”I was still in school at the time, but I will never forget the images I saw on the news that day”.
Being one of the darkest entries in the series, it is no surprise Zero has plenty of imagery conveying the horror and destruction that war inevitably brings.
- Mission 12 seems like just another bomber intercept mission, albeit this time the bombers are carrying nuclear ordnance. At first success looks like success, all bombers shot down without any nuclear devices initiating. But then, there's a flash in the distance and the screen goes white...
- The story scene that would follow that mission depicted an act of malevolence that would break any hardened gamer's psyche. The nuclear detonation you just saw was followed by six more, and all of them were dropped on civilian cities. That flash you just saw was several thousand civilians dying. By the express order of their own government.
- If you played Ace Combat 5 and happen to remember the dates of the seven nuclear detonations, loading the mission and seeing "June 6th, 1995" will send a chill down your spine.
- Mission 11 (also known as Operation Cannibal), where you are helping Allied forces destroy/secure a Belkan Industrial center via providing escort for bombers that pretty much carpet bombing the entire place. Keeping in mind that you are literally helping cause the deaths of untold military personnel and civilians."A bomb has hit Sector C! It's going to set off the fuel!!" *explosion and screams*"This isn't a weapons factory! What are you doing?!""All facilities in the main sector have been destroyed! Damn those Allied forces!!"
- Lampshaded by Pixy. "I thought this was supposed to be a precision bombing mission..." In the mission briefing, you are told that the targets are inside a city. And then your bombers get there, where they promptly start dropping bombs all over the place, deliberately trying to destroy everything. Keep in mind, this is a city. Full of civilians. And you actually get to hear some of them die, having been right next to an exploding target. Pixy and PJ are both completely disgusted.Pixy: Damn them all...
- And it most definitely doesn't help when the Belkans themselves start contributing to the destruction out of spite.PJ: This is PJ, something strange is going on down there. The number of burning areas suddenly increased!Belkan radio: Inform all units. This is an order from Operation HQ: "Abandon Hoffnung. However, do not retreat until all facilities have been destroyed. Leave them nothing." That is all.
- It's even worse when it comes to the unused dialogue
where Pixy loses his cool while getting increasingly distressed and nearly breaks down while the allied forces firebomb Hoffnung to ground during the mission.Pixy: AWACS, our mission...AWACS Eagle Eye: Your mission is to take out the enemy fighters.Pixy: Our mission... our job...PJ: Pixy, what are you...?Pixy: This is... Our mission... Is this... What our mission is? ...what is our mission?! PJ, what is our mission?PJ: Huh?!AWACS Eagle Eye: Galm 2! Keep your head in the battle!Pixy: What have we done...
- Lampshaded by Pixy. "I thought this was supposed to be a precision bombing mission..." In the mission briefing, you are told that the targets are inside a city. And then your bombers get there, where they promptly start dropping bombs all over the place, deliberately trying to destroy everything. Keep in mind, this is a city. Full of civilians. And you actually get to hear some of them die, having been right next to an exploding target. Pixy and PJ are both completely disgusted.
