Confirming recent speculation, Namco Bandai Europe announced today that Ace Combat Infinity will be the first free-to-play title in the popular flight series, when it launches for the PlayStation 3 later this year.
“The Ace Combat franchise has evolved dramatically over the years, but never before have we been able to offer its amazing graphics and tactical action for free,” said Olivier Comte, Senior Vice President at Namco Bandai Europe. “The team at Project Aces listens very carefully to its players, and is bringing the best the series has to offer to Ace Combat Infinity, with plenty of new surprises too.”
According to a press release sent out by the publisher, Ace Combat Infinity will include both a brand new story campaign and an online co-op multiplayer mode as part of the free PS3 download. The single player story missions sound as if they will remain true to the series (despite the free-to-play nature of the game), as they are said to combine “precise near future world setting” with “super weapons and hyper-real visuals.” Very few details about the multiplayer mode were announced today, but the publisher did note that players will form up into two four-pilot teams and compete against each other to “inflict the most damage on a common enemy.”
Ace Combat Infinity is currently scheduled to launch sometime in 2013 exclusively on the PlayStation 3. We will let you know as soon as Namco Bandai reveals the game’s exact release date. In the meantime, make sure to check out the brand new teaser trailer (embedded below) to get a brief look at how the game is shaping up visually.
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