There aren't many quality flight titles to choose from on the Nintendo Switch. But the console's library will be adding one this summer as Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is officially inbound.

Bandai Namco dropped a new trailer confirming the news today. The Switch port of the 2019 air combat sim looks solid in trailer form, but we'll have to wait until its July 11 release date to see if it runs as well as its PC, PlaySta?tion 4, and Xbox One counterparts.

The Switch iteration of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the Deluxe Edition, which includes a trio of original aircraft sets, three additional single-player missions, two more real-world planes in the F-104C -Avril and the F-4E Phantom II, a music player mode, and added skins and emblems from prior entries in the Ace Combat series.

Destructoid considered Ace Combat 7 a return to form for the series in our January 2019 review. It was lauded for its meticulous detail of real-world aircraft, ambitious “airborne Metal Gearâ€?story, and a soundtrack that keeps your adr?enaline pumping as you engage in epic aerial com??bat.

Four additional DLC packs are coming to Switch post-launch, all of which have already landed on the other consoles previously mentioned. They are the Original Aircraft Series Set, the Experimental Aircraft Series Set, the Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set, and the Top Gun: Maverick Aircraft Set.

It's unclear whether these post-launch DLC sets will be included as part of the Deluxe Edition package or whether Bandai Namco will sell them as additional packages. But, guessing from the inclusion of the Top Gun: Maverick set, the content will likely be offered at? a premium?.

We'll see how the Nintendo Switch version of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown fares when it takes off on July 11.

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New Wing prepares to take Flight. Airplanes.

Long-time publisher Bandai Namco has announced that it has partnered with Japanese studio Ilca to form a brand new developm??ent division, monikered Bandai Namco Aces.

"With the recent remarkable growth of the global game market, the demand for more high-end games is increasing," wrote Bandai Namco Aces on its new website??. "On this basis, in order to deliver high-end games that exceed the expectations of fans around the world, we have decided to establish a new company to strengthen our capacities to develop games with hyper-photoreal??istic expression."

The most recent title in the series, Ace Combat 7, came out in 2019 on PS4, PC, and Xbox One. The acclaimed release recently received new content in the form of a Top Gun: Maverick DLC drop.

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More 25th anniversary DLC headed to Ace Combat 7

Yesterday, Bandai Namco held a special presentation to celebrate 25 years of sky-fighting sim Ace Combat, which first took the skies on PlayStation way back in the mid-1990s. As part of the Japanese live stream, the publisher revealed that a brand new Ace Combat is?? curren??tly in the works at Project Aces and ILCA. No release window was revealed.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Axg1PKDYCA

"We’ve started work on a new project in the Ace Combat series," said producer Kazutoki Kono, in comments printed by Gematsu. "Project Aces staff will of course continue to be involved in the development of this new project, but as we celebrate 25 years and three million copies sold, we’ve come to understand we have many fans of all tastes. Our small team can’t handle it all alone, so we’re looking to expand the Ace Combat team in a big way."

To this end, Kono turned to the adaptable team at ILCA, who previously worked on titles such as The Idolmaster: Starlit Season, and the upcoming Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. ILCA does have some pedigree with Ace Combat, having worked on the cinematics and environments for the last entry, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH4u2HQbg4Q

Speaking of which, Skies Unknown will receive a brand new DLC drop on August 31 to celebrate the series' anniversary. As spotlit in the trailer above, the 25th Anniversary Skin Series DLC pack will feature three very flashy skins, as well as six brand new multiplayer music tracks �pulled from Ace Combat's storied history.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

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Because I was... inverted

Bandai Namco has announced plans to release a free update to its sky-fighting sequel Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown later this week, coinciding with the franchise's 25th ??anniversary.

The "U.S. Skin Series" update will arrive in-game on?? August 20 and offers players three new decals with which to outfit selected jet fighters. That way you can look super-duper snazzy while you blow your fellow humans clean out of the sky. Hoo-rah.

The three featured skins include a pirate-style "Jolly Rogers" skin for the F-14D Super Tomcat and F/A-18F Super Hornet, a prestigi??ous "Red Devils" decal for the F/A-18F Super Hornet, and finally a red, white, and blue design known as ?"Patriot" for the F-16C Fighting Falcon and F-15C Eagle. You can check out the new skins in the trailer below.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

Ace Combat 7: Skies???? Unknown 25th anniversary update [Gematsu]

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25 years of dogfighting action

Yesterday saw action-packed sky-fighting series Ace Combat celebrate its 25th anniversary. Publisher Bandai Namco marked the occasion with the announcement that the series' latest entry, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, has hit an impressive mile??s?tone of two million combined global shipments and digital sales.

