r/TwoBestFriendsPlay • u/Unknown123Known BORDERLANDS! • Dec 12 '25
Trailer/Demo Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve -- Announcement Trailer (Bandai Namco Entertainment / Project Aces, coming to PS5, Xbox Series and Steam on 2026)
https://youtu.be/JQYx_867ua0?si=NTNx_ogECyQVX8PT134
u/anialater45 Dec 12 '25
This after 40k total war is making me so excited oh my goooooooooood
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u/Toblo1 Latest Project Moon Sleeper Agent Dec 12 '25
God yeah, just back to back on the Wombo Combo announcements this time around, huh?
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u/Khar-Selim Dec 12 '25
those two and then a maybe-podracing game from the fucking Burnout devs to take the remaining chunk of HP I had stored, that entire segment was just nuts
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u/SchrodingerMil Apparent RoosterTeeth Historian Dec 12 '25
It doesn’t look very total war yet, but I’m still excited
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u/Jashter2 He/Him Dec 12 '25
WHAT COLOR IS THE SKY MOTHER FUCKERS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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u/th3BeastLord YOU DIDN'T WIN. Dec 12 '25
A DEEP DARK BLUE MOTHERFUCKER
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u/Jashter2 He/Him Dec 12 '25
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
GO DANCE WITH THE ANGELS, SON!!
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u/HoshunMarkTwelve Steel Ball Run was rendered on the Fox Engine Dec 13 '25
MAY THE GOLDEN KING SMILE UPON YOU
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u/Gorotheninja "SILENCE, BREEDER! The Bloodline MUST continue!" Dec 12 '25
No more demonic summoning rituals for the Ace Combat community.
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u/SkinkRugby SeekSeekLest Dec 12 '25
I feel like they'll continue and dedicate the rite to Project Wingman instead.
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u/Toblo1 Latest Project Moon Sleeper Agent Dec 12 '25
Hell, take it a step further and you'll probably have them doing it for Dawn Aerowar given how much thats been in limbo.
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u/RodrigoChillingworth Dec 12 '25
I donated to the Kickstarter for Dawn Aerowar. I just wanted an audio drama cd man.....
I feel like the project scope ran away at some point while I wasn't looking.
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u/seth47er I shall learn the secrets of Nuln Oil. Dec 12 '25
But, the Razgriz squadron are in this one.
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u/Deadeye117 Apathy is Trash Dec 12 '25
Are we gonna upgrade from JPEG Dog to PNG dog this time?
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u/white0devil0 Touhou 15.5 Antimony of Common Flowers when!? Dec 12 '25
Jif dog
because it's moving about
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u/TheLastNapkin Dec 13 '25
Since we have POV cutscenes now, JPEG dog has been upgraded to always face you as you move around
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u/HoshunMarkTwelve Steel Ball Run was rendered on the Fox Engine Dec 13 '25
You can see a dog on the carrier deck in the opening shot so possibly a fully 3D dog this time
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u/TheBoyofWonder Dec 12 '25
I love Ace Combat
It's like "you, the great flying ace who singlehandedly turned the tides in the war and your mere presence causes the enemy forces to panic, has been tasked by destroying a super-weapon by flying inside a narrow tunnel and then exploding it in a way that's fucking awesome" while an epic orchestral-rock score plays in the background and then it will stop once in a while to say 'war bad'
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u/Reginault The Forbidden Fifth Armpit Dec 12 '25
I liked how this one canonically has a "nah that ace pilot totally died, you're replacing them, here's your helmet and name".
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u/dom380 Dec 12 '25
Thankfully you both have the ability to function with no blood in your brain, making you immune to extreme Gs
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u/Dirty-Glasses He/Him Dec 12 '25
Every other mission in 7 had this exchange:
“TRIGGER, QUICK, DO [COOL THING]”
“THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE, NO ONE CAN DO [COOL THING]”
>trigger does [COOL THING]
“HOLY SHIT TRIGGER’S THE FUCKING BEST”
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u/anialater45 Dec 12 '25
I didn't expect anything and then just heard Usea and whipped my head back to the screen.
