An Indie World War II Title That Slipped Under Our Radar During my Christmas break I caught up on all sorts of World War 1 and 2 media with my fiancée. Of them was a video from Showtime112 about the contributions of Polish pilots during The Battle of France in May-June 1940. Seeing the brave Polish pilots flying lesser-known French aircraft made me yearn for the flying similarly obscure aircraft in the same conflict. For various reasons I never embraced the IL-2 series as my go-to World War II simulator and I avoid playing War Thunder after a few years of near laser focused obsession with it. But frankly, outside of those two intellectual properties there are very few quality options for flight games that focus on World War II aircraft. During one of my recent searches for upcoming flight games or ones I have missed in the past few years, I came across Sky On Fire: 1940 (2020) by ISNI Industries. Game trailer. Sky On Fire was released on Itch.io on November 2nd, 2020, though it was also released on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store a month or two before that. While this game can be played on smart phones and computer tablets, I opted for the personal computer version for my first experience. Simple Looks, Quality Details While INSI Industries chose to have low poly graphics for the terrain, sky and 3D models, I would not be fooled by equate "basic" graphics to an equally simplistic flight experience. The game uses realistic flight physics and airfoils with a solid aircraft damage model. I can confidently consider this a flight sim lite more than anything else. Rather than each aircraft having a set number of 'hit points', the damage model of each aircraft is detailed enough to allow for engines to be disabled and specific crew members of larger aircraft to be killed in combat. Fighter sized aircraft can have wings snapped off the fuselage, aircraft can catch fire, flaps can be shot away, etc. Pilots with good aim and limited ammunition can be immensely effective. Especially with cannon shells being in short supply but highly effective against aircraft of this era. Understanding the muzzle velocity of the weapons used on each aircraft is important. This is something only practice can help players with. As you would expect from even a semi-realistic flight simulator focused on warbirds, energy management is vital at all times. Even the nimblest fighter with the most lightweight configuration possible is not going to be freely climbing and turning without a care in the world like most flight arcade games. Blacking out, reding out, getting energy trapped by decently challenging AI - do expect the flight experience to be more realistic than you would think it is at first glance. Picture by ISNI Industries. Aircraft Selection Compared to IL-2 and War Thunder, you could consider the aircraft list to be lacking. But I'd argue it is short but distinguished. We have to keep in mind that Sky On Fire is a time locked flight sim lite set in the year 1940. The general location all combat takes place in is in the town of Dover and Folkstone in the United Kingdom and the surrounding region. With aircraft only available from England, France, Germany and Italy, this makes sense for the year and location, as that would place most combat happening during the Battle of Britain. Purchasing this game on Itch.io, there are 28 aircraft available. These include well known fighters like the Spitfire and ME-109, lesser discussed aircraft like the HS-75 and D.520 S and multi-crew aircraft like the He-111 and Blenheim. Many of these have a few specific variants available. Samples of the aircraft list. The developer has a few downloadable content packs that add more aircraft, like the Westland Whirlwind, Me-262A-1 and some other funny fictional aircraft designs. Though, with the game's flight model being realistic enough to truly show the difference between certain aircraft designs, there are cases where one aircraft is simply just better designed and better built leaving only the skill of the pilot of the lesser aircraft to be the deciding factor in victory or loss. Mod Support The community around Sky On Fire: 1940 has some interesting mods. A majority of them focus on including other World War II era aircraft that were operational beyond 1940 or adding historic and fictional liveries to the existing aircraft roster. Some of the more advanced mods include jet fighters, new maps and other new vehicles. While some of the liveries do have websites that can be accessed, most of the mods and custom liveries are scattered on different websites between different creators. Web searching for terms like "Sky On Fire: 1940", "mods", "liveries" and "downloads". Photo and Video Mode Any flight game that incorporates an in-game photo mode or video mode earns positive marks from me. I simply have to mention it. In each mode players can control the camera position, adjust zoom, tilt angle and slow motion playback speed. In video mode there are also six camera presets that can be assigned to specific slots making it easier to capture video from multiple dynamic angles easily. You can tell that in these modes are more designed for smart device use, as the buttons on screen can be mouse clicked to activate them. The camera position can be dragged and dropped using the left and right mouse clicks. Short Missions The primary game mode of Sky On Fire is called 'Short Missions'. All four categories of Short Missions. Takeoff lets player practice with any aircraft to start up and take off. Landing is the same just focused on landing. Either mode can double as a free flight for players to learn their aircraft of choice without being shot at. Mission Library offers three single player missions from the developer that give specific mission sets. Scrambling to intercept incoming fighters, leading a small formation of bombers to strike an airfield and intercepting a bomber formation. These are relatively short, straightforward missions. Dogfight is an air battle generator where players can choose one aircraft type they will fly while choosing the aircraft the enemy will fly. There are settings for time of day, starting altitude, enemy difficulty and amount of aircraft per side. It is possible to have massive air battles up with up to 18 or more aircraft. Nine aircraft on each side. Dogfight game mode. Mission Editor To get the most out of Sky On Fire, learn the easy-to-use Mission Editor. For players looking for large scale Battle of Britain style missions, they can create them in Mission Editor. Don't let the name of "Mission Editor" spook you. This is not Digital Combat Simulator or Nuclear Option. In fact, the screenshot below showing a Luftwaffe bomber raid against the port of Dover was created in less than five minutes with roughly 20 to 30 left mouse button clicks. Turning on the Warships & AAA unit options brings around the true "big battle" feel. Again, keep the point of view of the Battle of Britain in mind. Players flying as an Ally will primarily be locked in air-to-air combat against Axis air attacks. Players that want to bomb military bases, ports and hunt ship convoys will need to fly as the Axis as all land and sea-based targets will be in the United Kingdom. During air raids and anti-ship attacks, anti-aircraft fire is rather significant. While the volume of AAA is not on the level of what you would see in Hollywood movies, occasionally the accuracy of the incoming flak is so accurate, aborting an attack early to reattack from a new angle is the best course of action. The seemingly low volume of fire has a higher than normal accuracy, but not on the level of the laser accurate AAA fire you might expect from War Thunder AI units around airfields. With there being no way to set a win or lose condition, players can play these missions until they meet whatever objective they set for themselves before ending the mission or restarting it to play again. If there were more base game missions like those that could be created in the mission editor, it would be an all-around positive. Start of a bomber formation interception in Mission Editor. Extensive Multi-Crew Simply calling what Sky On Fire has as multi-crew is a bit of an understatement. At the most basic level, any aircraft that has more crew than just a pilot can be selected with the Function Keys (F1, F2, F3, etc). When flying as the pilot the gunners will operate autonomously. When taking control of the positions the player must aim each gun manually at the targets. While the computer gunners can do a decent job, sometimes the human aim is just better. In aircraft that have bombardiers, players must occupy the position and work the bomb sight. Manually opening the doors, adding minor steering adjustments to get on target, setting bomb intervals and dropping the bombs. All while the rest of the gunners maintain defensive fire arcs. Opening the pause menu mid-mission will let players select any other aircraft in their flight to complete the mission as. However, it will also let them select aircraft from the opposing side. Letting them switch sides mid-mission if desired. Finally, the mid-mission unit switch also extends to land and sea units. Whether they are 40mm Bofors autocannons at airfields or the 20mm machine guns, 40mm autocannons or deck guns on I-class Destroyers, Flower-class Corvettes or even Kingfisher-class Sloops. Virtual Reality Roughly three years ago ISNI Industries was working on a virtual reality version of the game. The VR build can be purchased on Itch.io. However, this build has not been updated to the same level of completion as the desktop version. With the VR build so outdated, I felt as though showing video of it from YouTube would suffice rather than take the effort to download it and try it myself. The primary reason for this version mismatch is the developer's focus on remaking many of the systems of the game. On April 8th, 2025, a rare devblog from the solo developer says much of the code was made from when they were new to game development and learning while continuing development. After taking much time to rebuild most of the systems with their newer skills, work towards new content for an upcoming update has been underway. A Curious Future According to a post in the official Discord server for the game, the developer's road map includes a new 200x200 km procedural map, more props like villages and trees, an optional simplified flight model used by aircraft no engaged in air combat which would improve frame rate in large formations of aircraft scenarios, improved mission editor and much more. While I do not expect the virtual reality build of the game to match the desktop version anytime soon, it would be interesting to see how the developer expands on the content of the game without leaving the scope of the year 1940. I'm grateful to have a smaller flight sim lite like this still active in 2026. Connect with 'Sky On Fire: 1940' Itch.io Apple Store Google Play Store Discord Intercepting bombers over a naval convoy. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [ Read Staff Profile ]