Releases in January of 2019, Ace Combat 7 offers an advanced dog-fighting experience among the skies of "Strangereal," a continent currently caught ??up in the embittered "Lighthouse War." Players can choose to battle it out in a single-player campaign or numerous multiplayer modes, piloting a host of sophisticated aircraft and engaging in explosive air-to-air combat.

Speaking on Twitter, longtime series director Kazutoki Kono expressed his delight at Ace Combat's continued success. "Thank you very much, I am grateful," Said Kono. "Well, Let's start the mission!" In addition, the July 2 issue of Famitsu is preparing a huge 25-page retrospective on the entire series. Finally, fans can download two special commemorative wallpapers for the series anniversary over at the official Ace Combat website right here.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

Ace ?Combat 7: Skies Unknown sales tops two million [Gematsu]

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Because I was... inverted

Bandai Namco has released a lengthy gameplay video of Ace Co??mbat 7's upcoming DLC Ten Million Relief Plan. The near ten-minute video features a mission briefing and some high-flying, dog-fighting action, set against a golden sun?set.

Ten Million Relief Plan will be the final piece of the DLC "trilogy" that began in September with Unexpected Visitor, and was then followed up in October with Anchorhead Raid. Ten Million Relief Plan will bring an end to the arc of The ??Alicorn, an immensely powerful submarine that is posing a devastating nuclear threat to the world.

It's your outfit's duty to plant sonar receivers to ascertain the location ??of the Alicorn, before pinpointing its exact coordinates, relay this information to base, and then prepare for a strike against this dangerous vessel. It's all hands on deck for this mission, as the consequences of failure would be absolutely devastating.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Special mission gets underway next week

Namco Bandai has released heavy-on-narration, low-on-action trailer for the next DLC mission headed to their dog-fighting flight title Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

The trailer preempts Anchorhead Raid, the second special mission headed to the action-packed sequel, following on last month's Unexpected Visitor DLC. The mini-arc of missions will conclude in November with the release of its final chapter, Ten Million Relief Plan.

Taking the form of a mission briefing, the trailer lays out a plan to hit the Eurusean military gathering in Anchorhead Bay, in a pre-emptive strike designed to weaken their forces, ahead of the upcoming showdown in Farbanti. The stealth sub mega-weapon, The Alicorn is al??so expected to be in the vicinity, so keep one eye on the ocean les?t you become a part of it.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Stealth Sub Shenanigans

Following up on its more obscure teaser last month, Bandai Namco has released an action-packed trailer for the latest DLC drop in its jet-fighting sequel Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, which is live now on all platforms.

The new mission, titled Unexpected Visitor, concerns a plan to capture an incredible state-of-the-art submarine - The Alicorn - that is packing enough firepower to level a small country, and at least dent a fairly large one. Whoever holds the ?keys to this super-sub holds the keys to victory, so be sure to get in into your arsenal.

Unexpected Visitor is the first of three new story chapters headed to Ace Combat 7. The second mission, Anchorhead Raid, will arrive on October 23, with the trilogy rounded out by Ten Million Relief Plan on November 27?. So there's plenty of reasons to keep watching the skies.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Who invited these guys?

Bandai Namco's Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown may have already delivere?d seve?ral post-launch aircraft, but the sky-fighting game isn't quite done with the DLC drops just yet.

The publisher has released a new trailer for the fourth add-on, Unexpected Visitor, which is the first of three extra story missions headed to Ace Combat 7 in the near future. The dialogue heavy trailer also includes a glimpse of the Supreme Autonomous Aircraft, a sleek, multi?-propelled airplane not unlike a boomerang in design.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Be my Maverick

Bandai Namco has released the final piece of jet-powered new content to its sky-fighting sequel Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Already rolling into the hanger on PS4, Xbox One, and ??PC platforms is the fearsome ADFX-01 Morgan.

