Ace Combat: A Discussion Thread

[kagayaki]

My three favorites in the series: 3, 5, and Zero.

 

[Demitri m0bius Strelnikov]

In honor of the 22nd anniversary of Belka nuking it's southern borders I figured we'd have one of these, feel free to discuss anything AC related

 

[Demitri m0bius Strelnikov]

3 is good, thank god for project Nemo

 

[Dark Emporer Dood]

I liked all of them right up until the Xbox 360+ releases, the first one "Air Combat", 4 and Zero being my favorites.

 

[Jinmen]

I've played the ps2 trilogy to death and its the main game I fire up my ps2 for. My TV won't display PS1 games so I have to emulate Ace Combat 2 now but still lots of fun, great music all around. I love fighter jets mixed with the anime plot too.

Does anyone have particular jets they enjoy flying for the hell of it? I try to do air to ground in a Panavian Tornado..GR1 I think? F-18 and Mig-29 are lots of fun too, especially in Zero. The tornado with the bomblet dispenser is fun as all hell to use on the hrimfaxi on ace difficulty. I dabble some in the regular flankers but I think the terminator is 2nd only in overplayed value to the F-22 raptor. Playtpus is badass though and no it doesn't really have a toilet behind the cockpit . I like the A-6 and EA6 irl so I'm going to try flying those more.

 

[Yours Truly 2095]

The new project wingman dlc is solid. I'm on the tunnel run mission and JFC. Claustrophobic and long. It's definitely worth the $5. still hard to believe this game is made by like 1-3 people.


I'm thinking of playing AC6 again soon on Xbox back compat. And skipping the cutscenes as is required to fully enjoy the game.

 

[Wesker]

I just want them to put AC5 on the stores. AC7 is alright, but it's too fucking arcady.

 

[M3xus]

Not going to happen because of plane licenses, sadly.

I remember liking X on the PSP, but I still haven't forgiven Joint Assault for making me get good at flying a 707 to help people get their S-ranks for that mission. Just glad my escorts were always very competent.

 

[Yours Truly 2095]

They released 5 for PS4 if you pre-ordered AC7, but that's the only way to play it. They did the same for AC6 and Xbox but you can still insert your original disc in an Xbox One onwards and play it. Sony could have done the same thing I bet

 

[Just Some Other Guy]

I just want them to put AC5 on the stores. AC7 is alright, but it's too fucking arcady.

I'm playing through the ps2 games now after finishing a PW + dlc run and idk what to tell you. They're just as "arcadey".

Just a reminder to everyone here that PCSX2 runs them all in hardware mode nearly perfectly now.

I hear AC6 works mostly fine emulated, except I guess cutscene audio is screwed. I'll be checking it out after finishing zero and 5.

 

[Gravemind]

I'm playing through the ps2 games now after finishing a PW + dlc run and idk what to tell you. They're just as "arcadey".

Correct.

Ace Combat 5 also literally has an Arcade Mode. The basic gameplay of Ace Combat, outside of spinoffs, has not really changed much in that regard.

Also, fuck you guys for making me think there may have been Ace Combat news by bumping this thread.

 

[Yours Truly 2095]

I'm playing through the ps2 games now after finishing a PW + dlc run and idk what to tell you. They're just as "arcadey".

Just a reminder to everyone here that PCSX2 runs them all in hardware mode nearly perfectly now.

I hear AC6 works mostly fine emulated, except I guess cutscene audio is screwed. I'll be checking it out after finishing zero and 5.

Genuinely you can skip the cutscenes and miss almost nothing. The cutscene characters really only come into the actual gameplay portion at the very end. It's kinda melodramatic and not in a fun AC way. Mostly following some woman. Totally forgettable. The tank crew who's obsessed with heists in the gameplay subplot is infinitely more entertaining.


AC6 is real good. I feel 7 stepped back from a lot of what 6 pushed forward. The missions are fairly long and large scale. Even at one point being able to capture an airfield and rearm mid mission. It's great

 

[Yours Truly 2095]

Sorry to double post a dead thread, but AC turned 30 and they released a video and article.

https://acecombat.jp/en/news/fan-message/

Since the release of the first title in 1995, thanks to your unwavering support, the ACE COMBAT series has reached a remarkable milestone—its 30th anniversary in 2025.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our fans and everyone involved who has supported the series throughout the years. Thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart. This moment is our chance to return thirty years' worth of appreciation to you.

