Widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Ace Combat series on PS2. Intense fictional storyline, memorable missions and flawless flight feel. The aircraft variety and tactical depth make it an essential benchmark of the genre on the console.
Your verdict
Category
Simulation4 players7+
Description
Released in 2004, Ace Combat 5 follows the Wardog squadron pulled into a war they will gradually find themselves at the heart of. Its memorable campaign, in-mission radio chatter and ambitious cutscenes make it the most narratively driven and often best-loved entry in the series.
Ace Combat - Squadron Leader review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Vaster and more poignant still, the score by Keiki Kobayashi and his team accompanies a martial fresco with moving choirs and grandiose orchestral flights. The Latin-choir theme "The Unsung War" culminates in an overwhelming intensity. This exceptional symphonic richness raises the series to the rank of a grand musical spectacle.
An ambitious sequel to Namco's arcade flight simulation, pushing the military staging and narrative dimension within a squadron further, sold in Europe under the subtitle Squadron Leader. Still fairly widespread in the West, its interest lies in this scaling-up of a flagship series rather than scarcity. A prime piece for arcade-flight fans on PS2.
Better with friends
A squadron epic where you lead your wingmen through grand aerial battles, an intensity that takes on a different flavor shared together. The collective fun comes from the story you live as one, the flying calls everyone comments on and the timed challenges you set to sort out the pilots. Far from direct rivalry, it's the passion for flight that gathers people around the screen.
Is Ace Combat - Squadron Leader still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2004 on PS2 in Japan as Ace Combat Squadron Leader and in the West as Ace Combat 5 The Unsung War, Namco's project extends the aerial formula with a squadron staging across several pilots. The in flight command system, the multi objective missions and the tragic narration install a real maturity. The Nordic art direction and Keiki Kobayashi's music are magnificent. The 3D modelling has aged. Recommended today for arcade aerial combat devotees, for Namco fans curious about a label narrative peak and for PS2 collectors fond of ambitious Japanese productions on Sony's second home console hardware globally.