The ADFX-01 - which Ace Combat faithful may remember from PS2 entry The Belkan War - is a jet fighter capable of engaging with enemy fighters and gr??ound targets with equal ferocity. The ADFX-01 is equipped with three powerful weaponry systems: The Tactical Laser, to make short work of infrastructure, the IWES, for reactive heads-up i?n battle and pinpoint targeting accuracy, and finally the MPBM (Multi-Purpose Burst Missile), capable of taking down ranged targets with relative ease.

The ADFX-01 Morgan also comes with two alternate skins, so you can make sure you look your very best while blowing the hell out of a lot of unknown installations. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

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Operation Sighthound to be followed by two other packs

Bandai Namco has confirmed that the first campaign DLC pack for Ace Combat 7 will be releasing this fall. Called "Operation Sighthound," the mission takes place a few days after one of the main missions from the game. This expansion will be the first of three announced story packs for the latest installment in this long-running flight simulato??r.

There isn't a whole lot to go off with this trailer, but it does at least put things into place for anyone concerned with the plotline of Ace Combat 7. I almost mistook to date for a release date, but it's simply when events transpired in this fictional universe. It's insane how in-depth the narratives are for this series, but you gotta love when a devel??oper is willing to go the extra mile to get you invested in its creati??on.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Finally Teases "Operation Sighthound" Sto?ry DLC With New Trailer [Twinfinite]

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Take me on your mighty wings tonight

Bandai Namco has dropped details and a trailer for a batch of DLC content coming to their sky-blazing jet fighter title Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. The new airc??raft and missions will be coming as part of the sequel's season pass.

Now, you're gonna? have to work with me here. What do I know about air-ree-yo-planes? Nothing. Especially ones with lasers and shit. So I'm going to hit you with some cool sou?nding names right now, and you just go with it. May 22 will bring us the ADF-11F Raven, which I'm reliably informed is "A manned version of the large fighter developed in Erusea. Its ADF-11 nose unit is uniquely equipped with an F-type flight unit designed for combat." Coming with the ADF-11F is a special UAV weapon, along with some exclusive skins and emblems.

June 26 brings the ADF-01 Falken "A large figh??ter developed by North Osea Gründer Industries. Representing the culmination of Belka’s military technology, it is highly maneuverable and capable of stealth flight." The Falken is equipped with a Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb special and will bring further skins and emblems.

Finally, July 31 will add the ADFX-01 Morgan, which is "A large, multi-role, experimental Belkan aircraft later completed by the Allied Forces. Loaded with equipment such as high-output lasers and multi-use air-burst missiles." Said air-burst missiles are the Morgan's specialty. Also coming will ??be - you guessed it - further skins and emblems.

So there you go, three badass sky fighters, all arriving in-game over the next three months. Alongside the plan??es themselves, three new missions will be also be added, giving players plenty of opportunities ?to unleash their inner Maverick.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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Mighty Wings

Fans of the Bandai Namco's dog-fighting series Ace Combat have succeeded in raising over $6,000 for charity, following an unofficia??l raffle which was hel?d in the game's Reddit. Fans donated $10 a time to earn the opportunity to win Ace Combat merchandise, with the grand prize being a Thrustmaster T-Flight headset and a copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown signed by series producer Kazutoki Kono.

Once the raffle ended, $6,436 USD had been raised in total. This money was then donated to Wings of Hope, a non-profit organisation that delivers resources and medical aid by flight to wherever it may be need. The charity also supports education, food and welfare programs i??n countries such as India, Ecuador, Cambodia and Paraguay, among others.

Kono himself tweeted out praise for the community for their efforts "What an amazing thing," Kono said. "I can’t even put it into words. Saying 'our fans are amazing' isn’t me being arrogant.? They are just simply great people".

And he's right. Awesome work, everyone.

You can find out more about Wings of Hope over at their official website.

Ace Combat fan community raise??s over $6,?000 for charity [Siliconera]

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Take to the not-so-friendly skies

Put on your flying cap and scarf for today's contest: Win a Switch copy of Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight.

As I said in the lead-in, I think every pilot should have a leather cap and long, red scarf. If they don't, I refuse to get on their plane. It's as simple as that. You wouldn't go ??to a barber shop if they weren't wearing a pinstriped apron, or receive services from a plumber who wasn't showing the crack of his butt -- so why should you settle for any less from your pilots?