I believe that sustaining a legacy over three decades means far more than simply the passage of time. I've always shared this message with everyone involved in the series:

"To deliver emotionally resonant, high-quality experiences that exceed expectations, to spark excitement for what comes next—and then to meet that anticipation with even greater ambition. By continuing this cycle, we build a bond of trust with our players, and that bond is the truest expression of our gratitude."

Over the past thirty years, times have changed. Values have shifted, technologies have evolved. Our company and our team have continually transformed to navigate these tides. In a word, we've embraced change.

There were times we may not have fully met your expectations. But I also believe there were moments when we exceeded them—when we soared higher than anyone imagined.

Namco's founder, Masaya Nakamura, once said, "Only those who can adapt to change will survive."
I joined Namco in 1994. Back then, I understood those words intellectually—but not yet from experience.

Now, I truly do.

After three incredible decades of adapting to change, we've built an enduring bond of trust with all of you. That connection is the very force that has sustained the ACE COMBAT series and propelled it into the future. I can now feel this truth in every fiber of my being. And I'm proud—proud that our ongoing commitment to delivering value and earning your trust has led us to this 30th anniversary.

And now, we're ready. Everything is in place. It's time to take flight once again—toward even greater heights.

 

[WarrenZHarding]

Come on...it's been too long...Inject AC8 into my veins, NAMCO!!!

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

I bought 7 at the Steam sale, should I start from it? I know there's a meme about the lore of the franchise being completely insane.

 

[Yours Truly 2095]

I bought 7 at the Steam sale, should I start from it? I know there's a meme about the lore of the franchise being completely insane.

I'm not sure how the emulation for 4-5-Zero has improved since I last looked into it. I played them on a PS2. If you're willing to set it up I'd start with those, AC6 is only on Xbox 360 or Xbox one/series back compat. It's also set in Strangereal (the world of AC isn't Earth) but in nations that never get mentioned again really. But I absolutely love 6. Ace Combat 7 is a good game, it has some cool throwbacks to the original PS2 games. That said, I don't think you really need to play them first. The thing about 7 is that it went through development hell. 3-4 years of development was scrapped and restarted and the game you are playing was made basically in a year. It's a really good game, but the story is sort of fractured and truncated you can tell stuff was cut. Enjoy the spectacle, but don't go in expecting a deep super cohesive narrative. maybe watch some lore videos if you really autisticly don't want to play 7 without having played the others. AC is a series all about the gameplay and the whacky super weapon drama stories are a nice bonus.

If you like 7, play Project wingman too. It's amazing, I would even say better in many ways than 7. Which is quite a feat for a solo developer. None of the AC games are long. Also in 7 don't turn on novice controls.

 

[Glory To Arztotska]

Ace Combat 7 got me to deep dive a rabbit hole about drone technology and robotics/AI, pretty rad in my book

 

[regalterry]

I doubt anyone here is unaware, but here's a bit of information.

The Ace Combat 3 version we got in the West was a gutted turd. 1/3 of all the missions were cut (52 in the JP version, 36 in the Western release) including the space mission, all the cutscenes (drawn and animated by Production I.G of Ghost in the Shell fame) and the branching plots + endings you could get.

Thankfully the game has been fan translated (by two separate groups no less), so you can enjoy playing it, and you should, it's the most ambitious AC game of them all.

The Sky Crawlers is a game developed by Project ACES that features somewhat ahistorical propeller fighters, and leans more heavily into the anime aesthetic.

As far as a I know, only two Ace Combat games don't take place on Strangereal - Assault Horizon and X2 on the PSP.

Assault Horizon on the 3DS is actually a remake of Ace Combat 2.

If you've already played all the Ace Combat games, fans of the series have made Project Wingman, a game that is a love letter to Ace Combat and features very similar gameplay and narrative beats, with a few unique mechanics thrown in.

Nassault makes some pretty great Ace Combat cinematics in DCS that adapts what you do in the missions to be in line with what the real planes can actually do:

I'm not sure how the emulation for 4-5-Zero has improved since I last looked into it

It's actually improved tremendously. PCSX2 has been making some big strides in recent years, and the latest release has fixed a few more quirks the games had.

You can basically play 4-5-Zero without issue via the emulator if your PC can handle it.

 

[Colress]

I like 7 a lot in general, but I recently received a PS VR and wow what a vomity experience

 

[Just Some Other Guy]

7 is solid. Didn't like the focus on fighting drones, however. Idk....I really liked the theme of the ps2 games the most, especially Zero with the heavy focus on individual aces and squadrons. Then seven comes along with a bunch of lame drone shit...but that's just me.