| Ace Combat Zero | |
|---|---|
| File:Ace Combat zero art.JPG | |
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release | March 23, 2006 (JP); April 25 2006 (US) |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
Ace Combat Zero is a video game that takes place 15 years before the events of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. The game revolves around the rising of tensions between Belka and the combined forces of Osea and Yuktobania. Several characters from Ace Combat 5 make an appearance in Ace Combat Zero, but they appear in tertiary, sublime roles. The character you play as is a mercenary, "Cipher" hired by the country of Ustio, which was invaded in an attack from Belka.
The game features primarily older versions of fighter aircraft seen in its predecessor game, such as F-15, F/A-18, and several second generation aircraft like the Saab Draken. The player will go up against enemy ace squadrons who feature enhanced weaponry and combat prowess. Players who focus solely on the mission objectives will be given the "Soldier" rank, players who neutralize the enemy but do not kill them, along with attaining the mission objectives, will receive the "Knight" ranking, and those who "kill everything in sight" will earn the "Mercenary" ranking. These ranks will affect which enemy ace squdrons a player will face throughout the campaign. A split-screen versus mode is included with the game, but no online feature exists.
The Story
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is a retelling of the events of a war which happened earlier in the Ace combat time line; the story recounts the actions of a legendary mercenary ace, "Cipher", and his effect on both the outcome of the war and the opposing aces he defeated in combat. The narrator begins by telling us that, in 1995, Belka invaded its neighbors and started a war which engulfed the world.
After years of internal political unrest, which started around 1988 with the Belkan federal law review, Belka allowed its eastern territories to cecede. This however, did not remedy the vast economic crisis that had befallen the country. Osea, seeing a chance to make profit, assisted the eastern provinces in declaring independence and setting up Osean-friendly governments; one of which was the Ustio Republic. An extreme right-wing political group finally comes to power on the 12th of December 1991. Shortly thereafter, vast natural resources were discovered in the B7R region, and Belka invaded outwards on the 25th of March, 1995 recapturing lost territories in a blitzkrieg. These actions prompted both Osea and Yuktobania to combine forces and launch a counter-offensive against Belka.
At this time, the story of Cipher and Pixy begins.
Their early involvement in the war centers around repelling the Belkan forces out of Ustio. Relatively early on, they succeed in securing a direct route to the Ustian capitol of Directus, and, on the 13th of May, 1995, the capitol is liberated from Belkan control.
The two pilots are immediately deployed into Belkan territory where they begin offensive operations against the military infrastructure within Belka. The anti-ballistic-missile shield, Excalibur, is destroyed on the 23rd of May, 1995 after a failed operation that alerted the Allied forces to the Excalibur's presence. Cipher and Pixy are involved in numerous sorties including an offensive bombing campaign against the city of Ofnung on the 1st of June, 1995 where it is revealed that the Belkans are executing a scorched earth policy to keep their technology out of the invading armies' hands. This is a foreshadowing of things to come.
A pivotal moment occurs in the story on the 6th of June, 1995 during a mission to intercept bombers suspected of carrying nuclear weapons. Amidst the fighting, a large flash is witnessed and communication is greatly diminished. This is the date and time that Belka detonated seven nuclear weapons on its own soil to halt the advance of Allied troops. At this point, Pixy leaves the formation and flies outside of the mission boundaries. It becomes unclear exactly what has happened to Pixy.
Following this turn of events, "PJ" is assigned to the squadron and becomes Cipher's wingman. Their missions take them deeper into Belkan territory. On the very day when a peace agreement is being signed by Belka and the Allied forces (20th of June, 1995), they are involved in a covert operation to eliminate Belkan military holdouts refusing to "accept the Belkan government's official capitulation". Encountering very heavy resistance during this mission, PJ comments that there are too many enemies to merely be remnant forces.
It is only in the next mission, on the 25th of December, 1995, that the intentions of the terrorist organization, "A World with No Boundaries", become clear. In this mission, ace pilots from Sapin, an Allied country, are found defending the Hresvelgr aircraft indicating that dissatisfied pilots from all areas of the conflict have banded together to fight the current world powers and remove the notion of "borders".