So if you win a Switch copy of Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight, I must insist you prove you own these things to receive? your key. Look, I don't make the rules, I ju-- actually, I do mak??e the rules.

Use your eyes and heart to read this description:

In Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight, you take control of over 30 historical airplanes -- from classic fighters to light and heavy bombers. The Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster, II-2 "Shturmovik," La-5FN, Ju-87 "Stuka," and Fw 200 "Condor" are just some of the?? many beautiful machines you can fly, repaint, customize a?nd upgrade.

Play through varied missions in each of the available campaigns: experience deadly encounters with enemy fighters; protect ground structures from bombers; fight over the sea to weaken enemy navy; and pilot bombers to destroy strategi??c targets. These are only a few examples of a dozen mission types you will experience in the beautiful landscapes of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Pick the best planes and pilots for the job, and fly over the icy Russian tundra or the sunny deserts of Egypt.

Build your base -- construct additional hangars and structures for your pilots and crew. Ensure their safety by building anti-aircraft artillery and barrage balloons. Develop your management skills to cut costs and man?age yo??ur unit more efficiently, and become the ultimate squadron leader.

Appropriate pilot dress is very, v??ery important to me.

To enter to win your copy, tell us below what profes??sion's outfit is most important to you. Aside of pilots, of course. Like if a doctor doesn't have one of those headband things with the shiny disc on the front, I refuse to let him or her examine my pros?tate. Look, I don't make the rules, I ju-- oh, yeah, I make these rules, too.

I actually didn't make these rules, though. We have three Switch keys to give out. They're for North American eShop accounts, only. Winners will be drawn on Wednesday, February 27. Don't have an account? Sign up here so you can discuss professional attire with us!

Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight is available now for Nintendo Switch. Head over to Nintendo Enthusiast for more chances to win!

The post Contest: Win Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight for Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Yo Buddy, Still Alive!

I won't bury the lede here. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a fantastic Ace Combat game. If any part of the pre-launch hype appealed to you, or if you played and enjoyed one of the previous numbered Ace Combat games, you owe it to yourself to check this game out sometime. Heck, if you've never heard of these games, but liked Metal Gear a??nd don't mind fighter jets, then maybe you could stand t?o add it to your list as well.

If you're willing to read through the rest of this review, though, there is one thing: The numbered Ace Combat games have all been fantastic. At this point, the harder question to answer might be where to place Skies Unknown in a theoretical ranking of the series, or whether what new things it brings to the table might light a ??path forward for the series ??as a whole.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One, PC)
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment (Project Aces)
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Released: January 18, 2019 (PS4/Xbox One) / February 2, 2019 (PC)
MSRP: $59.99

It's telling that the marketing material we've received for Skies Unknown seems to behave as if the game is the first Ace Combat title since 2007's Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. To hear Bandai Namco tell it, 2011's Ace Combat Assault Horizon and 2014's Ace Combat Infinity never happened. Perhaps that's for the better. Assault Horizon was an interesting but divisive and, ultimately, failed experiment in diversifying Ace Combat's gameplay formula. Infinity was an odd free-to-play mash-up that came? out so late in the PS3's life that none but the most hardcore Project Aces d??evotees could be bothered to give it attention.

By comparison, Skies Unknown feels like a deliberate callback to the past, right on time for the franchise to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Playing the old games and new back-to-back, you'd think the o?nly thing to change in 12 years was the quality of the graphics. The 28 playable aircraft in-game - almost all based on real-world military jets - are as obsessively detailed as ever, right down to accurately-modeled cockpit instrumentation and furniture. Explosions throw out copious particle effects and sight-blocking clouds of smoke.

Ground textures and terrain are spruced up, as well, with campaign missions unafraid to force players to fly and fight just above the "deck", chasing enemy aces through the collapsed skyscrapers of a submerged city, or dog-fighting among forested stone columns inspired by China's Zhangjiajie national park. Special attention has also been given to the "terrain" of the sky: cloud formations. Flying through clouds can reduce missile lock-on range, screw up radar targeting, spatter rain on the canopy glass (it's especially harrowing if you fly in cockpit view) and ice the wings, reducing maneuverability. A few missions even have players fly straight into extreme weather, having a furball in a thunderstorm interrupted by lightning strikes, or seeking ground targets hiding under the cover of a Mad Max: Fury Road-level sandstorm.

