From Tekken and Soulcalibur to Tales and Darkish Souls (to call only a new), there’s no scarcity of beloved, distinguished gaming franchises that fall underneath the Bandai Namco umbrella, and certain sufficient, sitting alongside these names as yet one more one of many firm’s largest properties is Ace Fight. The flight fight simulation collection has been round for practically three a long time at this level, and in these years, throughout various instalments, it has offered over 19 million cumulative copies, which suggests it’s clearly discovered a sizeable viewers for itself. And searching again on the path its charted through the years, it’s not arduous to see why the Ace Fight video games have discovered the enduring and extended success that they’ve. In truth, right here, that’s precisely what we’re going to do- look again on the historical past of your entire franchise, discuss concerning the many adjustments it has gone by means of, the highs and lows it has seen from each vital and industrial views, and as soon as all of that’s behind us, what the long run could maintain for this long-running franchise.
And we’re going to kick issues off, as you could have imagined, by going all the way in which again to the collection’ inception, with the discharge of its first instalment in 1995. Curiously sufficient, the collection debuted with a sport that was titled Air Fight, not Ace Fight, releasing as a launch title for the unique PlayStation. Initially, it was purported to be a port of an arcade title that Bandai Namco (then often called Namco) had launched a few years in the past, however after the event group realized throughout improvement that the PS1 wasn’t highly effective sufficient to have the ability to run the unique sport properly sufficient, they determined to only make a completely new sport for the console from scratch.
Air Fight’s arcade-style flight fight gameplay endeared itself to many proper out the gate. The sport was properly acquired by critics, which was mirrored in stable gross sales as well- stable sufficient, in reality, that the franchise’s debut outing continues to be it’s third highest promoting sport so far, practically thirty years on from its launch. Air Fight was profitable sufficient, in reality, that its writer rapidly greenlit a sequel. It launched not lengthy after, releasing as Ace Fight 2 in 1997, simply a few years after its predecessor.
One of many largest issues that drove Ace Fight 2’s improvement, apparently sufficient, was designer Masanori Kato’s dissatisfactions with the visuals of the unique sport, and that, in flip, meant that upping the ante with the manufacturing values was one of many improvement group’s central objectives whereas Ace Fight 2 was within the works. It’s truthful to say that they succeeded. Upon its launch, the sequel was praised by critics and gamers alike for not solely its considerably improved visuals, but additionally better selection in missions, extra action-packed flight simulation gameplay, and extra, which, mixed with stable gross sales but once more, meant that Ace Fight had rapidly established itself as an vital IP for Namco.
The collection’ third outing got here not lengthy afterward, as you could have guessed. Launching after one other couple of years in 1999, Ace Fight 3: Electrosphere was the collection’ remaining outing on the PS1- and, in some ways, additionally one of many collection’ extra experimental and weirdly formidable video games, particularly for its time. Looking back, there’s loads that units Ace Fight 3 aside, however collection followers will let you know that its deal with story is without doubt one of the chief causes. Ace Fight as a franchise has grow to be strongly related to its emphasis on story through the years, and plenty of will let you know that Ace Fight 3 was the sport that actually kicked that off in lots of respects.
The sport additionally did so in a brand new, near-future setting (which, by the way, additionally allow you to fly spacecraft along with your common planes), whereas it additionally went on to grow to be infamous for the stark variations between its Japanese and western releases. The latter, you see, ended up having to go away a terrific deal on the chopping ground as a result of extreme price range constraints, which suggests there’s a good portion of Ace Fight 3 content material that’s current in its Japanese model, however not its worldwide one- most distinguished being a branching storyline that modified primarily based on gamers’ actions.
Understandably sufficient, Ace Fight 3: Electrosphere didn’t get pleasure from the most effective vital reception in western markets, and that was mirrored in its gross sales. In North America particularly, the sport underperformed, and in the long run, its complete gross sales have been decrease than Namco had hoped they’d be. Fortunately, that wasn’t the tip of the collection. In truth, simply a few years later, Ace Fight made its debut on the PlayStation 2, with Ace Fight 04: Shattered Skies popping out in 2001. And as Ace Fight trustworthy will gladly let you know, this one ranks as in all probability one of many collection’ most pivotal (and greatest) video games.
There’s a lot that we now strongly affiliate with the Ace Fight franchise generally that may be traced again to Shattered Skies. It was, for example, the primary sport within the collection to be developed by an inner improvement group devoted totally to the Ace Fight franchise, known as Mission Aces, which continues to be answerable for growing Ace Fight video games to at the present time. On prime of that, Ace Fight 4, which was designed as a reboot after the relative dip that was Electrosphere, was additionally the primary sport to ascertain the Strangereal setting that the collection nonetheless makes use of to at the present time. For these unfamiliar, Strangereal is the identify of the fictional universe the place the Ace Fight franchise is basically set. Strangereal’s Earth is similar to the actual world in some ways, however issues akin to nations, the world’s historical past, weaponry and know-how, and extra are typically fairly totally different.
Ace Fight 04: Shattered Skies’ try to reset the franchise and produce it again on observe turned out to be a profitable one. It loved widespread vital acclaim, drawing reward for every thing from its story to its action-packed linear gameplay to the way it leveraged the PS2’s extra highly effective {hardware} to ship top-notch visuals (for the time, a minimum of). Along with being a vital hit, it was additionally an enormous industrial success. In truth, with over 2.64 million models offered, it was the collection’ highest promoting sport till Ace Fight 7: Skies Unknown overtook it just some years in the past.
