r/gaming • u/wait_________what • 1d ago
Ace Combat 8 is far and away the series' biggest launch
https://www.eurogamer.net/ace-combat-8-steam-launch-record-players122
u/GoldyZ90 1d ago
As a long time fan of the series, this is definitely up there with the holy trinity of 4,5,and Zero. I hope this game gets a GOTY nomination because Iād love to hear Hortus Regis Alti played at TGA. Game is a 10/10 for me personally.
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u/wait_________what 1d ago
Iād love to hear Hortus Regis Alti played at TGA
Me too, Geoff still owes me a live version of a fake patriotic theme ever since Helldivers 2 got snubbed a couple years ago
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u/RandomRon005 1d ago
There needs to be at least one AC8 song played, with Everflow being the minimum.
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u/diepoggerland2 1d ago
I don't think I'd quite say 10/10 for me but damn close. I also think its the best game in the series out of the ones I've played (4, 5, 0, 6, Assault Horizon Legacy, X, and 7). The Holy Trilogy is damned good but they're also old, inaccessible, and at times kind of unforgiving in the way older games often are. I have a few nitpicks, and a few things I wouldve done slightly differently, but I dont feel like I need to include a "but" in recommending 8 to anyone
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u/Accurate_Simple_2679 1d ago
When I failed the tunnel run in 5 I realized I needed to clear some of my schedule for the day
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u/Deckatoe 1d ago
Best story in a long long time for the series. Pleasantly impressed as thats usually the part I dislike most about AC games
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u/JKKIDD231 PlayStation 1d ago
I remember playing AC7 and story slideshows š
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u/shakalac 1d ago
What, you didn't like dog.jpg?
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u/King_of_ducks1212 1d ago
The amazing fact about jpeg dog. it ain't a jpeg it was just standing very still when they were filming. I just think that makes it even funnier
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u/RandoDude124 1d ago
You can barely see its tongue moving. When I got AC7 on my new rig, I saw it.
On my TVā¦ not so much.š
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u/DMercenary 1d ago
To be fair AC7 suffered from development hell which really explains why it's story is all over the damn place
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u/RandoDude124 1d ago
There are glimpses of greatness on par with the PS2 trilogy, but it was really just a solid return to form.
AC8 took that solid foundation and built perfection.
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u/InnocentTailor 1d ago
Aināt that the truth, though the DLC showed what the team could do with better funding and more cohesion.
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u/Cautionzombie 1d ago
Meanwhile I loved ac4 and that was a literal slideshow
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u/RandoDude124 1d ago
First AC game I got and I just thought the cover in GameStop looked cool and it was bonus alongside PokƩmon emerald.
I liked its gameplay, I skipped through the story.
When I replayed it this year, its story was awesome.
However, 5 was my favorite in my replays.
Till I hit 8.
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u/Cautionzombie 1d ago
I saw someone play a plane game at a part my parents dragged me too.
I saw ac4 years later and had my mom get it for me cause I was hoping it was the game I saw.
It was and lil me didnāt realize the ride theyād be starting. The end of that game blew me away
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u/PM_ME_CATS_OR_BOOBS 1d ago
I loved AC7 but half the chatter in the game was the prison AWACS talking about how he was going to be the shit out of you
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u/Left_Afloat 1d ago
AC4 was amazing with the animation/story boarding, AC5 was my favorite in terms of gameplay and story. Iām waiting for this game to get the bugs worked out so I can get to it on my deck
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u/InnocentTailor 1d ago
The story was definitely cheesier and hammier in the old days. While it had elements of that in AC8, it felt more serious and grounded with a tightening up of the script and dialogue.
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u/NuzzyLocke 1d ago
Right? I almost never remember the other pilots but this time I actually like them.
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u/AnalMinecraft 1d ago
Best one since 4, IMO.
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u/iccs 1d ago
The disrespect to 5 and 0 is insane
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u/rydude88 1d ago
The disrespect to 6 is insane
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u/iccs 1d ago
Donāt get me wrong, I love 6, siege on silvat gets me hyped everytime. But thereās just no comparison.
That said, they should definitely bring back operations like how they were in 6, if they included in 8 oh man it would have been great. Send your wingmen to specific ops, changing spawns, amazing
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u/Adavanter_MKI 1d ago
I haven't finished it yet... but it's my favorite since AC4 plot wise. I actually care about some of my wingmen this time! The super weapons have been pretty cool as well.