The gameplay is much the same as it was in 2007, without much change in core mechanics. As ever, though Skies Unknown uses real-life planes in its lineup of playable? war machines, it's about as far from a "flight sim" as a game can get while still remaining in that category. It emphasizes action over realism: Planes carry many times their actual maximum amount of ordnance, and generous physics allow the performance of flight maneuvers that would likely pulp the body of a living pilot (incidentally, air combat's effect on the human physiology becomes something of a story point in the campaign).

The basic combat mechanics are also largely the same. Gone is Assault Horizon's much-maligned dogfight mode, leaving the old "Players fly their planes, line up their targets, lock on with missiles, score kills routine. Rinse and repeat." This isn't so much because the formula's grown stale as because the formula works, much ??for the same reason that no one seriously complains about first-person shooters always being about shooting people with guns. There's also good variety in the available tools, with each playable plane having a different set of special weapons available, ranging from missiles capable of multi-lock targeting to lasers and railguns straight from science fiction.

As is the tradition in Ace Combat, the variety in Skies Unknown is found in the places and contexts where the combat happens. And what a context it is. Once again set in the alternate universe of "Strangereal", Skies Unknown starts off ten years after the war that played out in Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, on the verge of a new conflict between the nations of Osea and Erusea. As a voiceless Osean pilot with the callsign "Trigger", players begin their journey from nobody to legendary pilot with simple "shoot all targets" missions against slow wings of bombers. Before long, though, they get involved with Spare squadron, a ragtag unit of prisoner-pilots, convicts sent up in junkyard jets to serve as lures for enemy jets to waste ammo on. From that dramatic kick-off point, the story goes places in a way that once more affirms Ace Combat's reputation as a sort of "airborne Metal Gear".

As it turns out, the antidote to a somewhat samey gameplay loop is nothing less than high melodrama and ridiculously charming operatics, backed by a killer soundtrack. If there's a low point to the narrative, it's the sense that it won't make much sense at all to someone who unschooled in Ace Combat's surprisingly dense lore. Oblique references to the events of the other games abound under the surface of the story, and while those will be catnip to fans, they might confuse the newly-inducted chicks just getting their wings. If Bandai Namco is smart, they'll make the PS4 and Xbox One ports of Ace Combat 5 and 6 available outside the pre-order crowd, or maybe consider re-releasi??ng other Strangereal-set titles in due time.

Then again, there's something for those who might find characters' ruminations on war and peace too cheesy, or be off-put by the slight stiffness in the script and constant radio chatter. One can still thrill at unlocking a new plane on the game's "Aircraft Tr?ee" progression track, or consider replaying a mission with a new loadout and craft to explore different approach, or even take on others in various forms of online deathmatch. Aircraft Tree progress is shared across campaign and multiplayer, so folks that want to fly a particularly costly jet in their favorite campaign mission can help themselves along by going a few rounds with randos. The more pacifistic can also access a free flight mode, flying thro??ugh the maps in the plane of their choice, unthreatened by enemies.

As for what might happen moving forward, players with a PS4 and PSVR might get a glimpse through the game's exclusive VR missions. Starring Mobius 1, the player character of Ace Combat 04, the game's VR mode is best considered a brief "experience" rather than a full game mode. The missions themselves are fairly simple affairs, made utterly thrilling when played in VR. I'm actually somewhat disappointed the rest of the game isn't playable in this mode, as in VR I found a number of Ace Combat activities much easier to pull off, such as playing in cockpit mode, flying low, and lining up to use my plane's guns (always a weak point in my Ace Combat career). I'm hoping more missions might be added in the future, or at ??least have more pl??anes and special weapons added to what's there.

When it's firing on all cylinders, Ace Combat 7 absolutely soars as a return to form for a series thought dormant. It'll be interesting to see how Bandai Namco might take things forward from h??ere on, but for now, the series is flying high and steady on?ce again.

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Look the part

Don't you just love Friday releases? It's so freeing to be able to stay up late with a new game knowing full well you can continue where you left off the next day (and catch up on lost sleep another time). As a reviewer, I much prefer Tuesday launches -- they typically provide a less??-stressful schedule with the way coverage embargoes line up -- but as a player, I cherish those comfy Friday game debuts.