While it was previously known for being a community-made mod, IndiaFoxtEcho's official entry is the MB-339A, an Italian jet trainer/light attacker. It has been developed, in no small part, by the same developers behind the original mod. To say that I have been excited about this module would be an understatement; I have been waiting for the moment I could get my hands on this trainer for years now. In this review, we will be taking a look at each aspect of this small but powerful aircraft to see if it is a fit for you and your playstyle: External and internal 3D models Visual and sound effects Flight modelling Mission capability Armament Ease of use and learning curve Training and Multicrew Is this aircraft for you? EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL 3D MODELS The external assets are absolutely gorgeous, which is unsurprising knowing the devs that were behind this project. The Macchi has been recreated with painstaking detail. Every divot, rivet and bump is there and looks great. The same can be said about the external textures as more you zoom into them, the more detail you can see. A good example of this are the areas surrounding panels and covers as there are marks from oil dripping from them. The same can be said about the areas near the exhaust and even the "remove before flight" tags and covers. It is absolutely amazing so here, take a look for yourself: As for the cockpit, it is also excellent. All the instruments look properly textured and the gauges look excellent under any light condition. The night lighting is unique-looking and allows for excellent visibility at dead of night. The labels and text in the cockpit are really high resolution, with the exception of some of the auxiliary tables to the sides of the cockpit. But, that being said, this is some excellent work by the team over at IndiaFoxtEcho. VISUAL EFFECTS Exterior wise, it is a very simple module. The night lighting is perfectly serviceable, that includes the anti-collision lights, navigation lights and formation lights. Additionally, when pulling Gs at high speeds, vapor will appear over the wings. There is also the cockpit shake at low speed but high AoA conditions, a good way to tell pilots when they are pushing it. Interior wise, there are two effects that surprised me a lot. These being the canopy misting and icing effects. These are triggered by external temperature factors. When your internal temperature is colder than the outside, it will mist. When the outside temperature is extremely low, it will ice up! You will have to use your canopy de-mister and anti-ice measure to solve each problem, which adds a lot to the immersion. Here is the mist effect: FLIGHT MODELING DISCLAIMER: This is always a tough category, as like with any other aircraft, there is a lot to take into consideration other than just the feel of the flight model. This category is the most subjective one in this article as I do not have any real world experience with this craft. I will only base my opinion on practical experience and knowledge of practical aerodynamics and the theoretical behavior that a MB-339 should have under certain scenarios. Now that we can continue, I will be completely honest: it feels great to fly. You can really feel the low thrust that this engine has as you will struggle with a heavy aircraft as well as requiring special procedures on wet take-offs. The lack of any active stabilization system is very noticeable too, as you will need to coordinate your turns more carefully. She is pretty maneuverable too, as long as you have the energy to spend. When you push her to the low-speed regime she behaves well, even in a stall. It is extremely easy to recover from a stall. That being said, there is one issue I did find when flying. When pulling out of a dive, it is extremely easy to over-g the wings and rip them clean off of the plane. There is no warning or anything. No cockpit shake unlike in the high AoA scenarios. Just a clean cut and then you are forced to eject. The only other aircraft with a similar issue at the moment is the F-5E. I hope that some sort of warning is added (cockpit shake, rattle, etc.) or a correction to the flight model is done to asses this problem. MISSION CAPABILITIES MB-339A This is the trainer/light attack variant of the Macchi, which means it is the one that most people will be flying. It can be equipped with a plethora of weapons to perform its duties. It lacks any kind of countermeasures, both EW and dispensable, so make sure that you will be flying with clear skies and complete air superiority. MB-339A/PAN This is the variant flown by the Frecce Tricolori. It is not a combat-capable aircraft anymore as it has been set up for airshow performances with the addition of several cockpit modifications as well as modifications to the engine to allow for smoke oil to be mixed in with the exhaust. ARMAMENT (AS OF 4/11/2022) GUN PODS While they are draggy, they are the most versatile weapon system at your disposal. You have two varieties to choose from: DEFA 553 30mm cannons M3 50.Cal machine guns ROCKET PODS Classic. Depress the button and have fun seeing your rockets fly towards the target. you will have four types of pods: LAU-10 (Zuni rockets) LAU-3 (Hydra rockets) LR-25 (ARF-8 rockets) MATRA TYPE 155 BOMBS Good ol' irons. No guided bombs here. There are plenty of choices, though! Mk-81 (250lb HE) Mk-82 (500lb HE) Mk-83 (1000lb HE) BL-755 (Cluster bomb) Belougas (Cluster bomb) Practice Bombs (25lbs and 5lbs) ROCKET BOOSTED PENETRATOR BOMBS The best type of bomb for the right job, as long you are targeting something whose name's "runway" or "stationary target". There's three types: BAP-100 Concrete penetrators. BAP-120 HE/FRAG Durandal Concrete penetrators. EASE OF USE AND LEARNING CURVE This is a trainer, so it is only natural that it is a breeze to learn and fly. It is extremely easy to set up your controls and to fly it. There really is nothing else to say other than that this is an excellent training platform that can be use to teach someone the basics of jet flight, navigation and the use of unguided weaponry in any type of weather. TRAINING AND MULTICREW Training is the most important aspect of this module and, while it is certainly well equipped to do it thanks to its multicrew and the blind flying hood, I did find certain aspects of it a bit odd. The synchronization between the trainee and instructor sides of the cockpit can, sometimes, break completely. I noticed this while doing testing with Aaron, as I had to exit the aircraft multiple times due to his throttle overriding my inputs, even when I had already taken control of the aircraft. I suppose most of these issues will be resolved in the next couple of updates. This means that, when resolved, this should be as good of a trainer as any of the other aircraft available for this role in the game currently. The fact that environmental temperature affects the canopy means that the trainee will learn how to deal with these issues at the same time as they learn how to fly jets from their instructor. IS THIS AIRCRAFT FOR YOU? If what you want in a module is: An amazing trainer. An excellent flight model that will help you hone-in your skills. A module that came out as complete as it is humanly possible. A slow flying jet to take into low-threat combat. If you don't mind: Not having any air to air weapons, as this was not designed to do those tasks. The small imperfections of the flight model and the early access bugs Having to adapt to a more analog experience. If all or some of the above is what you want, then IndiaFoxtEcho's MB-339A is for you! About the writer: Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000's leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities but only started being active around the mid 2010's. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as the co-founder and writer ever since. Twitter | Discord : Cubeboy #9034

Want to know a funny behind the scenes fact? I was finishing this article on the evening of December 11th, 2025, when I saw the official trailer for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve premier during the Game Awards live stream. This article was originally going to be about how a potential remake of Ace Combat 3 could be the basis for the still unknown plot for Ace Combat 8. What a time for a rewrite... As a die-hard fan of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere , I must say that it is rather difficult to not just bring this game up every few months. It is about as hard as not overreacting at the gradual changes of the Ace Combat brand's approach to sidestepping this game or lightly acknowledging it. I try my best to not just jump at every perceived head nod or indirect reference within the series and its massive worldbuilding timeline. However, the time has come for me to finally connect the dots and give a reasonable article on the perceived resurgence and how a realistic remake of Ace Combat 3 could work. A Tale of Two Releases Since its release, Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (1999) has existed in a rather unusual place within the Ace Combat series of games and with the fan base. Putting this in the most basic terms, without deep diving into the finer points of the story and gameplay, this primarily comes from the game having two starkly different versions. Ace Combat Series 30th Anniversary video for Ace Combat 3. The Japanese version or 'original version' has a full cast of characters, a choose your own path storyline with 52 missions, five endings, Japanese anime style voice acted cutscenes, and many other smaller features available in a two-disc game case. There was even an optional third disc that offered more content. According to the game, its timeline places it somewhere in the year 2040 and centers around the conflict between two mega corporations General Resource LTD, Neucom Inc, a peacekeeping organization known at the Universal Peace Enforcement Organization and a plot of sci-fi intrigue. The second version of the game is the 'International version' which was exported to regions outside of Japan. A majority of that content was cut with what remains noticeably altered. It is a very different story only explained through text, 36 missions with a single ending, no animated cut scenes and not much else in the way of extra content. Everything fitting on a single disc. It truly does feel like a completely different game when you play them both back-to-back. Cut Content and Consistent Desire I believe it is fair to say that a large part of the interest that has surrounded Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere lies in the version difference. The global inaccessibility of content from the original version was maintained up until fan translation projects like ' Project Nemo ' in the 2010s and the ' load word team ' in the 2020s. The free to download files the translation projects produced along with easy to access emulation software made it possible to play the original version of Ace Combat 3 with English, Italian or Spanish subtitles. Projects that explore the game's used and unused assets by creators like Khristy have further kept the Ace Combat enthusiasts engaged and wondering. Once again, the fandom of a Japanese intellectual property went above and beyond to make something internationally accessible purely