Unlike other Ace Combat games, Advance was not released in Japan.

Unlike the usual flight simulation games in the Ace Combat series, Advance is a top-down shooter similar to Strike, but using fighter aircraft instead of attack helicopters.

One of these megacorporations, General Resources Ltd., uses state of the art military equipment and their Air Strike Force (ASF) to destroy anybody who could potentially pose a threat to their superiority.

A new international military is created to fight back, spearheaded by an elite fighter squadron called the United Air Defense (UAD), which the player is part of.

Ace Combat Advance received mostly mixed reviews from critics.