The final sortie has Cipher and PJ heading out to stop the launch of several ICBMs containing nuclear warheads. On the way to the site, they encounter aces from Osea now turned to members of the A World with No Boundaries organization. After defeating these pilots in the B7R "Round Table" region, Cipher and PJ arrive at the Avalon Dam in northern Belka. After destroying the V-2 launch facility, Cipher's former wingman, Pixy, appears in the ADFX-02 aircraft as the organization's ace pilot. In order to stop a final ICBM, Cipher duels Pixy one-on-one, and finally defeats him.
The story ends with a final series of interviews the last of which is Pixy himself, fighting on a disputed border in present-day. He has reevaluated his perspective on why people fight for national identities and borders and has only one thing to say to his former wingman: "Hey buddy, you still alive?"
"And thanks, friend. See you again..."
The Round Table (Area/Airspace B7R)
This particular airspace is one of the main battle zones in the game and the border between Belka and Ustio. Aces who distinguish themselves in this area are known as "Knights of the Round Table".
It is located at north latitude 24° east longitude 235°. The topography makes the ___location look like a giant circle with a 400 km radius, hence the name "The Round Table". It is the attack corridor used by Belka to invade not just Ustio, but also its surrounding nations, making it an extremely important strategic ___location, charged to many Belkan aces to defend. The reason for the outbreak of war is the large cache of natural resources found within this area, making it very hotly contested. It is also the site where the player will encounter many enemy ace squadrons.
Characters
Ustio Air Force(Mercenary Pilots):
- Call sign- GALM 1
"Cipher" 6th Air Division / 66th Air Force Unit: "The Demon Lord".
(Mercenary and unknown main character, much like Blaze and Mobius 1 in Ace Combat 5 and 4)
- Call sign- GALM 2
Larry "Pixy" Foulke 6th Air Division / 66th Air Force Unit: "A Brother in Arms".
Wingman of the main character. He is nicknamed "Solo-wing Pixie" because of a mission where his plane's right wing blown off but he still managed to complete the mission and return. (This has some sort of reference to a real-life incident. [1] Pixie's preferred plane is also happens to be a F-15 Eagle like that pilot.)
Quote: "Galm 2 to Galm 1. Enemy reinforcements, probably the main force."
- Call sign - PJ
Patrick "PJ" James
A pilot that flies for Valais Air Base's Crow Team who happens to fly an F-16. He flies with the main chracter when Pixy is not part of the unit. Although a capable pilot, he appears to be young and slightly naive often stating that he is fighting to stop the fighting.
Quote: "I really like polo, you know, the sport with the horses."
Belkan Air Force:
- Call sign- ROT 1
Detlef "Red Swallow" Fleisher 2nd Air Division / 52nd Tactical fighter squadron: "A Pilot That Lives by Pride".
His squadron of four use Eurofighter Typhoons with a red,grey and white paint scheme. His squadron is the most famous in the Belkan airforce and thus is usually used as propaganda. They can use XLAA while dogfighting.
Quote: "Rot 1 to all craft. Time to hunt some wild dogs. Down 'em all!"
- Call sign- GRUN 1
Bernard "Owl" Schmidt 10th Air Division / 8th Tactical fighter squadron: "The Strategist".
His squadron is extremely flexible and can change to any flying style to suit the current situation. He is also nicknamed the "Night Owl" for his outstanding vision. His squadron of four uses F/A-18C with a green paint scheme.
Quote: "Ustio planes. Mercenaries. I think I'm gonna enjoy this."
- Call sign- INDIGO 1
Dimitri "Indigo Heron" Heinreich 7th Air Division / 51st Tactical fighter squadron: "A Man Who Upholds Honor".
His squadron uses four JAS-39C Gripens.They are posted to the eastern battle line. They are also known for their elegant style of combat which gained them the name "Indigo Order of Belka".