through passion. Call it a tradition at this point. Example of English translation improvements circa 2023. The big question still stands though: why such a massive difference between each release? As of the time this article has been published, there is not an official company statement as to why it happened. Throughout the years fans of the series have asked Project Aces - the development team behind the Ace Combat series - if the game could be remade or re-released with full official localization. The common response from Project Aces staff members is that the team does not have the capacity to support localization of a complex title like Ace Combat 3, presumably while they are developing new games and concepts. There are anecdotes from people involved with localization efforts in 1999 that say the intention was to translate the game in full, but Namco cancelled funding for localization early. The Skyward Flight Media analysis and free to download copy of the Ace Combat 3 PAL Press Kit goes into more detail on this subject with official documents showing localization being underway. Building models seen in Expo City (Ace Combat 3 promotional art). I believe the most realistic take on why localization was not done back then lies in the sales figures and the staggered release dates between the game in Japan (May 27th, 1999) and other regions (January 21st and March 2nd, 2000). Ace Combat 3 sold around 1.1 million units combined between both of its versions. The first Ace Combat (1995) sold 2.2 million and Ace Combat 2 (1997) sold roughly 1 million units. If sales in Japan were not matching some sort of projected number of sales within a set amount of time, it is highly possible that removal of funding for localization was done by Namco over the perception that such a large investment in other markets may not see significant sales return. While I have laid out my thoughts on this, do remember that this is strictly conjecture. Again, there is no official explanation given. The Series Moves On Throughout the 2000s the Ace Combat games released on the Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation Portable and Microsoft Xbox 360 brought new financial success. They also introduced the Strangereal World timeline, which rapidly expanded worldbuilding of the series beyond the loose storyline seen in the first three games on the Sony PlayStation 1 in the 1990s. In the 2010s a reboot of the Ace Combat as brand was attempted, new world building efforts brought in new timelines. Successes and failures occurred. Game design wise, Ace Combat 3's formula was never really repeated. Story wise, it being set so far into the future in the year 2040, but not far enough to where it could be ignored, made it a difficult piece to fit into the new worldbuilding puzzle. The Ace Combat games that were released after Ace Combat 3 have done an odd waltz around its existence. It is a bit like when an author writes themselves into a corner in their own story. At some time in an earlier book they gave their story or world an expected outcome, but as time goes on the author's ideas change, new story or stories come up and somehow the author must avoid the ending they wrote earlier. Someday it needs to be addressed but how and when? Easter Eggs and References From 2001 to 2013 the interest in Ace Combat 3 was carried on with fans asking the developer and publisher about remakes, the fan translation projects and now Bandai-Namco continuing to reference parts of the game with easter eggs or "non-canon" events. References to the companies, organizations and systems of Ace Combat 3 have appeared in the Ridge Racer series, Tekken series and other Bandai-Namco owned IPs. Mainly in the form of logos appearing on billboards, car decals, etc. The farthest outlier of Ace Combat 3 being referenced is the canon inclusion of the game in the United Galaxy Space Force Timeline . Something that includes classic games like Galaga, Star Luster, Galaxian and Dig Dug. In some of the games in this timeline General Resource and Neucom are still engaged in activities as far out as the year 2810. In the games themselves, the Ace Combat 3 references continued to gradually build. Cargo shipping containers with General Resource logos appeared in certain areas of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (2007). Aircraft of with a very similar design philosophy to the Radical Aircraft or R- series from Neucom Inc., a key organization in Ace Combat 3, appeared in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (2006), Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion (2009) and Ace Combat: Joint Assault (2010). General Resource LTD containers on a ship in occupied Gracemeria in Ace Combat 6. (Source: Ace Combat Wiki) A military branch of General Resource was the antagonist in Ace Combat Advance (2005), though this game is not considered canon in the main series. Though it also had its own timeline, Ace Combat Infinity (2014) was by far the most high-profile presentation of Ace Combat 3 content in the series since 1999. This defunct online multiplayer free-to-play game proudly referenced many Ace Combat games. It interwove certain parts of their identity into something new while providing players with a massive selection of aircraft. These included original design Ace Combat only aircraft such as the R-101 Delphinus and X-49 Night Raven from Ace Combat 3. With faithfully recreated 3D models and reintroduced user interface from that game, it certainly was a stoke in the fire of Electrosphere fans. Ace Combat Infinity trailer introduced the R-101 from Ace Combat 3. Resurgence Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (2019) included so many direct and indirect ties to Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere that it is hard to miss. In promotional and website material for the new game, Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere was formally included into the timeline. Both in inforgraphics before the game was released and after a major update to the official website in 2025. Worldbuilding articles, a staple of the more hardcore Ace Combat fandom, were available on the official Project Aces website. They discuss the rise of General Resource and their indirect impact on the story of Ace Combat 7. In the game there are two known characters on the side opposing the player that are important to the story of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere. They are referenced in cutscenes or seen in cutscenes of Ace Combat 7 interacting with the main cast of characters. They are also seen in the Aces At War 2019 book in artwork with an ADF-11 Raven. One of the player's allies in the game is named Jager. He is the father of a person that would become a pilot in Ace Combat 3 flying alongside the player in that game. He frequently talks about telling his son about his war stories once the war is over. In the downloadable content campaign, two of the enemies that appear, known as "Mimic", are General Resource Guard Mercenaries flying a pair of Su-47 Berkut. GRGM Su-47 in combat (image by MyNamesFurii) And now, after the announcement of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve (2026), General Resource's presence is once again seen passively in the first trailer released. A Realistic Remake This may sound crazy coming from a self-proclaimed diehard fan of Ace Combat 3 like myself, but a 1:1 remake of that game is not only technically infeasible but would most likely be a step back for the current identity for the series. It has been a long time since 1999. The development team has changed quite a bit, Bandai-Namco is a massive multimedia company with multiple IPs, game development technology has moved forward and the culture of the world that an Ace Combat 3 was developed in has also changed greatly. Not to mention that the aforementioned worldbuilding that has become a core part of the series identity has done has evolved so much, not incorporating it into a potential remake of Ace Combat 3 would be tonally confusing. Thus far there is only one real example of a reasonable remake of an older Ace Combat game. It is not the PlayStation 4 version of Ace Combat 5. That is an enhanced digital port of the original PlayStation 2 game offered as a pre-order bonus with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown in 2019. Nor is is the defunct mobile phone ports of Air Combat. The best example would be Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble / Assault Horizon Legacy (2011). This remake maintained the recognizable plot points, certain missions and characters from Ace Combat 2 while expanding upon them significantly. New missions were made alongside familiar plot points, voice acting and some expected game mechanics that the series introduced after the 1990s. Even the new worldbuilding was incorporated in a way it did not significantly change the events of all other titles while firmly placing the events Ace Combat 2 directly into the main timeline. Trailer for Ace Combat 3DS / Assault Horizon Legacy. A potential Ace Combat 3 remake would need to follow a similar formula with the biggest hurdle being its massive story and all the player driven options. The complexity of the story can be distilled to a linear ending to fit in line with that Project Aces has been producing since 2001. Explained simply, the 'true ending' of Ace Combat 3 is that all possible outcomes of the game are a simulation based on events, known individuals or trends happening in their real world at the time. Each possible branch of the story was based on known data points with the player being the uncontrolled factor in how the story unfolds. The multiple endings are only possible because of the player's actions. With none of the events in the story being canon from this viewpoint, it means that there is no reason to abide by every small detail of the game from 1999. This could be the explanation to justify a remake. The method to setting the story could follow the same model as Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble. Using known characters, organizations and key story plot points to maintain the spirit of Electrosphere, while filling the majority of the story with new missions or missions similar to ones that would be familiar to the fan base. Cutting down the 52 possible missions from the original Ace Combat 3 to a 20-something mission campaign that combines known plot points from all branches of the original to create a new set ending. A more concentrated story could sidestep the need for a large-scale localization effort. More expansive details like the in-game database could be put onto one of the official Ace Combat websites instead of a full blown in-game database as the original did. Development methods and gameplay can follow the tried-and-true original Ace Combat formula that Ace Combat 7 restored to the series. Project Aces would be unhindered by trying to repeat something step-by-step from the turn of the century. Do I want a 1:1 remake? More than anything. But I also have to live in the reality that if the development team has spent over 25 years saying it is not possible, it may be time to believe them and instead check their track record to see what is possible. With Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve being announced on December 11th, 2025, the hope for side-by-side development of a carbon copy Ace Combat 3 is definitely not a possibility. However, an Ace Combat 9 could be a remake of the unicorn Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere that captures the spirit of the game while providing new content to the series without handcuffing the development team. UPEO Su-37 landing (Ace Combat 3 promotional art) About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [ Read Staff Profile ]