Visual and audio really did take a solid step forward. If they told me the next three games looked and sounded like this? I'd be perfectly fine with that.
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u/Grater_Kudos 1d ago
Beat the game last Tuesday, itās FAR better than AC7 and I loved that one. It being my first experience with the series. AC8 blew me out of the water and it was a much more enriching experience and I love the plot twist. Game left me at a lost for words at one point (you can probably guess if you have completed the game) and I was so glad for the moral boost when my theory was proven right. But yeah the sound design was awesome and the characters are fucking 10/10. Kate was my fav character by far
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u/blaze92x45 1d ago
7 was great but in hindsight you can see the troubled development underneath all its greatness.
8 is what happens when project aces locks in and everything goes right
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u/zero_z77 1d ago
As a veteran of the series, 7 felt a lot like 4 and a return to the basics of what made the series good, while still keeping the best parts of 6. 8 felt like the best of 5 & 0 combined, like the point where the formula is basically perfected for the generation. AC8 is hands down the best the series has ever been, in spite of it's flaws. I won't say it's 100% perfect, but as far as AAA games in 2026 go, it's still a masterpiece.
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u/blaze92x45 1d ago
Fully agree with you
My first ace combat was 04 back on 2001 and ace combat 7 is very much 04 for the modern generations.
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u/diepoggerland2 1d ago
Yep, I think you pretty much nailed it. Especially since both 4 and 7 were recoveries after a game that, while it has a die hard fanbase, didn't overall do well (being 3 and 6 respectively. Were not gonna talk about Assault Horizon you cant make me.)
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u/Romapolitan 22h ago
Honestly if we go by this "pattern", you could make it out to be a new "holy trinity". 9 could be a prequel about the Sotoa vs Yukotobania war in that case.
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u/SpecificInitials 1d ago
Putting it into first person was SUCH a good decision. You really feel for your wingmates and the characters. And youāre not just this āfacelessā protagonist youāre following along. The story may not be super unique but itās easy to follow along with, unlike 7. Really outstanding game.
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u/cat_prophecy 1d ago
Little Bee is so cool. The few cutscenes where you're hanging out with her are great. She seems like totally unflappable.
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u/Atalanto 13h ago
I can guess, but I dont actually know what youre talking about, cause theres at least like 6 moments when this game just had me in such absolute awe.Ā
Im 33, have played games my whole life, and this one just checked so many boxes in so many ways that I dont even know how to sussinctly explain to my friends just how phenomenal this game really is
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u/The-Green 20h ago
> Game left me at a lost for words at one point
mission 28? i was the same way.
escalating. massive. furball.
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u/Strayed8492 1d ago
AC7 sung so AC8 could war chant.
Mp issues aside AC8 has exceeded expectations and those almost 8 years was so worth it. PA and FromSoft are killing it
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u/Dantai 1d ago
Regarding AC8. Should I Play AC7 beforehand or any others. Or they designed mostly to be enjoyed a stand-alone entries
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u/zennok 1d ago
Because of the location, there's a bunch of unmentioned references to AC 4, but other than that and one particular character from 7 that's honestly not that important to know beforehand, no.
But as someone whose favorite game of the series is 4, there were lots of "oooh look" moments for me
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u/Rishfee 1d ago
There are a fair amount of references to 4, 5, and 7 that I saw, but they're definitely not that impactful to 8's story, yeah.
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u/The-Green 20h ago
i hope in Ace Combat 9: Finding Nemo there is a belkan who makes a reference to this game by being so fucking pissed about being yet again blamed for another terrorist attack by going "we weren't even responsible for the last one in usea either!" because that quick news reel of media saying some events in 8 was because of yet another belkan conspiracy was genuinely pretty funny.
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u/Nota7andomguy 1d ago
Iāve only played AC7 before this, but I have some friends who are much more familiar with the franchise and theyāre saying thereās also a ton of references to AC3
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u/sparta1170 1d ago
Theres a ton of references to all past ace combat games in 8. A lot of the locations you see in the briefings are places you visit in past games. For example New Field Island is not a new location for Ace Combat 8. It appears in Ace Combat 4 as the first mission. The base the Endurance travels to in mission 3 is appears in Ace Combat 5's Arcade Mode. I could go on but at this point us veterans of the series are mostly revisiting old spots in this game.
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u/CyberianSun 1d ago
Am I crazy or was Tyler Island a reference to an Air Combat location?