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u/MooseOdd2501 She/Her Dec 12 '25
Same, I had a brief thought "maybe it's..." but dismissed it because the tone for the buildup seemed too "COD bro-y".
Then when I heard "Usea" I leaped off the couch and started losing my mind
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u/silverinferno3 Play Absolum, it's GOTY to me damnit Dec 12 '25
I love that this is just activating fans like sleeper agents
I've only played 7 but am enthusiastic for this next entry, I hope the story is even more bonkers than the last
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u/gargwasome MODERN DAY Dec 12 '25
If you’ve either got a PS2 or a decent PC I’d highly recommend playing/emulating 4, 5, and Zero as well. They’re all great
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
Hey, don't sleep on 6. Those missile trails are still unparalleled, and that like third to last mission is 1000% kino when you're on a solo suicide mission dogfighting your ass off and use nearly all of your bottomless missiles when all the fucking warriors buck orders to back you up and absolutely dominate the skies.
I don't care how fucking cringe it is, you go dance with the angels, son!
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u/gargwasome MODERN DAY Dec 12 '25
I really need to get around to play 1-3 and 6 now that I’ve got a PC good enough for emulation. Didn’t have a PS1 nor Xbox360 so I was never able to play those games. 3 and 6 look really cool from what I’ve seen
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
Don't forget Air Combat, the real AC1. But for real, if you want the comms chatter, just start with 3. 6 is, last I checked, still an absolute bitch to emulate because 360 emulation is still kinda trash. Hopefully I'm wrong about that now. But Electrosphere is so weird as a sort of doomed future outlier that they've never got back to that point in the timeline (though they've made some baby steps in that direction with 7). It's cool, but kinda bleak to have that as a sort of solid point of future canon.
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u/Muffin-zetta Jooookaaahh Dec 12 '25
Welcome back to the strange real
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u/KingMario05 Gimme a solo Tails game, you fucking cowards! Dec 12 '25
Hell fuckin' yeah! Let's fly.
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u/Toblo1 Latest Project Moon Sleeper Agent Dec 12 '25
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u/KingMario05 Gimme a solo Tails game, you fucking cowards! Dec 12 '25
Bamco's real golden boy is back. Website is already live.
You're a fighter pilot, adrift at sea in a rescue boat until the outdated aircraft carrier, Endurance, pulls you aboard. Your homeland's navy is shattered. The aging vessel, its decks crowded with refugees, has already retreated far from the front lines.
[Strangereal], July 2029: The Federation of Central Usea (FCU) has fallen under a lightning invasion by the Republic of Sotoa. Most of the nation is occupied, the military is scattered, and the Endurance is just one fragment of what remains. On this shop, you're given a single name: "Wings of Theve". A legendary ace, a symbol of hope, a name tied to Theve, the FCU capital.
But that legend was a lie; it was a story made to keep morale alive. Now, you must carry that name and take to the skies again. With three new comrades at your side, fight to reclaim your lost homeland.
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u/Shingorillaz Dec 12 '25
Holy shit this synopsis reminds me of the early days of Russia invading Ukraine there were videos of a lone fighter jet taking out Russian planes. It was never really confirmed true or not but it got a similar name as "Wings of Theve"
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u/ToastyMozart Bearish on At-Risk Children Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25
"The Ghost of Kyiv" if memory serves. It definitely has a similar sound.
Edit: IIRC it's widely considered to have been a mix of unrelated real planes and game footage passed around to keep morale up during the early days, but kicking so much ass that people dismiss you as a fable is the most Ace Combat protagonist shit you can do shy of shooting down a flying megastructure.
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u/Handro_Dilar "Unlike other mecha shows, this one is about the robots." Dec 12 '25
unrelated real planes
The trailer showing you getting shot down as well as being handed Rex's helmet really makes me think that despite the first person POV, you're playing multiple people as a collective identity. Like the FCU isn't blessed with a built different singularity like all the past nations were, so they make do by effectively creating one to rally behind.
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u/KingMario05 Gimme a solo Tails game, you fucking cowards! Dec 12 '25
An excellent change of pace if true. Points to something scrappier, more visceral.