You know... every time Shockfront Studios provides a new decimal update for Nuclear Option , I ask myself "how is this not a 1.0?" and "how is this not 4.0 at least?" The experience gets so notably better every update, you cannot help but wonder what they are expecting 1.0 to look like. Let us start by watching yet another absolute banger trailer video for the most recent Nuclear Option update before we continue: Official video for Update 0.32. Update 0.32 released on December 14th, 2025. It has been a few days since then and I put in plenty of time with all aspects of the update both flying in combat and building missions in the mission editor. Here are some of my takeaways on the update. An A-19 with full bomb loadout preparing to takeoff. A-19 Brawler The next aircraft in the roster of Nuclear Option and the star of Update 0.32, is the A-19 Brawler. Development of this aircraft was shown off during developer livestreams starting in October 2025. This straight wing attacker has the same role and similar design cues as the iconic Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. This straight wing, sub sonic, prop fan engine aircraft occupies the role of a dedicated attacker in this game's varied aircraft roster. Viewing this aircraft as the "big brother" of the smaller CI-22 Cricket is a fair opinion. The A-19 can even take off from the same austere highway airstrips the CI-22 does, increasing the combat effectiveness of this new aircraft. While the other jet powered aircraft in game can carry a respectable array of air-to-ground and anti-ship weaponry, the Brawler is in a league of its own. The A-19 has six weapon stations. Three wing pylons, two fuselage pylons and a center line pylon that can be used if the inner fuselage pylon is empty. Saturation attacks are the most common tactic in Nuclear Option due to the consistent effectiveness of short-range air defense (SHORAD). The A-19 Brawler can carry massive amounts of guided and unguided bombs, glide bombs, optically guided air-to-ground missiles and laser guided rockets. In a single pass an A-19 can easily attack up to ten targets at once. In large scale battles where columns of land forces are frequently capturing locations, a single A-19 can make all the difference. True to its design inspiration, the aircraft is also a "gun fighter". It has a pair of nose mounted 35mm autocannons effective up to 3000 meters against armored vehicles. The centerline pylon can mount a 30mm rotary cannon firing armor piercing incendiary or a 57mm cannon that automatically sets warhead fuse type and timing against targets. A-19 with nose mounted cannons and centerline 30mm rotary cannon firing. Flying the aircraft in combat, it is easy to have the impression that the A-19 Brawler is an anemic, underpowered aircraft. But the problem is not with the power plants. It is with how players can load the airframe with so much ordinance it effects flight characteristics. Reducing fuel load or flying with more reasonable weapon configurations greatly improves performance. When flying near maximum thrust to weight ratio it is best to remember to expend glidebombs, missiles or rockets from a distance before flying directly into the range of infrared missiles and anti-aircraft cannons where maneuverability and flares will be the primary means of defense. The name "Brawler" comes from the word for a person that often engages in noisy, violent fights. The type of scenario where someone is used to throwing punches and being punched frequently. The name fits the rugged A-19 well. The sorties I have flown in singleplayer, and multiplayer have highlighted the survivability of this aircraft. The Brawler has often absorbed so much damage - missing flight surfaces, riddled in holes, sometimes missing an engine - and the aircraft has remained controllable enough to either land back at base or fly back to friendly territory and eject safely. Either undamaged or heavily damaged, the A-19 feels like it is one of the most easily to control fixed-wing aircraft in the game so far. Though, in high end peer vs peer engagements with air superiority fighters, long-ranged surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and flotillas of warships at sea, the A-19 does struggle. Terrain masking, effective use of short-range infrared air-to-air missiles, its large volume of infrared flares and self-protection ECM jammer are a must in the large battles that regularly grace Nuclear Option. Overall, the A-19 Brawler is rapidly becoming one of my favorite aircraft in Nuclear Option. This was a good, non-redundant aircraft addition to the game at this time. New Units Compatible with Low Intensity Engagements As seen in the base game missions and a good number of the missions created by user on the Steam Workshop, Nuclear Option is by definition a large scale, force on force combat flight game. 100+ units on both sides clashing with main battle tanks, fast jets, carrier fleets and strategic nuclear weapons is a daily occurrence. Many of the "starter" aircraft like the CI-22 Cricket counter insurgency aircraft and UH-90 Ibis utility helicopter become ineffective in huge battles such as those. Update 0.32 has introduced multiple light vehicles and air defenses more conducive with lower threat environments where aircraft from rank 1 through 3 are still viable. Manually aimed 23mm anti-aircraft guns and infrared man-portable air defense systems with sandbags built around them. These units are harder to detect from the air and often are only found shortly before or after they started firing upon aircraft. These types of basic short-range air defense are prolific in insurgent groups and paramilitaries. The newly introduced Modular Support Vehicle Series provides a system of modular vehicles. Each vehicle can fulfill different roles. While the most notable units are related to air defense or indirect fire, the sub-roles include flat beds, fuel trucks, mine resistant ambush protected vehicles and similar units. These lightly armored vehicles offer more options to create low intensity scenarios. Ballistic Missile Trucks and Thoughts on Indirect Fire Units Since my first month with Nuclear Option back in 2023, I have strongly felt like indirect fire units are a part of the game that has been lacking. Not to the level that the gameplay feels empty or disjointed, but more in the way that it just feels like the variety of ground units that are already in the game seems like they would be perfect for the addition of even one ground based indirect fire unit with a reasonable engagement range. To clarify, up to update 0.31, there are warships with deck cannons that provide bombardment, the Dynamo-class Destroyer can launch dozens of long-range anti-surface missiles and just recently unmanned ground vehicles with grenade launchers capable of engaging targets within 2km with no line of sight. However, none of that is quite what I am thinking of. I am talking about the most common types of battlefield artillery. Units like self-propelled artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, mortars, land-based anti-ship missile launchers, mobile land attack cruise missile trucks - that sort of thing. Update 0.32 took a step in that direction by adding the MSV Ballistic Missile Launcher; a truck-like wheeled vehicle based ballistic missile launcher. Think in the style of 9K720 Iskander or WS2600. The new Nuclear Option vehicle is a non-player-controlled unit that can drive or be set as a static unit. The unit comes in two variants, capable of launching either a pair of conventional warhead ballistic missiles or nuclear tipped ballistic missiles. There are immediate and significant limitations, however. The unit only launches missiles when the active mission reaches the Strategic Nuclear Weapons threat level and when it fires its pair of missiles it cannot be resupplied by any means. This makes the new MSV Ballistic Missile Launcher a limited use, one-time use unit. While its current configuration it is great as a looming threat that needs to be found at the start of a low-threat level mission, but in missions that start with medium and high-level aircraft available from the stat, the missiles will fire immediately and that's that. Having this new unit is a net positive, but more traditional artillery units that could be used to weaken armored columns or maneuver to decimate rear line structures are still a must have. R9 Stratolance Fire Control System The Fire Control command system is perhaps one of the most important updates for land based R9 Stratolance surface-to-air missile system to date. In the game, these SAM sites are the longest reaching threats to aircraft. Capable of striking aircraft up to 50 kilometers away. Before Update 0.32 all R9 Stratolance mobile erector launchers connected to a HLT / MSV Radar unit will fire upon the same airborne threat (aircraft, helicopter, missile). While still dangerous, this meant that a single aircraft could intentionally fly into the weapon engagement envelop of an R9 SAM site and draw its fire, potentially opening the site up to attack by another aircraft. Or in cases of missile saturation attacks the SAM site would deal with threats one unit at a time. The addition of a Fire Control command vehicle distributes targets between each missile launcher, allowing the R9 SAM site to attack multiple air targets at once. This new ability lets all launchers engage threats independently. Now able to both attack aircraft and defend against any hostile incoming bomb or missile at the same time, the R9 Stratolance SAM site had very similar capabilities to real world SAM sites like the IRIS-T SLM, NASAMS or S-400. If the Fire Control vehicle is destroyed then the R9 SAM site reverts to its standard behavior of launching all missiles at a single air threat. Any mission with a fully equipped R9 Stratolance SAM site - launchers, radar, fire control, and munition trucks - will be exponentially more challenging. This is a solid update that adds a new layer of gameplay specifically for suppression of enemy air defenses. Trending Ever Upwards R9 Stratolance Fire Control System Once again Shockfront Studios has provided another positive major update for Nuclear Option . While I only discussed the high-profile sections of the update, know there were many other core changes done to the game. See the full changelog for the update for all details. In the meantime, take a look at the development roadmap available on the main menu of the game to see where they are going with the game next: Development Roadmap as of Update 0.32. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [ Read Staff Profile ] .