Quote: "Indigo 1 to all planes. Target confirmed. Begin attack."
- Call sign- GELB 2
2nd Lieutenant Rainer "Cormorant" Altman 5th Air Division / 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron: "The Fallen".
He is in a two-man squadron, both of which uses SU-37 Terminators. They are known collectively as "The Coupled Cormorants". They can fire QAAM backwards to clear their 6.
Quote: "There's two of them and two of us. That works in our favor."
- Call sign - SCHWARZE
Captain Dominic "Vulture" Zubov 13th Night Fighter Air Division / 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron: "The Bringer of Death".
His squadron of eight uses MiG-31 Foxhounds with black and red paint schemes. He Leads the Schwarze flight. A special surveillance and night fighter unit. They are the only unit in the Belkan airforce that has unconditional clearance to engage at will. Schwarze Wing is also infamous for their clearance of shooting down FRIENDLY forces without hesitation if they try to run away from combat. (reminiscient of the duties carried out by the NKVD during World War II)They are nicknamed "The Vultures" and are universally feared and hated.
Quote: "You're falling behind mercenary."
- Call sign - SCHNEE 1
2nd Lieutenant Erich "Phonix" Hillenberand 22th Air Division / 4th Tactical Figher Squadron: "A Man Who Lived for Battle".
Never liked to belong to a specific faction, Hillenbrand is still a 2nd Lieutenant despite his skill and experience. Never interested in promotion or awards , Hillenbrand's only loves are flight and combat. Because of this he is nicknamed "The Eternal 2nd Lieutenant". He is fiercely trusted by his wingmen, just like every ace in the Belkan Air Force. His squadron uses 4 F-14D Super Tomcats for combat and one EA-6B Prowler for jamming enemy radar. After inflicting critical damage to enemy forces in southern frontier (possibly Osean forces) they were sent to the frontline. They have the ability to use XLAAs in combat.
Quote: "Ustio Mercenaries! This is gonna be fun!"
- Call sign - SILBER 1
Lieutenant Colonel Dietrich "Boss" Kellerman 51st Air Division / 126th Tactical Fighter Squadron: "The Reborn Veteran".
Already retired from active duty, Kellerman called to the active duty after the war to boost the troop morale. He was training the pilot cadets before he was recalled to active duty. He is known as a man of few words , letting his flying skills talk for him. He pilots a F-4E Phantom II , however his wingmen use F-16C Fighting Falcons which are painted with silver zebra paint schemes.
Quote: "If you get confused, just let your hands take over. You've had enough training to do this in your sleep"
- Call sign - GAULT 1
Commander Anton "Dr." Kupchenko 18th Air Division / 5th Tactical Fighter Squadron: "A Revolutionary".
Kupchenko was a Belkan ace and highly decorated officer years prior to the war. Before being sent to the front again, he was head of Belka's weapons development and technology. He is also thought to have been the head director of "A World with No Boundaries". He and his squadron fly eight Su-47 aircraft against the player.
Quote: "A Wold with No Boundaries will eliminate all borders."
Sapin Air Force:
- Call sign - ESPADA 2
2nd Lieutentan Marcela "Macarena" Vasquez 9th Air & Land Division / 11th Tactical Fighter Squadron: "The Woman of Undying Faith".
Vasquez's motivation in battle was not over flying or ideals but for her flight lead, Espada 1. Her squadron makes an appearance late in the game, flying Rafale M aircraft and escorting the Hresvelgr. Although her wingman is shot down, she survives and returns to Gran Rugido, Sapin to continue living as a dancer.
Quote: "If the Demon Lord hadn't appeared, our lives might have been different."
Osean Air Force:
- Call sign - SORCERER 1
1st Lieutenant Anthony "Bedivere" Palmer 8th Air Division / 32nd Tactical Fighter Squdron: "The Witness".
An experienced and decorated ace, Palmer's connections to Bristow led him to join the group "A World with No Boundaries". His squadron of eight F-15S/MTD planes engages the player in the B7R region in the final sorties of the game. Armed with XLAA missiles, his pilots come at the player in pairs and attack from very long range. After the war, he makes a living in Oured as an insurance salesman.
