Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (1999)

The third Ace Combat is the strangest and most ambitious part of the PlayStation era. Namco moved away from conventional modern fighters to a cyberpunk future: corporations instead of states, futuristic machines, weightless interfaces, and a plot about what human consciousness becomes in networks. The flight here is recognizably arcade-like — no fussing with the trimmer, but speed, G-forces, and dozens of targets on the radar simultaneously. The game is famous primarily for the difference in versions: the Japanese original contained a full nonlinear campaign with branching, multiple endings, and animated cutscenes, while a significantly cut-down version reached the West — lacking much of the narrative and with a simplified mission structure. Because of this, AC3 has a dual reputation: for some, it is a stylish arcade shooter, for others — a lost masterpiece that was only reached by fan translations.

Watch the trailer and gameplay on YouTube

Game card in the MegaInet.art catalog — reference information. Files are not distributed. Actual data: Wikidata (CC0).