In a game where the word "combat" is in the title, it's natural to expect to find a lot of combat aircraft and experiences. And for the most part, that's how it has been! That being said, there is one company that has stood against the current and worked hard for several years to develop one of the best non-combat experiences available in DCS, Christen Eagle non-apply: the C-130J module by the Aircraft Simulation Company (ASC). AN AMAZING PACKAGE If you want to track down the origins of this module, you have to start with Anubis's C-130 mod. This proof of concept showed that there was indeed an interest in an aircraft like this within the DCS community, so ASC was formed by the same mod team that wanted to take the project to the next level. At the 3D level, this module is just amazing. The art goes above and beyond almost anything we have ever seen in this simulator. Everything from the cockpit, its plethora of panels and displays, the detailed but subtle wear and even the intractable items are just wonderful. Its flight model is fantastic, not only from a realism point of view, but also from a gameplay variety perspective. It carries weight and momentum like a big aircraft would, but I think they also nailed the "feel" of the aircraft. Several C-130 pilots have sung their praises over this module's systems and flight model. So, they have to be doing something right. But what I want to focus on today is systems, because it is the area where I have the strongest opinions. It is possible to rip your wings off under extreme G loads, don't ask us how we know. I think that this module's systems are both its biggest strength and its biggest detrimental feature. The bigger the aircraft, the more complex its systems are, so I went in expecting a bit more of a process to start up the aircraft than I would with a fighter or any smaller aircraft. Those expectations were met, but to an insane degree. BEAUTY IN COMPLEXITY To be honest, this is not the developer's fault, this is more on Lockheed than it is on the devs. The C-130 is, by far, the most complex aircraft to start-up properly in DCS. From its CNI NAV set-up, to the infamous electronic circuit breakers, the Hercules can feel like a daunting task to manage properly if you are used to fighter aircraft or even helicopters. The Herc seems to be mostly built around pre-planned missions, which does make it a bit more difficult to just sit down and fly a sortie or two. You will have to spend some time setting up your aircraft, cargo load and drop points, or just set up your nav waypoints. While it does have excellent tutorials, and it can be easy to learn all the basics, you will miss 80% of the module's depth and details if you do not go out of your way to play around with your systems and integrate the aircraft fully within your missions. There are so many sub-systems and little details everywhere that you will find it hard not to get stuck on learning a new thing every time you hop on, which is both a wonderful and terrifying feeling. It is very evident that the developers not only created something that was close to reality, but also something that was close to their heart. This module is a work of love, and you can tell it just by glancing at everything it has to offer. NOT A PLANE FOR EVERYONE, BUT A WONDERFUL MODULE This aircraft is certainly not one I would recommend to just anyone. It is, sincerely, one of the most complex ones to operate, it will take time and effort to learn, and you will have to dedicate time to get used to her systems. If you are afraid of that level of complexity, then you should not look into getting this module. On the other hand, if you are used to more of an airliner workload from games such as MFS2024 or even Xplane11/12, then the C-130 will feel just like home. It is a big bird, but it still has swiftness and very responsive controls, so flying her is honestly the easiest part of the module. You will be able to do many missions that no other module could do, but do be aware that you are not a combat aircraft, even if you are in Digital Combat Simulator. About the Author Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter  | Discord : Cubeboy

Three decades of context for the newest game in the series Let's be honest. No one was prepared for the Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve  to debut at The Game Awards 2025. Why? All official sources related to the Project Aces development team and Bandai-Namco Entertainment were rather airtight about information related to the development timeline of Ace Combat 8 or any potential release dates. There were many video game expos that have come and gone since Ace Combat 7 was released in 2019. The most high-profile flight action game series releasing its most important video in seven years at a video game award show was probably in no one’s cards on December 11th, 2025. This is quite the way for the now over 30-year-old Ace Combat series to take its next step. Before we go on, watch the trailer below: It has been two days since the announcement. The fever pitched hype has settled into high level hype, various content creators and media outlets have given their first impressions and even the crew at the Ace Combat Wiki had every molecule of new information added to their database within the same hour the trailer and official websites went public. Skyward Flight Media also had time to scream, settle, think hard and produce an extensive article that combines the thoughts of two of our writers with the backdrop of 30 years of Ace Combat series context to the known facts of Ace Combat 8. Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza and T.J. "Millie" Archer have interests deeply interwoven with the Ace Combat series. From playing the Ace Combat games of the 1990s when they were brand new to founding a forum-based Ace Combat database while they were in High School in 2005. Get a drink, grab your Ace Combat series Spotify playlist and let's get started. First Impression Quality The announcement trailer for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is an example of a hard lesson well learned. While there were light references to Ace Combat 8 via Project Aces staff social media channels and some interviews with gaming news outlets, hard facts about Ace Combat 8 were withheld rather tightly. The world was then given a single video trailer that summarized what people can expect within just one year. Why does this matter? Pilot callsign "Rex" in combat. The announcement trailer of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (2019) was released at PlayStation Experience 2015 on December 5th, 2015. Though it was all recorded using its in-game engine, it was a cinematic video with questionable quality voice acting and no representation of actual gameplay. Even the story was rather unclear. It very much felt unready to be shown. Something most likely unhelpful with the very real internal company struggle of Ace Combat 7's development behind closed doors. From the public's perspective, the release of Ace Combat 7 was a somewhat rough trail of breadcrumbs to follow in terms of announcements and promotional material . The game was announced in 2015 with a release date set in 2017. It was then delayed to 2018, then delayed again to releasing on January 18th, 2019. T railers showing gameplay and the story of the game appeared did not start appearing until 2017. Ace Combat 8 debuting with a concise trailer that explains the premise of the story, the setting, introduces characters and showed some gameplay with a release date that is at most a year away is a massive improvement compared to the last promotional run. Even if Ace Combat 8 gets delayed to 2027, to the public this seems like it will be very different from arduous experience from 2015 to 2019. A Fabricated Ace for Wartime Hope Say what you will about the development cycles of Project Aces, but they have a decent track record of grabbing onto popular or upcoming real-world concepts, usually of technology, and incorporating them into their titles.  In the announcement trailer for Ace Combat 8, the player starts the story as the Weapon System Officer in an F/A-18F Super Hornet for the greatest ace pilot in the Federation of Central Usea (FCU). This pilot, Jan "Rex" Cope, is known as the Wings of Theve - the name Theve being the capital city of the FCU. Though the invading country, the Republic of Sotoa, has the upper hand in this war. Their lightning-fast attack eventually resulted in most of the FCU occupied by Sotoan forces and what remains of the FCU armed forces scattered. The FCU Navy is so badly damaged, the Wings of Theve and his wingmen operate from an aging aircraft carrier partially acting as a refugee ship. The great hero of the FCU continues to fight on regardless. The existence of the Wings of Theve is so well known, even a squadron of skilled pilots from Sotoa known as The Shadows recognize the red wing logo on the tail of Jan's aircraft, referring to him as "Wings" in combat. However, the unexpected happens. Jan "Rex" Cope is killed during a mission. The player survives the aircraft crashing into the ocean, they are rescued by allied forces, and the death of the top ace pilot is hidden. For the sake of keeping the legend alive, the player takes on the identity of "Rex" and continues combat missions. An unidentified character in a suit discusses how the legendary Wings of Theve is no more than a social media tool - a weapon in modern day cyberwarfare - to fight for the narrative