Ace Combat 2 (1997). Play online

Summary

Ace Combat 2 builds on Namco’s original Air Combat by turning the PlayStation into a personal fighter wing. I loved how the arcade‑flavoured controls let me pick from 24 different jets and earn cash after each of the 21 missions to upgrade my arsenal in a private hangar. Early on a wingman joins you, while “aces” — elite enemy pilots — appear as extra challenges worth special medals.

The team pushed the console’s polygon limit, adding crisper visuals, a longer draw distance, and DualShock as well as analogue joystick support, which made the sense of flight surprisingly immersive for 1997. The soundtrack mixes funk‑rock, drum‑and‑bass and techno, clearly riffing on a Top‑Gun vibe while matching each mission’s mood.

Critically, the game sold half a million copies in Japan, earned Sony’s Gold Prize, snagged a Famitsu Silver Hall of Fame and an IGN Editor’s Choice, and still holds an 83 Metacritic score. Its high difficulty and lack of multiplayer were the only notable drawbacks.