Ace Combat is a series that's just been quietly brilliant for years. Like any franchise, it's had its ups and downs, but the core games are largely great. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on PlayStation 4 was the last entry, and it's a fun, cheesy aerial action game that's well worth your time, especially if you have PSVR too. Now, though, it seems like the next instalment is underway.
Publisher Bandai Namco has announced that work has begun on a new Ace Combat title, developed in partnership with ILCA. The news arrived via a 25th anniversary retrospective presentation, as spotted by Gematsu. "More than anything, I hope fans are happy to know that the next game is underway," said Kazutoki Kono, brand director of the series. "With this new staff, we’re creating a new Ace Combat—a new era. I don’t know where we’ll be in the next 25 years, but the Ace Combat series will continue, and to everyone who supports us and creates with me—I will continue to give it my all."
ILCA is a Tokyo-based support studio that's worked on a large array of game projects, including Skies Unknown, so it's no stranger to Bamco's flight sim series. No further details were given about the new game — it's probably years away — but it's exciting to know the franchise will continue. Ace Combat 8 on PS5? That's a yes from us.
Anyway, what would you like to see from Ace Combat's next game? Are you a fan of the series? Chocks away in the comments section below.
[source youtube.com, via gematsu.com]
Comments 23
So weird, this morning AC7 was on my mind, just randomly, and I was thinking of how long we would have to wait for a next-gen sequel... Can't wait!!!
What I want to see: Electrosphere remade in Unreal 5 on the new consoles, in its full form in the West which is clearly where Project Aces are heading with Skies Unknown (see: Jaeger going on about his son, who we know is Erich in Electrosphere, hints about drones and even the COFFIN system being developed with Mihaly). I think Namco needs to understand the West is ready for a game like Electrosphere, in both "if you make it, they will buy" and "Ghost in the Shell did better in the West than it was thought it would" (for the uninitiated, Electrosphere's original version had -heavy- GITS vibes).
Will also accept: new game telling the story between Skies Unknown and Electrosphere, like the development steps that resulted in the Strangereal we see in that game.
(do you really need to ask if I'm a fan of the series? XD put it this way: I own both versions of Electrosphere legitimately, AND custom firmware'd my BC PS3 so I could play my Japanese disc on it and patch it with Project Nemo's English translation patch. And had 7 on preorder since the day they announced it which, IIRC, was a good five years before the release.)
This might justify a PSVR 2 purchase on it's own.
No idea why but I never even finished AC7. Used to love old ace combat games on ps2, played each of them for days but now for whatever reason, the latest one seems somehow too slow ams boring. Is it just me?
The VR portion of Ace Combat 7 was astonishing and brilliant, so much more of that please, especially on PSVR2.
@ThePizzaMule
I find a lot of games I had patience for as a kid now seem tedious. I’m just more aware of the value and fleeting nature of time as I age.
Fantastic news. Loved AC7!
Always wanted the VR missions on PC. Hopefully it expands it on PSVR-2.
Just want to echo the PSVR 2 requests! It was amazing in VR. Make the entire next game in VR please.
Such a great franchise, been playing since Air Combat on the PS1. Look forward to a next gen version, pending anything disastrous this is an easy day one buy!
I'm hoping they release a PS5 patch for this games. I didn't get the chance to play it due to not having anything good enough to play it on at the time... I may still grab it, but it gonna be hard to settle for 1080P...
@Floki
It's actually not too bad 🙂 it runs at flawless 60fps, and unreal engine has excellent AA, so it really looks quite nice. You shouldn't pass up on it just because it's "only" 1080p 🙂
Ace Combat is a series I really want to get into. I love the melodrama, I recently purchased Belkan War on the PS2 and have the others too. I’ve also burned myself a copy of the English patched Japanese version of AC3.
I just haven’t got around to properly play one yet. Every time I give it a go I’m absolutely rubbish at the actual game! I’ve never been a fan of flight sims, I think maybe I’m expecting more of an arcade orientated game given its premise. I’ll keep trying though!
@BrettAwesome I play on a 4k monitor so I sit like less than 2ft from my screen. Lower resolution games look like straight trash even with decent AA at lower resolutions than my monitor native resolution.
@Floki
Then why not play it on PC?
@BrettAwesome I would if it wasn't impossible to buy a 30 series card.
This would be a perfect plus game
Oh la la. My sweaty armpits are ready for this. Get it out already!
@Floki
You certainly don't need that to run it. I should even think a 1070 would run it at 4k60
@BrettAwesome That would be worse than the gpu I had last XD
AC7 felt like the shot in the arm in the series needed. Although I still feel the series’ golden era remains the PS2 era titles. Still surprises me they were never all rereleased when such collection releases were so popular.
Looking forward to the remaining AC7 DLC and the new title. Just hoping by the time it comes out the PS5 will have undergone a redesign and a price cut.
I want more aircrafts from other parts of our world too.
@Floki
So you sold a card better than a 1070 before you even had a replacement? Why? For the money?
@GravyThief Initially I did the same with 3, downloading/patching/burning(or emulating), but I wanted that Authentic Experience™ so I imported a real Japanese copy, made an ISO of that (totally legal to do) and patched that ISO. I also wanted to run on real hardware, hence the PS3 CFW.
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