of the war. To project hope and resistance to the world as combat continues. In the real world one such hero existed just a few years ago. The death of Jan "Rex" Cope. Jan "Rex" Cope's flight helmet being given to "the new Rex". On February 24th, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine sparking the next phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War. A significant portion of the air, land and sea forces of Russia pressed into Ukrainian territory to seize the capital city of Kyiv in just a few days. The Ukrainian government and military chose to stay and wage war against the invading force. Within the first week of the invasion, exploits of a lone Ukrainian Air Force pilot flying an aircraft more than three decades old circulated through social media and eventually world news. This pilot, known as the Ghost of Kyiv, was not only surviving against a technologically and numerically superior military, but had shot down at least six aircraft in air-to-air combat. They would become the first ace pilot of the new millennium. After the successful defense of Kyiv and as the war continued on, it was later revealed that the Ghost of Kyiv did not exist. They were the concept of an instant legend manufactured to raise morale during a time Ukraine's military and civilian population needed it the most. The exploits of the Ghost of Kyiv went far beyond the borders of Ukraine and became one of many things that people used to form an opinion on what was happening within the first phase of that war. To a degree it may have been a part of how the rest of the world viewed the war and the actions of individuals and nations to follow. Having the start of the of Ace Combat 8 taking cues from the most recent combat aviation legend is a highly aware of global events decision by Project Aces. This is a great decision. The Wingmen and Commands When the player takes the persona of the Wings of Theve, they also become the flight leader of the FCU Navy FAS-830 Joker squadron. The player fights on with three wingmen under their command who are only known as Noise, Professor and Tasha for now. There are two important points here. First, the influence of Top Gun: Maverick. Between the hyper focus of various types of F/A-18s in the initial promotional media, the stylized flight helmets with the callsigns of each character prominent and the enemy ace flying a Su-57 Felon performing what seems to be a modified Kvochur Bell (Sotoa calls it a Parthian Shot apparently) it is hard to not notice the impact that Top Gun: Maverick had. Wingman "Professor" flying in formation. This seems to be Project Aces embracing this aviation enthusiast culture cue to further increase the enthusiasm around their latest project. A fair business move to utilize the cultural hype around the largest aviation focused movie that has come out since... well... the first Top Gun movie. Second, in the brief flashes we have of the in-game user interface, there is a tell-tale sign of Wingman Commands returning to the Ace Combat series. As seen in Ace Combat 5 (2004), Ace Combat Zero (2006) and Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (2007) in varying degrees, Wingman Commands are a quick select menu of actions that players can tell their wingmen to do in game. They can range from telling allies to protect the player from enemy attacks, dispersing the wingmen to find their own targets or even initiate a large-scale combined arms strike. Players press different directions on the gamepad to select these options literally "on the fly". F/A-18 Hornets of FCU Navy FAS-830. A return to Wingman Commands almost a decade later is a rather unexpected move. The question now is just how detailed will it be? Will it be as basic as telling allies to attack or defend the player like in Ace Combat 6 or will it be more detailed like in Ace Combat Zero where the player's ally could even be told to attack specific types of targets. Building camaraderie through combat hits differently when you know that the allies flying alongside you are useful in combat. It is one thing to see your fellow pilots in cutscenes or as far off icons on your heads up display, but it is something entirely different when those allies are at your command and visibly pursuing enemies' players designate. Multi-Platform It is great to see that the Ace Combat series is continuing to release their games on multiple gaming platforms. The announcement trailer for Ace Combat 8 shows that it will be available on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. That may sound like a weird statement, as it is just a given to release a game across as many platforms as possible these days. But for Ace Combat it has not always been like that. Despite Ace Combat’s first game coming out in 1995 it was not until Ace Combat: Assault Horizon in 2011 that they released a game across multiple consoles and on personal computer. Every game before that was a console exclusive in one way or another. Even the games that came out between 2012 - 2018 were also platform locked. It cannot be argued that Ace Combat 7 selling over 7 million units is also largely due to it being distributed on personal computer via Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and even the Nintendo Switch. Online Gameplay According to its Steam page, Ace Combat 8 will have online player vs player game modes and online co-op. Something Ace Combat 7 suffered from within a year of launch was decline of activity in online multiplayer. Despite being released in 2019, Ace Combat 7 is not a cross-platform game. The player populations of the four platforms it released on remained separate, quickening online multiplayer stagnation. The multiplayer for Ace Combat 7 consisted of two player vs player game modes: Team Deathmatch and Battle Royal. Each mode has a maximum of eight players fighting over 6 maps with limited options for customizing lobbies. The player base will immediately draw comparisons to Ace Combat Infinity which offered much more variety in every way possible. Yes, that game was designed from the ground up with a different concept in mind, but it had a robust amount of online multiplayer content that kept its online community active for four years. All the way up until the game was shutdown by Bandai-Namco in 2018 despite the online activity being consistent. Legacy F/A-18 Hornets of FCU Navy FAS-830 Joker squadron. Coming from Ace Combat Infinity online multiplayer's player vs player, competitive co-op, scoring based competitions, air races, raid boss style special events and variations of existing game types, the limited offerings of Ace Combat 7 seem jarring. While there is no information to confirm this opinion, Ace Combat 8 having online game mode offerings similar to Ace Combat 7 seems likely. Looking at Project Aces' online multiplayer offerings from 2006 - 2013, what Ace Combat 7 offered is in line with what Project Aces has consistently produced. Ace Combat Infinity is truly the outlier. However, the mention of online co-op on the Steam page for Ace Combat 8 is a major point of interest. Scrolling through social media, forums and Discord servers, it is one of the most discussed topics. Whether it is in the style of Ace Combat Infinity's competitive co-op, Ace Combat 6's limited set of co-op missions or the full four player co-op campaign of Ace Combat: Joint Assault (2010), at this point more game modes beyond limited focus PVP will be a net positive. First Person View = Virtual Reality? At the time of announcement, there is no official confirmation that Ace Combat 8 will have virtual reality support. The promotional material for the game highlights first person view in cut scenes being an important part of the experience. In the trailer walking through hallways of a warship, being examined for injuries after a crash, sitting to eat lunch, - it seems like this human level of interaction will be a large part of Ace Combat 8's identity. Example of first-person view scenes. While Ace Combat: Assault Horizon had a few cutscenes where the player saw things from the first-person point of view of the protagonist, it was not something that was consistently used in a way that Ace Combat 8 implies. In 2025, a game heavily relying on a first-person point of view can make people believe that it may be a virtual reality (VR) inclusive game. Also, because of Ace Combat 7's official VR support, it is natural that the question would immediately arise about Ace Combat 8. After the release of Ace Combat 7, Project Aces has stated in many interviews that developing an Ace Combat game for VR would have to be handled a bit differently than their usual process. We also asked about virtual reality support in our  2019 interview  with Ace Combat series brand director Kazutoki Kono. His response was: “It is possible. Despite problems from a business point-of-view. We gained experience in the methods and know-how of how to create an Ace Combat specialized for VR. We’ve said this many times before, but if we were to create an Ace Combat game solely for VR, the storytelling and presentation will be completely different from previous installments. If it’s a product that requires that much effort, there needs to be a correspondingly high demand for it.” With Ace Combat 8 currently touting the importance of first-person point of view and with previous statements about the next Ace Combat game needing to be designed in a specific way to make it feasible, it is hard not to jump the gun and say Ace Combat 8 may be designed for it. For now, let's wait for facts. In the meantime, looking back at the virtual reality campaign for Ace Combat 7, you can see where Project Aces is coming from. Or at least in their implementation of VR at the time. For Ace Combat 7 they essentially developed a second game with its own storyline, a few bespoke weapons that had a helmet mounted display style implementation and an airshow style game mode where players can move around an aircraft carrier and direct aircraft to perform aerobatics on command. All of it standalone - detached from the main game and to this day is a PlayStation VR 1 exclusive.  