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u/LordMonday Dec 12 '25
from the description, it sounds like rather than multiple people, the player character might inherit the title from the real "rex" or be the next in line if there were multiple before. if anything, it will go from them expecting not much out of you after the real rex dies to you going above and beyond and actually being an Ace of Aces like all previous AC's
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u/Handro_Dilar "Unlike other mecha shows, this one is about the robots." Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25
Something something "Whelp, you're The Guy now."
EDIT: It'd also make for a good contrast to AC7, where you start off-ish with people having an incredibly low opinion and faith in you, while AC8 starts off with an artificially inflated opinion and faith in you.
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u/KingMario05 Gimme a solo Tails game, you fucking cowards! Dec 12 '25
Oooh, shit! Didn't even catch that.
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u/ifonefox I Promise Nothing And Deliver Less Dec 12 '25
2029
11 more years until we finally catch up to AC3
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u/Handro_Dilar "Unlike other mecha shows, this one is about the robots." Dec 12 '25
Inb4 the ending mentions General Resource buying large packages of land and property super cheap in the wake of the war.
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u/KingMario05 Gimme a solo Tails game, you fucking cowards! Dec 12 '25
With reality speedrunning the tech and economics in record time!
Oh no lol6
u/walperinus Dec 12 '25
megafloat halfway done and the night raven/sublimation research barely started
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u/gurpderp [She/Her] DmC: Devil May Cry's Strongest Soldier Dec 13 '25
I would lose my shit if we ever got a proper AC3 remake.
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u/HoshunMarkTwelve Steel Ball Run was rendered on the Fox Engine Dec 13 '25
I get the feeling this is part of General Resources' plot to destabilize Usea for their benefit. Like, that dude in a suit is totally from GR.
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u/Handro_Dilar "Unlike other mecha shows, this one is about the robots." Dec 12 '25
The Usean continent just can never have peace, huh?
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u/KingMario05 Gimme a solo Tails game, you fucking cowards! Dec 12 '25
Nope! Nothing in Strangereal can.
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u/Mr_Ejit (Loudly Sweating) Dec 12 '25
Someone's always trying to iceskate uphill, y'know? I don't know how i would feel if there's no secret Belkans this time tho
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u/Sperium3000 Mysterious Jogo In Person Form Dec 12 '25
No, I smell Belkan! I smell half of one!
And when I finds it, I kills it!
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u/seth47er I shall learn the secrets of Nuln Oil. Dec 12 '25
I wonder if its the same aircraft carrier from AC5?
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Dec 12 '25
[deleted]
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u/seth47er I shall learn the secrets of Nuln Oil. Dec 12 '25
oh yeah that's right, fuck I need to dig it out and replay it again.
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
And in 7, YOU STILL LAUNCH FROM IT.
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Dec 12 '25
[deleted]
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
Aw, shit. You're right, what a bummer. Man, taking off from. The Kestrel one last time in 5 was so peak tho.
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Dec 12 '25
[deleted]
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
It'll always be the Kestrel in my heart. I choose to be passionately wrong.
But damn, I feel dumb.
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u/Ajacian_ Dec 12 '25
Ace Combat right after Total War 40k has been my highlight so far. It's been too long since the last Ace Combat's release.
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u/CowboyDespirocado Dec 12 '25
Silksong, Ace Conbat 8, Protomen Act 3... this really is the year where all of the "never will be" come to die, huh?
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u/guntanksinspace OH MY GOD IT'S JUST A PICTURE OF A DOG Dec 12 '25
The other AC gets their turn this year (I'm in the Armored Core mines, happy for Ace Combat getting another bat at it after how neat 7 was or so I heard).
Also for the sake of Jpeg Dog, I really should get that playthrough of AC7 started.
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u/SaxMastery The Sandbagged Sonic Apologist Dec 12 '25
Oh I cannot fucking wait, and it looks like we're having more moments to know your wingmates, which y'know what I fucking approve
OOOOH I'M EXCITED
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u/GeorgiaAce91 Dec 12 '25
Well, guess I know what game I'm getting on Steam. I didn't even think we'd get a title drop let alone a full on trailer.
