Xbox 360

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation

SimulatorArcade

Time to beat: about 7.7 hours

Overview

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is a 2007 arcade-style combat flight simulation video game developed by Project Aces and published by Namco Bandai Games exclusively for the Xbox 360. It is the seventh entry in the Ace Combat franchise and the first mainline installment to not see a release on a PlayStation platform. Set in 2015 in the series' fictional setting of Strangereal, the game's story follows "Talisman", a fighter pilot who helps liberate his country Emmeria from a surprise invasion by its neighbor, Estovakia. The game's cutscenes follow a wider frame story from the perspectives of various civilians and military personnel on both sides of the war as it progresses.

Like other Ace Combat games, Ace Combat 6 features standard gameplay from the series that mixes arcade flight with authentic flight simulation. While gameplay elements from previous titles persist in Ace Combat 6, the game features new game mechanics including the abilities to land at friendly air bases in the area of operations, call allied units for support in combat, and choose specific objectives in certain missions instead of having to complete all of them. Ace Combat 6 features an online multiplayer mode and downloadable content, both firsts for the series.

Ace Combat 6 received generally favorable reviews on release, but had middling sales due to its Xbox 360 exclusivity, and the game's lukewarm sales performance was a factor in the Ace Combat series remaining in an uncertain state until Ace Combat Infinity's release in 2014. In January 2019, Ace Combat 6 was made available for backwards compatibility with the Xbox One. Players who pre-ordered Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on Xbox One received a digital copy of Ace Combat 6, but physical copies also work with the Xbox One. The game was also made backwards compatible with the Xbox Series X/S upon the console's launch in late 2020. In 2026, the game was decompiled and received an unofficial Windows port, created by a group of fans.