Soldiers and refugees enjoying an aircraft carrier concert. Right now, there is no mention of Ace Combat 8 having any level of virtual reality support according to official websites or digital distribution website like steam. However, if it will, it would be beneficial for it to at least follow the now standard way flight arcade games incorporate virtual reality. Just let players wear a VR headset to enjoy that experience during missions while all cutscenes or menu interactions appear flat screen in the headset. Other IPs have done this and seen success. Even modders creating tools like UEVR to play all of Ace Combat 7 in VR despite it not being purpose built for it have garnered far more support and positivity than outcry and negativity. If the go-to option is another one-off platform locked VR experience, that may actually be somewhat detrimental. Though, there is another option. An example of that being Star Wars: Squadrons. That space flight game was fully compatible with flat screen and virtual reality headsets, even if the VR experience limited players to standing in the same position as the camera POV in flat screen gameplay while having players use physical controllers instead of touch controllers. Looking at the flight game demographic since 2019, it is clear that people would prefer 80% to 100% of a decent VR experience rather than nothing at all. Three Special Weapons Ace Combat 8 shows combat aircraft carrying multiple weapons. Known as 'Special Weapons' within the series, these are secondary weapons that are used besides the traditional aircraft cannon and Standard Missiles that define this genre of flight action games. There are precision guided bombs, long-range air-to-air missiles, unguided rocket pods, etc. Though each aircraft in the games usually has more than one Special Weapon to choose from in pre-mission selection, players are often only allowed to carry one of them into combat. Though there are minor exceptions to the rule like Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (1999) and Ace Combat: Joint Assault, that is generally the rule for the series. Ace Combat 8 giving players the option to carry multiple Special Weapons at once is not an innovation, but a response. Arcade flight action games created by indie game developers and/or distributed by indie game publishers have been more prevalent in the genre since roughly the mid-2010s. One of them, Project Wingman, which saw a high level of success after its release in 2020. It even went as far as far as getting onto game consoles, securing a PlayStation VR 2 port of a six-mission campaign. One of Project Wingman's most notable features was the ability for all aircraft to carry multiple special weapons during combat. While Ace Combat 7 maintained its tradition of one special weapon used per aircraft in 2019, it is notable that flight action games that have come out since 2020 or started development around that time include the use of multiple special weapons. Ace Combat 8 now including this function is certainly a response to its fan base that has wanted this ability for literal decades now. Some of the mods created for Ace Combat 7 are aircraft 3D model visual modifications that show fuel tanks and other weapons on the aircraft purely for the visual aesthetic while wishing for the functionality. But the timing of this is also clearly an acknowledgment of the current state of the genre and what its fans expect of it. New Life for Existing Strangereal Lore A key part of the identity of Ace Combat is its original world known as Strangereal. If there is one thing Ace Combat fans have wanted from the series it is to see more of the expansive world it has fostered since the 1990s - or since 2004 depending on how you view certain things about Project Aces' development goals. This original world known officially as Strangereal, is the perfect fictional setting for frequent, that massive, generation defining nation state versus nation state combat a frequent occurrence. Thus far the two fandom shaking references seen in the trailer and mentioned on the official website are the Federation of Central Usea and the Republic of Sotoa. An interesting juxtaposition.  The Strangereal World of Ace Combat. Sotoa is a nation that has only been a name on a map since it first appeared in November 2015. There is nothing known about this country beyond a passing reference or two in official lore books. Project Aces is known for re-treading both story locations, certain antagonists and themes, so having a truly unknown or new country could present new possibilities, fresh concepts and further expansion of the Strangereal world. The screenshots of presumably two Sotoan military officers and the name reference of their nation's version of a Kubilt maneuver is about as much information as the fandom has known about it in the past 30 years. That is truly new, untrodden territory. Unidentified Sotoa military officers. The Federation of Central Usea has been passively involved or mentioned in multiple games and official media since Ace Combat 04 (2001). If we want to get technical and include some retconning, since Ace Combat 1 (1995). Seeing the FCU appear directly and not within the written lore or implied in game presence appeases the idea of new countries being brought forward in the world. But the FCU exists on the Usean continent. From where the Ace Combat series started and where it seems to frequently return to. The tried-and-true setting. Frankly, our feelings on this decision are mixed. In fact, it opens up a discussion on a known part of Project Aces' decision making in regard to Ace Combat's identity. Simmering Sentiments About Re-Treading Setting The clean slate of opportunity brought by new nations being counterweighted by the Usean continent is... a choice. This was a chance to have an Ace Combat entry on a completely different continent with a second new or barely known country. Something far from the long reach the Osean Federation since Ace Combat 5 or the ever-present specter of the deceitful Principality of Belka somehow being the near root cause of everything. At the minimum something away from the Usean continent. We have deep love for the Ace Combat series, but the Usean continent has been the setting for at least six Ace Combat games now; if we are not counting certain non-canon games. Instead of the Federation of Central Usea, the player could have been flying and fighting with a nation much closer to Sotoa on the same continent or even on a completely different side of the planet. The basic facts of the story of Ace Combat 8 as we know it now would not have changed much. Pilots floating in a life raft near the FCU coastline. It would have been a great way to push back against the sentiment of Project Aces re-treading, but with the Ace Combat series finally hitting a massive success with Ace Combat 7 after the tumultuous years that preceded it, going off the familiar path again is most likely something the development team is not interested in at this time. Maintaining focus on the well-known and developed Usea, continent is the cautious choice, but frankly, sometimes, it feels... tired. Maybe it’s how long we’ve sat on Ace Combat 7 and wondered what was next. Maybe there has been so much time to think about where the next chapter could go, hardcore fans have derived just about every new storyline and mission that could happen in extensive detail. So, what first impressions do we get? Overly familiar tropes that we’ve experienced over and over again. Maybe it’s the tired impression of post stall maneuvers from an enemy ace in an aircraft designed by Sukhoi. Maybe it’s yet another ultra-large aircraft that plays a key role in the story. Maybe it's the familiar exaggerated voice lines or the unknown soldier to true hero pipeline. When you think back on the storied history of the Usean continent and the Ace Combat brand's formula as a whole it is hard not to look upon the repeating notes and feel... tired. Is this repetition, this “signature identity” really what the community wants and what the developers want to keep doing? Closing: Riding on the Wind of Hype All of that being said, Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza , T.J. "Millie" Archer and the rest of the Skyward Flight Media crew will be there for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve on release day. And of course, we will be discussing Ace Combat 8 and previous titles from the series as we always have. Our excitement over this new game is real, it is positive, but it is based in reality and backed with facts. We hope that this extensive article on our thoughts about Ace Combat 8 with the context of three decades of the how the Ace Combat series has played out is a nice entry in the ongoing winds of hype we are all riding within this moment. ...Oh, and if this is all Belka's fault again, we're flipping a table.