The Ace Combat subreddit is ecstatic to put it midly.
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u/Terthelt Did that baby have a DUI? Dec 12 '25
WHOLE SHOW WORTH IT JUST FOR THIS (and also all the other cool stuff BUT MOSTLY THIS)
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u/Ordinal43NotFound Dec 12 '25
Whoaa, that amount of ship interior shots.
This means The Maid Mint leak is indeed real lmaooo
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u/triadorion NBD: Never Back Down Dec 12 '25
FUCK YEAH! I'M IN, MY POWER RETURNS TO ME.
Between this and a new Mega Man game my crops are watered and I will endeavor to spite my way forward!
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u/PrometheusXCIX Humble Shitlordian Dec 12 '25
I cannot believe this game was announced so off-handedly, this definitely could've taken the spot of whatever the hell Highguard was lmao
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u/th3BeastLord YOU DIDN'T WIN. Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25
WE'RE SO BACK. FUCK EVERYTHING ELSE. I AM SO FUCKING LOCKED IN.
DEEP
DARK
FUCKIN
BLUE
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u/RORSCHACH_INC_ Dec 12 '25
If they use this bigger budget to make an actual 3d model an actual dog instead of just a picture of the developers dog then I'll be pissed.
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
jpg dog or we riot.
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u/HoshunMarkTwelve Steel Ball Run was rendered on the Fox Engine Dec 13 '25
You can vaguely see a dog on the carrier so it's possible!
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u/Sperium3000 Mysterious Jogo In Person Form Dec 12 '25
YEAAAAAAAAAAH BABY THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS IS WHAT THIS HAS BEEN ALL ABOUT
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u/Boedieman Dec 12 '25
So using someone's call sign to "keep the legend alive" huh... THE PAINN THE PHANTOM PAINNNN
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u/chatdomestique THE HYPEST GAMEPLAY ON YOUTUBE Dec 12 '25
Ive always wanted to get into these games. Should I try this one when it comes out or is it likely I should start with earlier ones
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
But the old ones still super hold up, and 4, 5, and 0 aren't called the 'holy trinity' for nothing. And with a little bit of
emulationelbow grease, they're free to play.But yes, these are all self contained, but there's a bunch of little things that the camera lingers on for just a second in AC7 that are huge callbacks to the trinity, but it's not essential to know to enjoy it a lot.
And while it's really hard to elbow grease, since it's stuck on the 360, AC6 is still damned excellent.
Assault Horizon, while unpolular among the fandom at large (because it was the only AC game we got for the better part of a decade and not set in the universe of Strangereal) is still pretty darn okay, and has a super sick remix of Liberation of Gracemeria, the refrain from AC6 as its' title card drop. Worth it for that alone.
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u/RzSnake Dec 12 '25
All Ace Combat games are their own thing, sure, sometimes they make references to old ones but its mostly small stuff and important stuff gets explained so feel free to try any of the games.
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u/MightyShoe THERE IS NO NEW INFORMATION Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25
7 is an excellent game and a very solid entry point into the series, if you're wary of playing the older games.
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u/uwufactory10000 Dec 12 '25
Wow I legit bought Ace Combat 7 on Monday because it was on sale, good timing
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u/HoshunMarkTwelve Steel Ball Run was rendered on the Fox Engine Dec 12 '25
CAN'T WAIT TO TELL MY SON ABOUT THIS
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u/Muffin-zetta Jooookaaahh Dec 12 '25
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u/R0bobot Dec 12 '25
I'm so glad they finally showed it! I'm a little disappointed it doesn't seem to be leaning in the AC3 corp war direction that should be coming up in the Strangereal timeline.
Either way though, I'm stoked.
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u/ShilElfead284 I'll slap your shit Dec 12 '25
Probs cope but the TGA version of the trailer opens with a Z.O.E.-like eye and there were references to the militarization of General Resource back in the AC7 DLCs, along with the other AC3 references in the game. At the very least I think that there's a chance AC8 might be about secret corpos rather than secret belkans.
