The game received critical and commercial success following its release. In Europe the game was released as Ace Combat 5: Squadron Leader. Released on Octoexclusively for the PlayStation 2, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War is the fifth game in Namco Bandai's flight combat series and the second game on the PlayStation 2, preceded by Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, and followed up with a prequel, Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