Quote: "The king who sleeps at Avalon will become the new hero."
- Call sign - WIZARD 1
Captain Joshua "Lucan" Bristow 8th Air Division / 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron: "The Guardian".
Rumored to be one of the founders of "A World with No Boundaries", his involvement in the Belkan war is shrouded in mystery. Four F-16XL and four YF-23 aircraft make up his squadron. Disappearing shortly after the war, he is later found to be part of a terrorist organization, capture, and imprisoned in Osea.
Quote: "The darkness envelops me in a borderless world."
Pilotable Aircraft
- ADFX-02 Morgan (enemy ace only)
Other Aircraft
- AH-64A Apache (Gunship Helicopter)
- AV-8B Harrier II (V/STOL Fighter-Bomber)
- B-2A Spirit (Multirole Stealth Bomber)
- B-52H Stratofortress (Strategic Bomber)
- BM-335 (Fictional Experimental Bomber)
- C-17A Globemaster III (Heavy-lift Tactical Transport)
- C-130 Hercules (Medium Tactical Airlifter)
- CH-47 Chinook (Mediun/Heavy-lift Helicopter)
- E-767 (AEW Platform based on the 767 Airliner)
- KC-10 Extender (Tanker Aircraft)
- SR-71A Blackbird (High-Speed Recon Plane)
- XB-0 Hresvelgr (Belkan Super Weapon)
- XB-70 Valkyrie (Experimental High-Speed Bomber)
Special Weapons
Up to three special aircraft-specific weapons can be purchased for each aircraft.
- BDSP (Bomblet Dispenser)
- ECMP (Electronic Counter Measure Pod)
- FAEB (Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb)
- GPB (Guided Penetration Bomb)
- LAGM (Long-Range Air-to-Ground Missile)
- LASM (Long-range Air-to-Ship Missile)
- MPBM (Multi-Purpose Burst Missile)
- NPB (Napalm Bomb)
- QAAM (Quick manuver Air-to-Air Missile)
- RCL (Rocket Launcher)
- SAAM (Semi-Active Air-to-Air Missile)
- SFFS (Self Forging Fragment Submunitions)
- SOD (Stand Off Dispenser)
- TLS (Tactical Laser System)
- UGB (Unguided Bomb)
- UGBL (Unguided Bomb Large)
- XAGM (Advanced Air-to-Ground Missile)
- XLAA (Advanced Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile)
- XMAA (Advanced Medium-range Air-to-Air Missile)
Belkan Super Weapons
Some focus of Ace Combat Zero revolves around Belka's two (possibly more) super weapons. The first of these weapons is the Excalibur Ballistic Missile Defense platform. Developed in 1981, it is a symbol of Belka's military dominance. It is categorized as a chemical laser based weapon which was designed to shoot down incoming missiles and to stop enemy invasions. By utilizing high-altitude aircraft and satellites carrying reflectors, the laser's range can be extended to counteract the curvature of the earth and achieve a range of 1,200 kM. This technology is similar in design to the Arkbird's laser system (and to a lesser extent the FALKEN's laser system) in Ace Combat 5 as part of Belka was taken over by Osea and Gründer Industries began to sell its cache of weapons and technology.
The second super weapon operated by Belka is the massive Hresvelgr (XB-0) aircraft. Developed by the South Belkan Gründer Industries, this gargantuan flying fortress is actually a prototype with no mass production as of 1995. It is designed to act as a staging area and aerial aircraft carrier for air and land dominance operations, and, because of its size, can act as a large-volume transport and bomber. Despite its cost to maintain, the terrorist organization, "A World with No Boundaries", has seen fit to utilize the Hresvelgr.
Ace System
Your actions dictate who you are now. Nearly every mission contains red (target), green (hostile), and yellow (neutral/neutralized) targets. The player's ace status will depend on how many neutral targets he or she destroys. A player can shift along on a continuum from Mercenary to Soldier to Knight and back:
- Mercenary Ace: An Ace that lives for battle, money and glory. If you go about destroying all of the neutral targets, your ranking will gravitate towards this category.