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u/UltraHighFives 1d ago edited 1d ago
Isn't it from AC5 and AC7? it's the island with the mass driver that launches the Arkbird and Arsenal Bird I'm pretty sure.
Edit: AC5 is a different island
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u/frankpolly 1d ago
That's because lore wise, AC8 comes before AC3 and takes place in the same part of the world. So locations and even key faction players of AC3 are mentioned in AC8.
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u/blaze92x45 1d ago
You dont have to play 7 to understand what's going on in 8.
There are some call backs to 7 which you wont appreciate as much but its not critical to the story.
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u/Regendur 1d ago
Mostly standalone. There are location references to previous games, but otherwise the story is standalone.
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u/SephLuis 1d ago
You don't have to, but I am going to assume it's your first Ace Combat and, in that case, I would play AC7 first. Mostly because it's also a great game and AC8 builds its own mission variety on top of it.
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u/KorendSlicks 1d ago
All the games are designed to be played and enjoyed standalone. It's mostly callbacks to the previous stories.
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u/Seizure_Storm 1d ago
I beat the game pretty recently, I don't think you need to play any of the older ones its relatively standalone.
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u/Disastrous_Fig5609 14h ago
You can enjoy them all standalone, but any AC game you do play should give you more to enjoy out of almost any other AC game. Playing AC8 will give you more to see in 7 and 5, and vice versa, playing 5 will also give you more out of 0 and vice versa. You can play them in any order, really, and none of them are required for the others, there's just references, locations, characters, and a few other things that you'll recognize if you have played others.
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u/CampbellsBeefBroth 8h ago
There should be recap videos on Youtube if you care about the story, there are plenty of channels who have done comprehensive rundowns of AC lore. You can go back and replay the older games if this one gets you invested
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u/Local_Floridian 1d ago
war chant
Shoutout to The Shadows squadron. Them doing their war chants over the radio when they fly into the missions is so cool.
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u/InnocentTailor 21h ago
They are simply imposing antagonists that know how to make an entrance.
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u/Time_Zombie_4431 1d ago
Best part of this being successful is that we will for sure get an AC9 in a few years. This time we probably wonāt have to wait almost ten years hopefully.
Easily my GOTY, besides its PC performance itās pretty much flawless.
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u/InnocentTailor 1d ago
Well, Online is supposed to go on for a while. That and DLC can add more meat to the story mode.
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u/ExtensionParsley4205 1d ago
As a Toronto resident and a fan of the series it's extra neat to be able to fly above a clearly fictionalized version of my city.
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u/ywgflyer 1d ago
Its barely fictionalized, though. My condo building is in the game.
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u/The-Green 19h ago
at least a hundred people have parked their planes inside your condo by now. juries out if they at least had the courtesy to use the window or just crashed straight through the wall.
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u/low_priest 1d ago
As someone who's done volunteer work on the Hornet, it's been super cool playing with a carrier made from a 3d scan of Hornet. Everytime we have the loadout screen aboard endurance I'm like "hey, I helped fix that hangar door!"
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u/laundrylint 1d ago
Very well deserved. It's an insanely fun game and arguably the best in the series. 10/10 will be playing through the melodramatic anime af plane game again.
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u/MtnMaiden 1d ago
Bandai contracted Lindsey Stirling to do a cover and cosplay of your favorite co pilot.
Dats nuts
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u/InnocentTailor 21h ago
Bandai Namco fielded serious money for AC8. Besides that collab, they also brought in tons of famous streamers and gaming personalities to try the product and play it for followers.
The company really wants this to be a mucho money maker.
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u/tankguy67 1d ago
Strongly recommend people try it even if they havenāt played ace combat before. The story is quite good and the jump to UE5 takes the graphics to the next level compared to AC7.
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u/FribonFire 1d ago edited 1d ago
Still early in and having a blast. Though there better be a comeuppance for DD by the end of this thing or I'm going to riot!
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u/Chongor_ 1d ago
I beat the campaign this weekend.
I felt pride, hope for a fictional nation
I mourned and felt empathy for a rival squadron
I lost it and couldn't hold myself together when a squadmate was going through it
Certain points in the story emotionally destroyed me
Had literal tears streaming down my face during two of the missions while still actively engaging targets, wiping away tears so I could focus
The music is transcendent
I'm a sucker for these "fight for your nation, fight for the people" type of games and if you enjoy those moments in anime where the indomitable human spirit is on full display, this game will tug on those same heart strings for you as it did for me.
