Ace Combat 3 Electrosphere

[andubandu]

completed this game (all endings) two years ago. havent been this hyped about finishing a game in a while.
went in for the gameplay and stayed for the story. loved Abyssal Dision, Rena Hirose, the gameplay, the soundtrack (Tetsukazu Nakanishi, Namco Sound Team, Ridge Racer Type 4), the HUD and the overall immersion, ENTERING THE ELECTROSPHERE and the staple NAMCO graphic design. The plot has been compared to Ghost in the Shell. Production I.G. was responsible for AC3's in-game cutscenes. Possible references include the subterranean city Geofront and the uploading of a brain/consciousness to a computer (referred to as "sublimation" in Electrosphere, "ghost-dubbing" in GitS and the "Human Instrumentality Project" in Evangelion (even though it's not the same thing so Ghost in the Shell's ghost dubbing is a more accurate reference). highly recommend it. i will also start playing Ace Combat 4 in the near future.

 

[soulsas]

AC3 is such a haunting and evocative concept, and its treatment of AI and humanity feels ahead of its time, especially considering the game’s 1999 release. Tetsukazu Nakanishi's soundtrack is phenomenal — that blend of ambient techno and trance made the skies feel both isolating and transcendent.
Playing Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere in Brazil with my brothers was something truly special. We had the Japanese version — we didn’t understand a single word of the text, but somehow, we felt everything. The atmosphere, the music, the way the missions unfolded — it all spoke a language beyond words. We'd sit around the screen, taking turns flying through the clouds, dodging missiles, and slowly piecing together what the story might be about.
Even though we didn’t grasp the dialogue or the intricacies of the plot at the time, there was a kind of unspoken understanding — that this game was about more than just jets and explosions. It was mysterious, a little haunting, and incredibly immersive. We didn't need translations to feel the emotional weight of the music, the design of the world, or the melancholy floating in the skies of the Electrosphere.

 

[Viviana Santos]

I've only played the first three Ace Combat games so far, and Ace Combat 3 is by far my favorite. I really didn't expect a flight simulation game to have such a deep and engaging story.

 

[Hourai]

AC3JP is definitely the highlight of the series, yeah. There are individual moments I believe are better, but no other AC is as good. 7 would've been were the second arc not in the game, but alas. We don't live in the world where AC7 has four fewer missions.

 

[LiberoVulpesLiberoVulpes's icon]

This is the first Ace Combat i ever played, personal favorite.

 

[Hourai]

I've only played the first three Ace Combat games so far, and Ace Combat 3 is by far my favorite. I really didn't expect a flight simulation game to have such a deep and engaging story.

Ace Combat is more about the story than you'd think! If you're going to play the rest of the mainline series, you'll have quite a few enjoyable stories ahead of you.

 

[MDGeistsfavMC5song]

hell yeah.. i love this game.. i went thru AC 1- 3, stopped for a while, came back in at 6 and really liked it, stopped within an hour of Assault Horizon, and still havent tried 7 yet... ive been about to start 4, 5, Zero and the PSP entries for a long while now but i just havent gotten to them yet... keep getting sidetracked on other stuff.. i guess ill replay this then go straight into 4...

 

[MetalSharkPlayer]

I played and won countless times this game back when i was 13-14 years old, loved it, unlocked everything by winning in HARD every mission or something like that. Unfortunately i played the normal USA version which doesnt have any story, i missed a big part of it, it seems.
I want to re-play this game on my Playstation 2, but the translated Japanese version.

 

[Cantarella]

Huh. Had put this one off. Didn't realize it apparently had a sick story. Will have to go through it soon.