| Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere | |
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| Developer(s) | Namco |
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| Series | Ace Combat |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
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| Genre(s) | Arcade, Combat Flight Simulator |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
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| Media/distribution | CD(x2 in Japan edition) |
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (エースコンバット３ エレクトロスフィア Ēsu Conbatto Surī Erekutorosufia) is the third installment in the Ace Combat series of games. A major departure from every other game in the series, it featured a futuristic storyline involving a war between a group of multinational corporations.
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The plot, taking place in the future (between January 1[1] and July 21, 2040[2]), revolves around a war between a group of corporations fighting over territorial disputes in the Usean continent, and eventually a prototype fighter known as the X-49 Night Raven. During a period of financial chaos, the many governments of the world have eroded to nothing but corporatocracies. These corporations, like the governments they control, have disputes often, and eventually a war is sparked.
AC3 was the first game in the series to feature a third-person 360-degree camera that could be rotated on all three axes with the right thumbstick, and has a camera that can focus on the player's current target. It was also the first game to allow the player to choose their aircraft's armament.
The aircraft acquisition system from the first two games was shelved in favor of a fixed system. Certain missions can present the player with a limited number of planes to choose from (or only one plane in certain cases). They can ran the gamut from futuristic versions of real-world planes to unique concept planes. All planes are eventually unlocked in the Mission Simulator, which is activated when all missions in the game have been finished.
Ace Combat 3 is the only game in the franchise to be released in two discs. Because some mission paths are longer, they are carried over into the second disc. The player can also unlock five endings depending on faction loyalty.
It is the only game in the series so far to feature a mission in outer space. Although there is only one, it featured a reasonably accurate physics model of a zero-gravity situation. The game was also a departure in other ways; the style is reminiscent of the Wipeout series of games, especially the Head-Up Display.
Released in 1999, the Japanese version is extremely story-driven, featuring anime cutscenes, detailed characters, and 52 missions, with multiple paths through the game and 5 possible endings. The Japanese version introduced some elements carried over to Ace Combat 04, including radio chatter between comrades and enemies, and intelligent wingmen. The American and European versions, released a year later, have been extremely criticized for removing almost all of the story elements, including all of the cutscenes, and cutting the game down to 36 missions. The anime cutscenes and the fictional aircraft also alienated Japanese fans of the series, who were expecting something closer to the arcade style of Ace Combat 2. However, sales in Japan were still strong (though still 100,000 copies less than Ace Combat 2), but the cutting down of the storyline led to a lack of success in other markets.
The majority of the songs were done by Tetsukazu Nakanishi, who also did the majority of the songs and sound effects on Ace Combat 04 as well as being the sound director on that game and its two PlayStation 2 sequels, Ace Combat 5 and Ace Combat Zero, as well as Ace Combat 6 for the Xbox 360.
While the developers do not intend to remake Ace Combat 3, one of them commented that if there is enough demand and various issues can be resolved, he thinks it may be worth it.
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