Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Template:Future game Ace Combat Zero is a video game that takes place 15 years before the events of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. This game was recently announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2005. The official website has the game slated for a March 23, 2006 release. The game appears to revolve around the rising of tensions between Belka and the combined forces of Osea and Yuktobania. It is unkown how many, if any at all, of the characters from Ace Combat 5 make an appearance in Ace Combat Zero, but several voice actors of characters in Ace Combat 5 are present in a pre-release trailer. The character you play as is a mercenary hired by the country of Ustio who was invaded in a attack from Belka.
Not much else is known, but the game seems to feature 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. Also, Gamespot.com has reported, based on playing a preliminary build of the game, that the game will feature what are in effect boss battles against rival aces interspersed through the games campaign. These foes aparently boast enhanced weaponry and combat prowess. The game will also rank players on their playstyle. 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 reportedly affect the players progression through the campaign, but it is not yet clear how this will function.
The Story So Far
The Belkan war, appears to be a retelling of the events of a war which happened earlier in the ace combat time line, the story is being retold on the 25th November 2005. The narrator tells us that In 1995 Belka invaded its neighbors and started a war that engulfed the world.
After years of internal political unrest, which started around 1988 with the Belkan federal law review, a right wing political group between 1988-1991 became more influential during an economic crisis. Finally the party comes to power on the 12th December, 1991. 4 Years later, on the 25 March Belka Invades outwards. In between this crisis the Ustio Republic is founded on the 12 May 1988.
Characters Thus far, only 5 characters have been revealed from 4 different squadrons.
Ustio Air Force:
- Call sign- GALM 1
‘Cipher’
6th Air Division / 66th Tactical Fighter Unit (Mercenary and unkown main character , much like Blaze in Ace Combat 5)
- Call sign- GALM 2
Larry ‘Pixy’ Foulke
6th Air Division / 66th Tactical Fighter Unit : Narrator and 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.
Belkan Air Force:
- Call sign- ROT 1
Detlef ‘Red Swallow’ Fleisher 2nd Air Division / 52nd Tactical fighter squadron
- Call sign- GRUN 1
Bernard ‘Owl’ Schmidt 10th Air Division / 8Th Tactical fighter squadron
- Call Sign- INDIGO 1
Dimitri ‘Indigo Heron’ Heinreich 7th Air Division / 51st Tactical fighter squadron
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. Because of the laser's situation on top of a tower, it has a range of 1,200kM. However, by utilyzing high-altitude aircraft carrying reflectors, the laser's range can be extended to counteract the curvature of the earth. Just as pure speculation, this technology may be the basis of the Arkbird'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 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, circumstances have arisen that have made its use necessary. It is unknown at this time whether the Hresvelgr carries a reflector array for the Excalibur laser weapon.
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