- Soldier Ace: An Ace that lives for his fellow soldiers, and his country. If you are passionate about your country, but you restrain yourself at times, you're one of these. You must balance destroying neutral targets while letting an equal amount free and/or survive.
- Knight Ace: An Ace that lives for pride, and honor. If you believe in mercy, peace and fairness, you'll be one of these. Avoiding the destruction of neutral targets will shift your position towards this ranking.
At the end of the game, the player can view exactly where on the continuum he or she was during each mission.
What kind of Ace you are determines which Belkan Ace squad you will meet in battle.
Multiplayer
There are several stages available for play, each with their own specific situations. No online play is available as of this time.
- Stage 1: Deathmatch-esque level where a "bonus point" flag appears. The player must decide between attacking the other player or CPU-controlled aircraft or going for the bonus points.
- Stage 2: A very mountainous level purely in nature, the hilly terrain will serve as a good defence against attacks.
- Stage 3: Applying a bit of realism, both players will start out with a more realistic weapon loadout (e.g. 4 missiles and one special weapon). Because of the very urban nature of this city, using buildings to stop incoming missiles will be a very useful tactic.
- Stage 4: A level made up of a maze of gorges mixed with an anti-aircraft missile system and jamming centers provides for a very unique experience. Players can use the relative safely of the jamming zones to pop up into normally dangeruos altitude or destroy them outright, cutting down the available airspace.
- Stage 5: A level filled with AI-controlled enemy and friendly aircraft (in essence, a furball), a player must balance attacking the other player and swatting the other player's allies out of the sky for maximum points.
Missions
01. GLACIAL SKIES (OP. CROSSBOW)
02. ANNEX (OP. ROSELEIN)
03. THE ROUND TABLE (OP. CHOKER ONE)
04. JUGGERNAUT (OP. OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN NO. 4101)
- Gelnikos
- Round Hammer
- Costner
05. FLICKER OF HOPE (OP. VARSITY)
06. DIAPASON (OP. CONSTANTINE)
07. BASTION (OP. HELL BOUND)
08. MERLON (OP. DYNAMO)
- Alpha Team
- Beta Team
- Theta Team
09. SWORD OF ANNIHILATION (OP. JUDGMENT)
10. MAYHEM (OP. BATTLE-AXE)
11. INFERNO (OP. CANNIBAL)
12. THE STAGE OF APOCALYPSE (OP. RAVAGE)
13. LYING IN DECEIT (OP. STONE AGE)
14. THE FINAL OVERTURE (OP. BROOM)
- Mars Strike Team
- Mercury Strike Team
- Jupiter Strike Team
15. THE TALON OF RUIN (OP. VALKYRIE)
16. THE DEMON OF THE ROUND TABLE (OP. THUNDERBOLT)
17. THE VALLEY OF KINGS (OP. POINT BLANK)
18. ZERO
SP. THE GAUNTLET
Trivia
- All the Belkans squadrons are German words for colors.
- Rot is Red
- Grün is Green
- Indigo is Indigo
- Schwarze is Black
- Gelb is Yellow
- Schnee is Snow
- Silber is Silver
- Gelb Squadron share many similarities with Yellow Squadron from Ace Combat 04 other than the same name. The both fly SU-37s and share the same paint scheme.
- Galm Squadron is most likely a translation error from Garm as the Japanese language doesn't recognize the difference between the letters "L" and "R"
- The Country of Belka's name comes from the Russian word for squirrel, a popular animal in Germany.
- Schwarze Squadron has a paint scheme very similar to the Ace Combat 2 Ace "Stalker" whom also flys a MiG-31.
- Cipher's F-15C paint scheme is almost like Mobius 1's F-15C from Ace Combat 4.
- The country of Sapin is an anagram for Spain.
- The Sapin squadron, Espada, is Spanish for "sword".