History VideoGame / AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation

''Ace Combat 6'' was the first console game in the series to be released for a non-Sony system. It was released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in 2007 and became the best-selling game on that system in Japan. The game became backward compatible for the UsefulNotes/XboxOne upon the release of ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'' in January 2019.

Not to be confused with the other AC6, VideoGame/ArmoredCoreVIFiresOfRubicon.

* GreaterScopeVillain: The "Generals", the military junta that appear to be in charge of Estovakia are this. We never see any of them in the flesh or even learn any of their names (outside of, if you care enough to look at the Assault Records, Gustav Dvornik, who is implied to be the leader of the Generals as a whole), but they have the miserable, starving and desparate Estovakian population under their thumb until they're [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome overthrown off-screen]] in a Coup D'etat.

* WeaponOfChoice: Talisman is shown on the boxart using the F-15E Strike Eagle, while Shamrock uses the F-16C Fighting Falcon. Appropriate, given they're [[JackOfAllStats multirole aircraft]], and the game focuses on doing several operations at once.

* {{Expy}}: Estovakia is somewhat similar to [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies the Federal Republic of Erusea]], in that both are militaristic nations who begin an invasion of their neighbors after being struck by the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid. This also extends to the main antagonists: Strigon Team and Yellow Squadron, a squadron of [[TheDreaded greatly-feared]] enemy aces in Sukhoi Flanker derivatives led by a NobleDemon who views the protagonist as a WorthyOpponent.
** Gracemeria in real life, is clearly based on New York City; the central peninsula is a copy of Manhattan, and the areas east of it are based on Brooklyn and Queens. The Kings Bridge that is the centerpiece of Gracemeria is based on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
** San Loma is based on satellite photos of San Diego, California and the airport is based on NAS North Island.

* StupidSacrifice: [[spoiler:Shamrock's performance in the last mission]] is half this and half DeathSeeker, as he's [[spoiler:suicidal over his perceived failure to protect his family]]. The stupid part is that he had nothing to do with [[spoiler:his family's death]] except in the most general sense of being a member of the military that was driven out of Gracemeria.

** The random Emmerian tankers who enter Gracemeria via tunnels hidden in the forest in order to rob a bank [[spoiler: and wind up liberating the Golden King (and presumably the trapped kids who'd "acquired" him)]] are straight out of ''Film/KellysHeroes''.

* CuteAsABouncingBetty: Throughout several missions you have to aid your country's navy. The flagship of the fleet is "Marigold"... a ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirov-class_battlecruiser Kirov-class battlecruiser]]''. Marigold proves to be a tough old girl, and becomes a frustrating thorn in Estovakia's navy, surviving multiple naval engagements against incredibly stacked odds (even if Garuda doesn't support her and her escorts). This is TruthInTelevision as well; Kirovs are notorious for being tough and heavily armed vessels, essentially the equivalent of battleships (substituting the large guns for cruise missiles and point defenses systems) and second only in size to aircraft carriers in sheer mass; their firepower is such that when the United States learned of the existence of these ships, they immediately recommissioned the ''Iowa''-class battleships.

* CuteAsABouncingBetty: Throughout several missions you have to aid your country's navy. The flagship of the fleet is "Marigold"... a ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirov-class_battlecruiser Kirov-class battlecruiser]]''. Marigold proves to be a tough old girl, and becomes a frustrating thorn in Estovakia's navy, surviving multiple naval engagements against incredibly stacked odds (even if Garuda doesn't support her and her escorts). This is TruthInTelevision as well; Kirovs are notorious for being tough and heavily armed vessels, essentially the equivalent battleships and second only in size to aircraft carriers; their firepower is that when the United States learned of the existence of these ships, they immediately recommissioned the ''Iowa''-class battleships.

* CuteAsABouncingBetty: Throughout several missions you have to aid your country's navy. The flagship of the fleet is "Marigold"... a ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirov-class_battlecruiser Kirov-class battlecruiser]]''. Marigold proves to be a tough old girl, and becomes a thorn in Estovakian's navy, surviving multiple naval engagements against incredibly stacked odds (even if Garuda doesn't support her and her escorts).

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Shamrock's decision to disobey direct orders, leading to him and Talisman (who [[ButThouMust cannot disagree with him]]) getting suspended, has literally no effect on the plot. The very next mission, Garuda Team are forced to go after [=WMDs=] the Estovakians are about to ship into Gracemeria... which, if prior CharacterDevelopment is any indication, Command would have ordered them to do anyway, and which the two would have happily taken on anyway. After succeeding, the Garudas are cleared of wrongdoing, and life is back to normal. Was there a point? (Especially when his HeroicBSOD in Mission 14 is even more effective than this one.)