Given how properly Ace Fight 04 was acquired, it’s no shock trying again that the collection’ subsequent sport was the sort of iterative sequel that it turned out to be. Ace Fight 5: The Unsung Struggle launched for the PS2 in 2004, slightly over a few years after its predecessor got here out, and by and enormous, the consensus was that very like Ace Fight 04, Ace Fight 5 was a superb fight flight sim- for lots of the similar causes, in reality. Ace Fight 5 was comfortable to be a “extra of the identical” sort of sequel, constructing on the earlier entry’s foundations with a largely unambitious however well-made and compelling expertise. From a gross sales perspective, it definitely wasn’t the sort of success that Shattered Skies was, however it nonetheless offered properly sufficient in its personal proper.
From that time ahead, Bandai Namco additionally opened up the Ace Fight franchise as much as past simply mainline numbered releases, with a number of spinoffs releasing over the following few years- like, for starters, prime down 2D shooter Ace Fight Advance, which launched for the GBA in 2005, or Ace Fight Zero: The Belkan Struggle for the PS2 and Ace Fight X: Skies of Deception for the PlayStation Moveable, each of which launched in 2006. A couple of extra spinoffs adopted within the years afterward- however not earlier than Bandai Namco returned with one other mainline numbered entry, with Ace Fight 6: Fires of Liberation releasing in 2007. This one, nevertheless, was one other dip for the franchise.
Ace Fight 6 launched solely for the Xbox 360, which, mixed with comparatively much less enthused reception from critics and gamers in comparison with its predecessors, resulted in decrease gross sales than Bandai Namco would have anticipated. In truth, so far, the sport hasn’t managed to breach 1 million models offered even at this time, and continues to be the collection’ lowest promoting mainline entry so far. It doesn’t get pleasure from the most effective popularity amongst followers both. Although enjoyable sufficient to play in its personal proper, Ace Fight 6 is deemed by many to be one of many collection’ much less partaking experiences, whether or not that’s due to its disappointing story, a handful of annoying design decisions, or one thing else.
Given its unequivocal failure from a industrial perspective, it was no shock that Fires of Liberation turned out to be Ace Fight’s final mainline sport for an extended, very long time. A number of extra Ace Fight spinoffs have been launched by Bandai Namco within the years afterward, however there was a interval the place it appeared just like the collection’ inventory was plummeting continually, and whether or not or not it could ever claw its means again up was anybody’s guess- although, on the time, the good cash would have been on no.
That was thanks largely to the truth that the collection felt prefer it simply didn’t know what it needed to be with a few of the spinoff instalments it put out within the years that adopted. In 2010 got here Ace Fight: Joint Assault, one other PlayStation Moveable spinoff, which was notable for being the primary ever Ace Fight sport to be set in the actual world- although there actually wasn’t a lot else that stood out about it. A yr later, we received Ace Fight: Assault Horizon, which was additionally set in the actual world, however in its personal continuity separate from Joint Assault. Billed as a gritty, life like tackle the Ace Fight formulation, Assault Horizon was in the end an unremarkable, overly linear sport that did little to deliver Ace Fight again to its glory days. That very same yr, Bandai Namco additionally launch Ace Fight Assault Horizon Legacy, which, confusingly sufficient, had completely nothing to do with Assault Horizon, and was as a substitute a remake of Ace Fight 2- and, properly, it wasn’t horrible. However on the finish of the day, it wasn’t something past unremarkable both, sadly sufficient.
Then got here Ace Fight Infinity in 2014, and one way or the other, it was an excellent decrease low for the collection. Infinity was a freemium, multiplayer-focused sport that got here out in 2014 as a PlayStation 3 unique, which is simply an terrible mixture of unhealthy selections. Unsurprisingly, it was lambasted by critics nearly unanimously, and for a lot of, it turned a logo of the state that Ace Fight had discovered itself in- a state of full and utter wreck, to the purpose the place it was being salvation. Or so we thought at that time, at any price.
Impossibly sufficient, despite the widespread criticism it endured, Ace Fight Infinity one way or the other managed to be a industrial success for Bandai Namco, which led to the writer greenlighting a brand new numbered entry, one thing that many had although was by no means going to occur once more. Twelve years after the collection’ final mainline entry, in 2019, Bandai Namco launched Ace Fight 7: Skies Unknown, and with out a shadow of doubt, proved to be definitely worth the wait. A powerful marketing campaign, a wealth of modes, stable multiplayer gameplay, VR help, and extra got here collectively in one of many collection’ strongest outings, and the acclaim it garnered additionally led to spectacular gross sales. In truth, Ace Fight 7 went on to promote over 4 million models (as of 2022), which makes it the collection’ highest promoting sport by far.
Which brings us to now, at some extent the place the collection’ future is as soon as once more trying safe. Ace Fight 7 did a superb job of bringing the beloved IP again into the limelight, and with its vital and industrial success, Bandai Namco has additionally reinvested into the franchise. In 2022, in reality, the corporate established Bandai Namco Aces as the brand new studio to steer improvement on all issues Ace Fight, whereas the yr prior, it was additionally introduced that Ace Fight 8 was being developed in collaboration with help studio ILCA, and that it could be constructed on Unreal Engine 5.
It has, after all, been a handful of years since then, which begs the question- simply the place is Ace Fight 8? Bandai Namco has been engaged on it for some time, so are we to imagine that we’re approaching the time the place it is going to be formally unveiled? Distinguished leaker Midori not too long ago took to Twitter and claimed that the flight fight collection’ subsequent mainline instalment was certainly Bandai Namco’s subsequent massive game- however what precisely does that inform us about when it’ll come out? Is it being lined up for a launch inside subsequent yr or so? And in that case, does that imply we must always count on an announcement someday quickly?
At this level, all we will do is speculate- however there’s little doubt that there’s no scarcity of pleasure round what the long run holds for the Ace Fight franchise. Hopefully, Bandai Namco will inform us extra about precisely what that may entail sooner moderately than later.
