited number of ammunition, which is replenished by destroying enemy fighters. These fighters are also equipped with missiles unique to that fighters, such as those that can be launched at ground-stationed targets or aerial enemies.[8]

When a majority of OADF pilots from Sand Island are killed during an attack on the island by unidentified aircraft, surviving trainee pilots Nagase, Davenport, and Blaze are pressed into service to Wardog Squadron alongside Sand Island's sole surviving flight instructor, Bartlett. Wardog assists in intercepting various unidentified recon aircraft violating Osean airspace. During their second mission against these aircraft, Bartlett is shot down and subsequently declared MIA when he cannot be found by a rescue team. As a result, Blaze is temporarily assigned as the squadron's new flight lead after Nagase refuses to take the position. At the same time, the Union of Yuktobanian Republics declares war on the Osean Federation and launches a massive assault on various Osean military units. After the commander sent by Osea to replace Bartlett is shot down and killed during the air raid, Blaze becomes the official leader of Wardog Squadron.

Wardog encounters President Harling's transport aircraft and assists him in landing after the plane is damaged by friendly fire. Harling promises that he intends to find a peaceful resolution to the war, however the war escalates when Osea launches a full-scale invasion of the Yuktobanian mainland. When Yuktobanian forces attack a stadium where the Osean Vice President is making a speech, Davenport suffers extensive damage to his plane during his squadron's defensive operations and is killed after crashing. During their flight home, Wardog is attacked by the mysterious 8492nd squadron, but survive the ambush. Upon returning to Sand Island, the mechanic Beagle is accused of being a spy due to his military background being only known through Bartlett's word. Wardog and Genette are also labeled spies, and together with Wardog flee Sand Island as they are labeled traitors. The squadron later receives aid from Marcus Snow, the only remaining fighter pilot stationed on the Kestrel, who helps the pilots fake their deaths to get to the truth behind the war.

Intelligence on the Grey Men revealed that they used the 8492nd squadron to pose as aircraft from one country before attacking the other in order to escalate a war between both countries. Wardog learns that 8492nd squadron kidnapped Harling and imprisoned in Belka, and oversee a rescue operation. Upon his return, Harling re-designates the squadron as "Razgriz Squadron," a special forces unit with the goal of uncovering and thwarting the Grey Men's plot. Razgriz learn that the citizens of both countries have become increasingly opposed to the war, but that coups led in both countries, instigated by the Grey Men, removed each country's leader from power. Ragriz are tasked with stopping the Grey Men's ultimate plan of using a MIRV missile, launched from an orbital weapons platform named SOLG, capable of destroying most major cities in Osea and Yuktobania. Beagle reveals that the Grey Men's true goal was to weaken both sides so as to be unhindered in their efforts to reunite the partitioned Belkan territories. Joined by a coalition of soldiers and pilots from both Osea and Yuktobania, Razgriz successfully destroy the control facility. In a final desperate act, the SOLG's fail-safe caused the satellite to re-enter the atmosphere and attempt to crash into Oured. Razgriz manages to destroy the structure, bringing an end to the war and restoring peace between the two countries.

Namco first announced it was in development of Ace Combat 5 in the 2002 Tokyo CG festival, in a presentation focusing upon computer graphics.[10] Later, in 2003, Namco launched an official website promoting "Project Aces," originally thought to be a working title for Ace Combat 5.[11] "Project Aces" was later revealed to be the name for the internal Namco development team responsible for the Ace Combat series; Ace Combat 5 was the first title to directly credit its development to the "Project Aces" team.[2]

To ensure accuracy in the depiction of the game's aircraft, "Project Aces" was given permission by participating aircraft manufacturers to examine in person the planes that were to appear in the game.[12] The visual team also made use of satellite images from the Japan Space Imaging Corporation in the development of the game's environments. Moreover, "Project Aces" incorporated full motion video into the cut scenes of The Unsung War, as opposed to the still images used in the plot sequences of previous titles.[12]

Hiroshi Tanaka, the Namco localization producer for Ace Combat 5, highlights wingman interaction as one of the key distinguishing features between the game and its predecessors. Tanaka says that the wingman interaction feature introduces a "strategic and fun aspect of battle." Tanaka also states that because wingmen play a role in the story, the player can become more involved with the characters and the drama than in Ace Combat 04.[13] A third fictional aircraft, the ADLER, was planned but not fully developed due to time constraints.[14]

The background music of the game's main campaign mode is primarily orchestral,[15] although the arcade mode features rock music to complement its missions' more frantic pace.[16] The game additionally features three vocal tracks. One is "The Unsung War," a Latin choral piece performed by the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, that reiterates the "Demon of Razgriz" legend introduced in the game's campaign.[17] Another is "The Journey Home," a recurring song that implies a theme of peace during the campaign. The game also features the licensed track "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd, which is featured during the game's opening trailer, one cutscene, and the closing credits.[18]

In September 2018, Bandai Namco Entertainment announced that Ace Combat 5 will see a PlayStation 4 release in 2019, as part of a pre-order bonus for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.[19] Bandai Namco has since clarified that it is not a remaster, but instead a port of the PlayStation 2 original, running natively on the PlayStation 4 at higher resolutions.[19]

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War was marked with strong sales, selling over 287,400 copies in Japan[29] and over one million copies in North America,[30] though it undersold Ace Combat 04 by around 800,000 copies.[31] The game was also favorably received by critics. Although reviewers point out that the game is remarkably similar to Ace Combat 04, most also agree that the game's similarity to its predecessor did not detract from its overall quality. According to GameSpot, "this latest installment doesn't do much to change an already-winning formula—but not much was needed to keep this series feeling fresh and exciting."[4]

Overall, critics' reception of the title's gameplay was positive, particularly for the game's intuitive control schemes and large assortment of playable aircraft.[4][27] The gameplay was also applauded for its "ideal" place between "overtly arcadey rubbish and inaccessible hardcore simulation."[7][9] On review aggregator website Metacritic, the game has a score of 84/100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[22]

Reception of the game's new features, however, was mixed. The game's redesigned "target view" function was decried as "almost broken."[7][9] Although GameSpy welcomed improvements to the game's radar display, other additions such as wingman commands were seen as "gimmicky" and having little effect on gameplay.[9] The game's arcade mode was described as fun but lacking in features and storyline.[4]

The game's presentation was better received. Various critics praised the way that the game's storyline ties cohesively with the missions, allowing for better and more involving gameplay. GameSpot praised the game for its "captivating storyline."[7][27] IGN applauded that the game recognizes the player's accomplishments, adding a "sense of worth" to the campaign. Although GameSpy felt that the menu interface was not optimized in terms of usability, it lauded the look of the game's cinematics and briefing screens. Although others believed that the player's responses to wingmen had little effect on gameplay, Game Informer felt that the feature was a "brilliant way to create atmosphere."[27]

The game was acclaimed for its graphics, particularly its improved special and environmental effects and its authentically modeled aircraft.[4][7] However, critics note that the high level of visual improvement in some areas contrasts with little improvement in others.[7][9] The game's voice acting received mixed reactions. Although some felt that taken as a whole the radio chatter sets the game's atmosphere and creates a "hectic feel,"[7][27] most critics felt that much of the chatter was contextually inappropriate or annoying. GameSpy compared the voice work in 5 negatively with that in 04, feeling that the dialogue seemed "forced" and that sometimes "characters start to blabber just because they can."[9]

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• Official Japanese site