For many of you, today is Ace Combat 7 day, and it's been a long time coming. I'm most curious to crack into the oft-touted PlayStation VR mode, but I also worry I'll burn through it way too quickly. It sounds like it's a really compelling virtual-reality experience, albeit one that's over after a single sitting. There's also talk of a suspiciously flat dog. Meeting that sweet pooch is my next-highest pri?ority.

If you're in a high-flying sorta mood, you might want to nab this Ace Combat 7 dynamic theme for PS4, which is similar but not quite the ??same as the one given to people who pre-ordered the game.? This particular dynamic theme (pictured below) has soothing background music and, best of all, it's free.

As for Destructoid's Ace Combat 7 review, Josh is applying the finishing touche?s. Sit? tight!

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Five minutes of heaven

Ace Combat has a long, storied history of in-depth plotlines and Ace Combat 7 looks to continue that. Banda??i Namco has uploaded the opening cinematic for the latest entry and it could basically double as a short film. This thing goes on for nearly five minutes and explains the motivation for main character Avril Mead. It sounds quite intense and sets up the stage wonderfully.

As a reminder, Ace Combat 7 will be releasing on January 18 for PS4 and Xbox One and February 1 for PC. The console versions will receive a bonus game for pre-orders, which you can find out about over here.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - PS4/XB1/PC - Opening Movie [Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe via YouTube]

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Ace Combat: The Fires of Adaptation

You know what I love most about the Ace Combat franchise? It's not the fighter jets or the flight-simming (though those are cool, too), but oddly enough, the stories. Ever since I came on board the series with Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies, the defining feature of the whole shebang has been the narratives, uncommonly over-the-top and even emotional for a genre usually associated with dryly realistic military simulations. The stories have been particularly creative in how they frame the narrative between missions. Shattered Skies told of the player's actions from the perspective of a young civilian living under occupat??ion by the enemy nation. 

That said, catching up with multiple games worth of wild twists and Metal Gear-worthy superweapons can be a pain, an intrepid fan has taken it on themselves to adapt three Ace Combat single-player campaigns (namely Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, and Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation) into film screenplays. Links to the PDF files of the works are available on Reddit, and the au??thor, user "AceCombatFilmProject" is eager for feedba?ck from brave souls willing to strap in and read their work. 

Even if the projects don't get optioned for an actual film (likely), adapting the game as a screenplay to read seems like an interestingly timely move, as releasing scripts for stage and film for fans and learners to peruse is becoming more common from even major studios. For example, more people read Harry Potter: The Cursed Child as a script than saw it as a stage play, and just last week Sony Animation made the script for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse available for download. Who knows? This could be the start of something really cool, though I'm out if they don't find a way to incorporate the Idolm@ster or Tekken plane skins.

[Thanks to users TylerWeed and Som?erville for the tips!]

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That's a lot of DLC!

Bandai Namco has announced a whole slew of information regarding Ace Combat 7. A lot of it is probably stuff you don't want to hear, though. I'll start with the good bit: the game is still on track for its January 18, 2019 console release date (February 1,?? 2019, on PC) and with ??VR on PS4. Now, for the rest of the news.

A season pass will be available for Ace Combat 7, which also means a dig??ital deluxe edition. The standalone game will be going for $59.99 and the season pass can be bought for $24.99. This DLC bundle will include three planes, three stages, and a music player. The individual pieces of the season pass (i.e. one plane or one stage) can be had for $4.99 each.

If you're intent on getting the full expe?rience, the deluxe edition goes for $84.99 and includes all of the season pass content with some extra goodies in the form of emblems. I'm not sure what the emblems do, but they can be yours! Now we get onto the best part: platform exclusive? pre-orders!

Firstly, anyone that pre-orders the game on their platform of choice will receive the FE-4 Phantom II plane and a couple of bonus skins. PS4 users will be granted the bonus of a digital copy of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (likely a PS2 classic) while Xbox One gamers will get a digital copy of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (likely backwa?rd compatible). Yes, you'll? get a bonus game based on your console of choice (or nothing if you opt for PC).

I think anyone can agree that the deluxe edition should have included both Ace Combat 5 and 6 on each platform instead of splitting them between different consoles. I understand that both 5 and 6 never left their respective platforms, but why not just throw up a quick remaster to incentivize people into ??????????????????????????buying the DLC? For that matter, why should ??anyone on PC even buy the game day one when they aren't receiving anything extra? Whatever the reason, I guess you'll have to decide which platform's pre-order bonus suits you best before takeoff.