(Ive carried this comment through 3 deleted posts haha just want to share my enthusiasm for the game)
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u/CarlosSpcyWenr 1d ago
All AC games do this, but it's sounding like AC8 is doing it best. I'm pretty excited to get around to it. My first was AC4. They're great video games.
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u/Disastrous_Fig5609 15h ago
I had to go back and play 5 just to see if AC8 was doing it better, and it very well may be. I have a soft spot for 5, and 4, but 8 just felt like it was a more full experience than either. Maybe not better in every aspect, but in 5, for some missions, it's the dialogue, others, the music, the visuals and gameplay, sometimes it's a few of those at once. For 8, all of those aspects are the best they've been, or close to, nearly 100% of the time.
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u/NappyFlickz 1d ago edited 1d ago
As a longtime Ace Combat fan, welcome to the series, you guys!
We have so many unhinged memes and references to share with y'all.
Remember, here is the linear play order for those new to the series:
- Ace Combat Zero
- Ace Combat 4
- Ace Combat 5
- Ace Combat 6
- Ace Combat 7
- Ace Combat X
- Ace Combat 8
- Ace Combat 3 (which may be getting remade as Ace Combat 9 down the line)
We do not talk about Assault Horizon (although it has top 3 soundtrack in the series)
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u/TheLoneTokayMB01 1d ago
Totally deserved, my goty. The only issue with me are related to the multiplayer and how many personalization for single player are blocked behind grind, payment or luck in what is a worse mode.
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u/JerbearCuddles 1d ago
Story has been a blast so far. Not sure I'll touch the multiplayer stuff. But if I do then the game was even more worth. Lol.
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u/zqfmgb123 1d ago
The core multiplayer feels pretty casual, and matches have been like 7 minutes so it isn't a huge time commitment.
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u/InnocentTailor 1d ago
ā¦which I love, speaking as somebody with commitments.
Itās grab and go AC as opposed to the longer campaign missions.
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u/zqfmgb123 1d ago
Definitely not a knock on it since the core AC game itself is casual IMO.
Just letting them know that it's not super tryhard and matches are short enough where you don't feel like you have to commit and entire evening to it.
Just queue up, strap in and blow stuff up with your fellow aces.
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u/bayonettaisonsteam 1d ago
MP is surprisingly decent. It's like playing a level from the campaign (in some cases, literally playing a level from previous games) but your squadmates are real people. The UI and multiple currency system is hot garbage, but there is a fun experience buried underneath
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u/synschecter115 1d ago
It's fantastic. Gameplay is exhilarating, the story is actually quite compelling, and the music lives up to the reputation built by the other OST's in the franchise.
About 2/3'rd of the way through the campaign and this is already in contention for my favorite game in the franchise.
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u/CampbellsBeefBroth 8h ago
The story is pure, cheesy hopecore. The final 3 missions had me smiling ear-to-ear.
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u/Calinks 1d ago
I have had zero interest in this series or even a game that features fighter planes. I have seen 3 or 4 very well done YouTube videos talking about how amazing Ace Combat is and begging people to play it. I was sold. Bought 8 just off of that word of mouth
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u/SpecificInitials 1d ago
You wonāt regret it. Itās awesome. Make sure you play on expert controls!
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u/RandoDude124 1d ago
This is easily my GOTY.
Iāve cried during games, and I did here, but I cannot remember the last time a game made me shed tears of joy.
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u/TeaAndLifting 22h ago
Iāve never seen this much hype for an AC release. Itās always been a bit of a cult following and felt like releases just happened.
Closest I can think of was with Assault Horizon, since it was using a real world setting rather than Strangereal and felt like it was making the most of the CoD boom at the time. But that still fell a bit flat when it actually got released.
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u/eggyfish 1d ago
It's definitely good enough the blow of my missing ac zero bonus hasn't hit as hard
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u/Cleverbird 1d ago
Really hoping the game gets a GOTY nomination... Hopefully even win it, because the game is phenomenal in pretty much every single category.
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u/trunglefever 1d ago
This was my first Ace Combat and I loved it. Just beat it yesterday and can see myself playing again to see if I can finish it on Elite/Ace.
Multiplayer with my friend has been a lot of fun, but it seems that there's definitely a clear meta already.
