Air Combat is the the first entry in the long running Ace Combat series. As the pilot of a F16 Falcon the objective is to destroy enemy planes using guns or missiles over a succession of sorties and missions. A timer counts down during play and once it reaches zero the pilot is ejected signalling a game over. The timer can be extended by shooting down enemy planes. In between missions the player has to land his jetfighter on an aircraft carrier. The game uses semi-realistic physics and has roots in arcade gameplay, characteristics that followed the series for years to come.