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The latest footage hits the mark

As a regular Ace Combat onlooker, the most fascinating part of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has been PlayStation VR support. We won't be able to play the full campaign in the same vein as, say, Resident Evil 7, but the??re will be missions tailored for V??R. Based on this week's trailer, it looks great!

I can just imagine how it'll feel to soar in virtual reality. There's no shortage of PlayStation VR titles that let you fly around in a spaceship, but I'm ready for something a bit more down to ea?rth.

It's been a long wait for Ace Combat 7 and that wait will unfortunately continue for a while yet. The game is set to launc??h for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on January 18, 2019.

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Strangereal, here we come!

It took them a while, but Project Aces and Bandai Namco are finally ready to tell joystick-grippers when they can break out their flight controllers for another Ace Combat game: January 18, 2019 is the confirmed worldwide release date for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

Skies Unknown will be the first Ace Combat entry for the current console generation. Its PC release, second after the misfire that was Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, will be available on February 1st. The narrative, as shown in the extremely on-brand cinematic trailer below, is set in "Strangereal", the weird alternate timeline housing most of the settings for Ace Combat games. The plot follows the Second Usean Continental War (the first Continental War formed the narrative of Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies), and put?s players in the role of a nameless pilot in a penal squadron, the Penitentiary Unit, as it ge??ts thrown against a new aggressor armed with advanced drone aircraft. 

No word was given as to the status of the game's announ??ced support for PS VR, but as far as I'm aware it's still happening. 

Now, all they need to do is announced the inevitable Idolm@ster or Tekken tie-in skins and I'll be sold.

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You two characters are going to Top Gun

Namco Bandai have released an expanded E3 trailer spotlighting the adrenaline-pumping, high-flying action of upcoming sequel Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

The dramatic two-minute ad takes a look at some of the game's stunning aerial visuals, featuring realistic lighting, clouds and vistas, before plunging headlong into explosive dog-fighting action, featuring expertly-rendered jet fighters, The attention to detail on display is very impressive.

Skies Unknown's story will see conflict arise on the continent of Usea, with morally questionable decisions taken by either side. The Osean Self-Defence Air Force will be outfitted with precision fighters, armed to the teeth with deadly weaponry ?and capable of some all new, stomach-churning evasive maneuvers.

There is still no release date for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, but it is expected to take off on PS4, Xbox One and PC?? later this year.

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Studio seeks help from those with 'deep knowledge' of the series

A software quality assurance company has listed a job opening on Japanese recruitment site Mid-Tenshoku which could point to some form of as-yet-undisclosed Ace Combat project.

The company is on the hunt for someone with experience in team-management, as well as experience working with multi-platform projects, particularly for PS4 and Xbox One. Also requested are exp??erience with debugging and "an ability to keep up attendance," as opposed to those jobs where you can't be arsed to show up and that's just fine.

Tellingly however, the advert also says that preference will be offered to those with "deep knowledge of the PS2 titles Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, and Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War," specifically mentioning candidates who are aware of elements such as mission layout and objectives?.

While this is all guesswork, the smart money is on the possibility that one of more of the top-gunning jet-fighter series may be in line for a modern day remaster or remake, though no such project has yet been announced by Ace Combat publishers Bandai Namco. Given this info, maybe we'll have the opportunity to f?ly the unfrien?dly skies once again soon.

Director Assistance / Planner Support listing [Gematsu / Mid-Tenshoku]

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It's been a big news day for PlayStation VR

The prospect of playing Ace Combat in virtual reality had me glued to news about Ace Combat 7: Unknown Skies for?? a while there, but I've started to move on as of late. It's been a l?ong time coming!

Today's trailer from Paris Games Week highlights that particular aspect of the game and it's good to finally see more of the PlayStation VR-specific gameplay up and running. Ace Combat 7 will have its own VR missions separate from the story campaign, which isn't necessarily ideal (I'd prefer a Resident Evil 7 situation where it's the same?? story content in and out of VR) but it could work out fine.

Ace Combat 7 is still on for 2018 following its delay back in May. (The team needed more time "to per?fect and optimize.") It's headed to PC and Xbox One as well if you do?n't care about the VR stuff.