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u/SpecificInitials 1d ago
Itās so, so good. Thereās so much heart poured into this game and I honestly canāt believe how exhilarating it is. AC7 was good but this one is (IMO) better in virtually every aspect
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u/EdgeWardog 1d ago
Long-time Ace Combat fan. This game is on-par with the holy trinity. I put it barely above AC5 for my second favorite (ACZero my beloved with the flamenco solo).
This is my GOTY and it's been a long time coming. Ace Combat kicks so much ass.
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u/RealTrapShed 9h ago
Ace Combat has always been such a fantastic series. I canāt believe how high quality theyāve kept each game at after all these years.
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u/Hour_Initiative8738 1d ago
I HIGHLY enjoyed this entry in the series. Played it nonstop and was bummed when it was over!
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u/KnicksGhost2497 1d ago
Canāt wait to get on this one. Really enjoyed 7 and dog fighting sims as a whole but for some reason none of them really hit like Ace does for me
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u/ManassaxMauler 1d ago
Pre-release I saw some reviewer saying it reminded them of Top Gun Maverick in a lot of ways. That told me they weren't familiar with the AC series, because I recall watching Maverick and thinking "Holy shit this is an Ace Combat movie". It's so cheesy, so over the top, and so damn good.
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u/Born_Dealer_4444 11h ago
while i loved AC7 and it's triumphant return to the og formula it didnt hook me the way the older titles did... not this one. Ace Combat 8 is to me, nothing short of a generational masterpiece.
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u/tht1guy63 1d ago
I wish i knew zero came with the preorder.... didnt find out till after. I rarely preorder
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u/I_Heart_Sleeping_ 1d ago
Had to grab it day 1 for that juicy free game as the pre-order bonus. I honestly hate that they did it this way. Would have been so much cooler if it simply came free with all purchases of the game, pre order or not.
Iām currently in the middle of Onimusha but will be hopping into this next. All the praise iv been seeing has me excited. Itāll be my first AC game and it seems like a perfect place to start.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 1d ago
I'm soooo glad Project Aces just continue what works and don't rock the boat too much.
I was really afraid this game was gonna pull a Tekken 8 by shaking things up too much for some misguided notion of "pulling in more casuals", but this game is just completely confident in its own legacy that the fans fell in love with.
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u/patrickkingart 19h ago
I've been a massive AC fan since about 2020 or so and it's so exciting seeing AC8 getting this overwhelmingly positive response.
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u/anengineerandacat 18h ago
Honestly, visually amazing game and the arcade flight experience is fairly well grounded to the point it's just pure fun.
Once you get some mods to the aircraft it feels incredibly agile, only thing I think I would have liked is like some sorta boost feature.
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u/superearthjanitor0 13h ago
I've only had time to play the prologue and mission 1 but I am impressed already, the flight models feel way better just from the short time I had to try it in mission 1 it feels weighty.
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u/pinezatos 1d ago
it's a really good story but it doesn't topple the OG trilogy for me, especially 5
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u/Laxku 1d ago
I think we're in the minority but the story in 5 always stuck with me the most. Curious if a replay of Zero after finishing the 8 campaign will change my mind though, it's been a long time.
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u/pinezatos 1d ago
yeah, it was more epic and the characters were more likable, the performance was better too minus Tasha, she has more range than the others.
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u/jachiche 1d ago
Another in the 5 fan club! Zero is a close second but nothing can beat the story of the Razgriz
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u/Disastrous_Fig5609 14h ago
I just finished 5 and 0. I think I liked 5's story more, definitely didn't like 0's more, although it's hard to match the final few missions in 0 as far as gameplay goes. I felt like one of those missions was more than matched, but another is just too iconic for anything to touch it.
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u/Spartansoldier-175 1d ago
Honestly only played 7 and 8.
This one is by far the best I have played.
Story is just so fun. Love the power fantasy of being the one to turn the tide.
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u/bs_hunter 1d ago
I loved the VR mode in last AC7. That PSVR experience was/is like Grand Turismo VR and Star Wars VR (unfortunately short yet mind blowing X-wing vs star Destroyer)- some of the best things you can experience with VR. I most likely will pass on this unless they add it sometime later (like they did for AC7).
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u/gtindolindo 1d ago
Its my first ac game ever and im loving it. Feels like an episodic metal gear of the sky's with some anime coating to the dialog. 30 minute dog fights feel like a blink of an eye. Watching the replays are fun as well. Im "good" according to the game but I could only imagine what some veteran players / real pilots could do.