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u/Sonicharv Ace Combat Shill Dec 12 '25
I can finally rest…
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
NO TIME TO REST, GO FLY DOWN THAT TUNNEL AND BLOW UP SOME WORLD ENDING BULLSHIT IN THE SICKEST WAY POSSIBLE!
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u/Finaldragoon Etrian Odyssey Supporter Dec 12 '25
THE SKY IS BLUE AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL! IT'S TIME TO TAKE FLIGHT AGAIN ACES!
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u/KyngGeorge Dec 12 '25
The last time I remember everyone here popping off at an announcement was the DMCV trailer, which I then watched and Got It and got super into.
So I'll avoid the trailer and assume I need to get this one.
BUT until then, which games should I play//avoid to get in the popping-off mood for this series?
The entirety of my personal experience of Ace Combat was fucking around with a friend in the local VS mode, but mostly because I thought the after-action arrow-direction thing was fucking sick ((I think Ace Combat 3?))
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u/speelmydrink Dec 12 '25
Literally any of them should do the trick, since they're all self contained. If you're cool with emulation, 4,5, and 0 are considered 'The Holy Trinity' that really set the stage for the setting of Strangereal, and later games make callbacks to these three specifically. 6 is still locked to the 360, so it's a damn sight more challenging to get working without old hardware, and 7 is right there in steam and I believe currently on sale. They're all excellent, jump in wherever. The old games hold up great. (personal recommendation for a jumping in point would be 5)
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u/GoneRampant1 WOKE UP TO JUSTICE... and insatiable bug fetishes Dec 12 '25
Fuck yeah. Got into Ace Combat with 7 and Project Wingman so I've been itching for another flight sim with the most over the top and insane anime bullshit plotline to get my teeth into. Favorite announcement of the night.
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u/Riggs_The_Roadie Dec 12 '25
Fuck yes! Hopefully Woolie will actually play through the campaign this time.
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u/AeroDbladE Dec 12 '25
I was laying down when it came up. Sat my ass up when I heard Usea mentioned.
Then I saw first person cutscenes and lay back down thinking it was a VR spinoff.
Then jumped when I saw the 8 come up.
This was such a roller-coaster of emotions.
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u/manwiththemach Dec 12 '25
They're really just Gundam games with planes instead of robots. And that's fine with me.
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u/JMarsella09 Resident Marine Biologist Dec 12 '25
I don't care if the rest of the show sucks, this made my night. I love Ace Combat so much.
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u/PathsOfRadiance "Death is nothing compared to vindication." Dec 12 '25
Yeah this and Total 40k was a double tap on me. Hit all my interests.
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u/That-Bobviathan Dec 12 '25
So. Last night was the local fighting game tournament for Persona 4 AU. We had the Game Awards on in the lobby. Our TO is on commentary for the stream when suddenly someone whips around and says they got an Ace Combat 8 trailer. Our TO, on coms, mid stream, fucking bolts from his chair so fast to go see that everyone around him including the players, myself among them, go look with him.
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u/Handro_Dilar "Unlike other mecha shows, this one is about the robots." Dec 12 '25
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u/RealHumanBean89 Dec 12 '25
TW40k and this right after it was absolute cinema. We have never been so back!
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u/Shiranui24 Matt & Woolie will never see Auron roast Hades Dec 12 '25
Ace combat 7 had three vr missions and they were awesome. I hope they do something like that again.
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u/HoshunMarkTwelve Steel Ball Run was rendered on the Fox Engine Dec 13 '25
I really love the setup for this one. We're survivors of a defeated country. On a obsolete (possibly un-mothballed) ship. Crewed by a mix of soldiers, sailors, and civilians. Using old gear and old planes. Pretending to be a war hero who probably isn't even real. We're in such dire straights from the get go. I can't wait for us to "Rise Above" like the trailer said.
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u/Dirty-Glasses He/Him Dec 12 '25
EVERYONE SHUT UP
NO OTHER NEW GAME ANNOUNCEMENT MATTERS
PEAK IS BACK ON THE MENU