The post Here’s how Ace Combat 7’s dogfights translate to VR appeared first on Destructoid.

Get thee airborne

Gamescom is kicking off, and right away a new announcement's hitting me like a QAAM locked onto my heart. That's right, I'm talking about the next Ace Combat game, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and it's full of the loveliest nons??ense that I sorely missed.

Bandai Namco's new trailer, visible below, packs in the philosophizing, earnest questions, and the kind of sci-fi geopolitical ridiculousness that's enough to give Metal Gear and Gundam fans the warm jollies.

Lucky Europeans will be able to check out the game (and some of its bespoke PlayStation VR features) on the show floor, as well. It's going to be a long wait until 2018.

All we need now is an overpriced pack of Tekken or Idolm@ster skins.

The post Get to know Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown at Gamesco??m appeared first on Destructoid.

Flight of Icarus

I was a bit dismissive with my last post about Ace Combat 7. The trailer released for E3 was pretty bad, in my defense, but I jumped to some conclusions based on having only played a small selection of the previous titles (6 and Assault Horizon). From the looks of this trailer (and w?hat I was told by fans of the series), the games have a richly detailed back story mixed with some realistic gameplay mechanics that blend together to create a surreal universe.

At least this trailer ditches the melodrama for a more focused look at what Ace Combat 7 will be doing to differentiate itself from the more polarizing entries in the series (ironically the two games I've played). I love the touch of you having to retract your landing gear, but I also dig the developers talking about design decisions and their hopes for the title. Hopefully the game doesn't go full-on stupid like Assault Horizon did.

Ace Combat 7 Gets Campaig?n Mode Footage With Comments From The Director [Siliconera]

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The mild blue yonder

Does anyone really care what happens in an Ace Combat game? I know there has to be at least one person that is sincerely invested in the plight facing the protagonists of each entry, but I've never been able to even und??erstand wha??t is going on. Everyone sounds so serious and is asking a bunch of hokey existential questions that I just tune it out. I just like the art of soaring through the air and dodging incoming missiles.

Ace Combat 7 looks to contain that, at least from what I can gleam in this trailer. There isn't an ounce of gameplay present with the entire thing being made up o?f an FMV introduction to the game. I mean, it looks pretty, but it also isn't representative of anything we'll actually be doing gameplay wise.

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During E3, we'll see the non-VR missions

It's a shame to hear that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown won't make it out at the end of this year as planned. I had be?en looking forward to it as one of the more promising PlayStation VR-supporti?ng games on the horizon. Of course, more time means more polish. Can't be too bummed about that.

In a letter to fans, franchise director Kazutoki Kono said that pushing ahead with the 2017 release was going to "compromise" the team's goal for the game, hence their decision to shift to a 2018 launch. "We take our art very seriously and that means we have instead chosen to devote additional time and effort to perfect and optimize this newest chapter of the Ace Combat saga."

Bandai Namco also confirmed that Ace Combat 7's E3 presence next month will focus on "the non-VR missions that ??will make up most of the missions in the game."

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Just stick the landing on the port and we're golden

There was talk of Ace Combat 7 potentially making an appearance on Xbox One, but it gets even better! This year's title, now subtitled "Skies Unknown," has been confirmed for both Xbox One and PC in addition to the previously announced PlayStation 4 version with PlayStation VR c?ompatibility.

If you're invested in the series' ongoing story or are otherwise just curious about the game's plot after this dialogue-heavy trailer, it's worth pointing out that Sunao Katabuchi (of Kiki's Delivery Service fame) is back as lead writer on Ace Combat 7 following his involvement with Ace Combat 4 and 5.

I'm down to fly some badass warplanes in virtual reality, so this checks off that box?? and then some.

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Oh hey, this thing

Ace Combat 7 was revealed last year at the second PlayStation Experience event, so it's only fitting that we'd get a development update of sorts this year a??t PSX.

During the event, Sony showed off footage of Bandai Namco's Ace Combat 7, which is still on track as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, with PlayStation VR support. It's a direct sequel to Ace Combat 6, and you ca?n get a look at how the game is progressing in the trailer below.

All told it looks cool! I hope they really drive the VR part home, as EVE Valkyrie was really fun to play ?in the first-person flight sim view.

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