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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.

Storyline

Ace Combat 2’s storyline unfolds in May 1997 when several heads of state on the continent of Usea disappear on a diplomatic mission. A military faction called NA‑P2700 stages a rapid coup, seizing key sectors and an Extra Powerful Cruise Missile. The pro‑government Unified Command calls in the 92nd Special Tactical Fighter Squadron “Scarface,” led by the ace Scarface One, to halt the rebellion and reclaim the continent.

Scarface pilots strike rebel air bases, oil refineries and naval ports, engaging elite enemy aces known as Z.O.E. and confronting prototype weapons like the Dragonet‑class submarine and the massive XB‑10 “Big Bad Mama” bomber. Unified Command then launches two major offensives, “Alphaville” and “Bellissima,” dismantling critical URF targets and turning the tide.

The final assault pushes the remaining rebels into St. Ark, where Scarface destroys the headquarters and frees the city. The campaign ends with the Normal ending, restoring order to Usea.

Edited by Maya Carter