MINOR EDITS: 3/30/2024 - ORIGINAL POST: 10/01/2022 I think it is fair to say that the Cold War scene has been on the rise as of late. It is a very interesting development, like we already mentioned in one of our previous articles , seeing as this era is much more driven by old school techniques rather than relying on sensors to do most of the work for you when you enter combat with someone else. This feeling of complete analog combat is what drove me to test Enigma. I have not been the most successful pilot, but I had a couple of interesting sorties. But none of those compare to the feeling that I had when I decided to finally go on a sortie with the Hind. To say that I had fun would be an understatement. I found myself in situations where I had not found myself in before, situations which forced me to use the Hind in ways I just hadn't before. I took off from one of the FOBs and went straight to the frontline with four AT-6s, two R-60s and two rocket pods. In order to carry all of that, I had to reduce my fuel load, which is fine. Recreation external view image, since external views are disabled. The fly from the FOB to the frontline was uneventful, at least for me. Over me, an aerial battle was being fought between a Mirage F1 and a pair of MiG-21s. It was kind of terrifying, because I was just a couple of hundred feet from the furball: hiding at tree top level. I flew as fast as I could, with my R-60s prepped and my left thumb over the countermeasures button. Thankfully, the pair of Fishbeds won, and the Mirage went down in a ball of flames. At this point I had already reached the frontline. Since I had already vectored myself thanks to a friendly recon flight, I went for a quick attack on an enemy FOB with my rockets. I was not the most successful, but you can't ask much from ED's standard damage model. Splash damage feels very much nonexistent, depending on the circumstances. Recreation external view image, since external views are disabled. It was during one of these rocket passes that I saw a small dot in the distance: an aircraft. It was flying at treetop level and going slow, so it had to be another helicopter. Judging by its direction, it had to be an enemy one! I called off my last rocket pass and armed my R-60s. The hunt had begun! THE HUNT I continued closing distance with the enemy helicopter, which I now confirmed to be an enemy Gazelle. I chose to approach it from the side and then proceeded to place myself at its six o-clock. Not only that, but I got tone and the missile flew off my rail. It took it a bit to make contact but, when it did, that Gazelle's tail assembly had a different zip code. Recreation external view image, since external views are disabled. That tail flew off the Gazelle, and it came tumbling down, crashing in a ball of fire. That was the first kill. I had no time to celebrate, though. In the distance, I managed to see what looked to be flares from a recce team. That meant that another helicopter was nearby. I looked in that direction and found another dot, one that belonged to a Huey. I did the same, went in for the kill. That was the second one. Unexpectedly, just a kilometer away, two other Hueys were strafing one of our positions. It was at that moment that I heard a jet engine roaring past me. A Mirage had flown over me. I tried to line up a shot, but by the time I had turned around, it was long gone. With the Mirage gone, I prayed I wasn't in any immediate danger as I vectored towards the Hueys. I was joined by an allied Hind and a Hip, both which seemed to have been operating around the same area as me. The Hueys strafed the Hip, hitting it a couple of times. I rushed in, getting into what was my first helicopter dogfight. The Hueys and I danced around, trying to get a proper shooting position. The Huey hit me a couple of times with the miniguns, but nothing important was hit. At least to my knowledge. Recreation external view image, since external views are disabled. It wasn't until one of the Hueys extended a turn that I whipped myself around, took aim and fired at him with my 30mm. His main rotor shattered, sending him to a painful death. That being said, I never knew what became of that second Huey. Sadly, even after 3 kills, my flight did not end in the best of ways. I landed in the middle of a field close to the Huey's wreck to unload a recon team I had loaded. I let them do their thing, and then I got the prompt to pick them back up. That is when I got overconfident and, while trying to do an expedited descent, entered DCS' exaggerated VRS (Vortex Ring State) and crashed right next to my team. IF YOU LIKE HELOS, GIVE ENIGMA'S A TRY If you find yourself wanting a place to go on helicopter sorties with your friend to have what has got to be an unparalleled Cold War experience with helicopters, Enigma is the place to go. Helicopters play a crucial role in the mission and fit perfectly in it. This is not common in popular servers, which are usually much more focused on the experience that supersonic fixed-wing fighters will have, not the slow rotary-wing aircraft. About the author Santiago "Cubeboy" Cuberos Longtime aviation fanatic with particular preference towards military aviation and its history. Said interests date back to the early 2000s, leading into his livelong dive into civil and combat flight simulators. He has been involved in a few communities, but only started being active around the mid 2010s. Joined as a Spanish to English translator in 2017, he has been active as a writer and the co-founder of Skyward ever since. Twitter | Discord : Cubeboy

From Rolling Mountains to Gleaming Beaches "Well, damn." It has been a while since I've had a flight where the only way I can sum it up is a single socially acceptable explicative. But when you absolutely grease a difficult landing, it is hard not to feel a bit impressed with yourself. Gliding, engine off, tires hydroplaning on the ocean surface, cycling flaps to tweak the lift ratio and float over sea debris on the beach. The aircraft coming to a short stop on a picturesque beach... now that is flying. GroundFall by Snow Creature has come a long-long way since 2021. Back then this bush flight focused game relied on survival game mechanics to survive in the mountain wilderness and scrounging fuel and repair kits to keep your aircraft flying. Eating beans around a campfire at dusk was just as vital as repairing the warped wing that bashed against a small tree during landing. The survival game mechanics are now optional for those that prefer a flight focused experience expected from a more traditional flight simulator. As of the last two or three major updates, GroundFall has undergone quite the transformation. The familiar mountains and forests from the base game are here and still being updated, though it is clear that the current focus is on the more tropical style bush flying. Honestly? I love the shift. I think the developer made the right call in making this change. There are bush flight scenarios in various Microsoft Flight Simulator iterations, and some standalone projects mainly focus on bush flying in North American Wilderness or Australian Outback type settings. As GroundFall is now, its new maps give an experience similar to that of landing in the hillside airstrips in places like Indonesia or the Philippines. Despite being smaller landmasses, some of the islands still have the steep hills, valleys and considerable foliage players would expect from the type of bush flying they imagine. You could argue that massive forests in the Alaskan style terrain of the original maps are just as inaccessible as an ocean, but I would counter that by saying: water assisted landings. Water assisted landing. That's right! Even the shortest patch of grass near a shoreline or a sandy beach can become an accessible runway with just enough airspeed and the right flap setting. This is a facet of flying I appreciate deeply. In the new maps players are flying the nimble Kitfox 7. Though this aircraft does not have internal storage capacity like Piper Cub in the original three maps, the Kitfox feels easier to maneuver at dangerously low speeds. Players that take the time to become proficient with extreme low speed flying will find their efforts rewarded with some of the most engaging landings they have had in some time. Speaking of the aircraft, a decent amount has updated on that as well. Trim settings can be adjusted automatically with airspeed and flight stick inputs, as mentioned water assisted landings are possible, the flight model is fine tuned to a point that flying into especially difficult airstrips with the engine off is viable. At times, it feels like that is the best way to approach airstrips that have no clear way to fly out of in the case of a botched approach. On the ground the aircraft can be moved by hand with the new Push Point system. No longer does the aircraft engine need to be on with differential braking used to turn the aircraft around. In scenarios where the aircraft came to a stop in particularly tight places, being able to move the aircraft by hand both prevents potential damage and saves gas. The dynamic airplane damage system certainly makes landing and maneuvering the aircraft as careful as possible a major priority. Click a Push Point on the aircraft to move it a few feet in the specific direction. NPC characters offer objectives that encourage players to explore and pay in cash. Items that would normally be scavenged for can be purchased. The side objectives include turning on radio towers, flying to islands to spend a day fishing and even a few beer runs for the broskis. Of course, there are more than that, but that's an eclectic mix for sure. The new side objectives can be accomplished while fulfilling the standard land at every runway on the map checklist that is the default goal of GroundFall as a whole. To say that my return to GroundFall was refreshing would be an understatement. It seems that every time I interact with this game, I find myself wanting to complete it from start to end over and over again. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. [Read Staff Profile ]

Hey, howa’ doin? FlyAwayNow here again with a pair of interviews to introduce some of the plane game indie devs to give you some insight into, perhaps, the future of the Genre, or at least into the minds of those making these games. Here today I’ve got developer Kirk Woodes, and developer Zhakami Zhako on the stand, testifying on behalf of their own projects or games: One at the bleeding edge of format, that is the virtual reality, and the other whose game is still so freshly baking it doesn’t even have a name yet! With one steeped in the fidelity and art style of yesterday, and the other very much front and center of the future by way of homage and function, I see no better way to balance this article! Kirk Woodes Website Links: Bluesky  | X.com   Who are you? I'm an amateur game developer working in C with OpenGL. I'm making a 3D dogfighting game with floating islands and a base that the player can explore between missions Why are you making your game and this type of game? It grew out of a top-down 2D dogfighting game that I was making to learn how to program about ten years ago. After dropping game dev for a few years, I got back into it with learning 3D graphics with OpenGL. The floating islands and base segments were ideas I originally had with the 2D game, but those ideas seemed like they would work much better in a 3D game, so I made the switch. How would you describe your particular visual style? PS2-era programmer art. What's your favorite game in this genre or related media? Not a deep cut, but Ace Combat Zero is my favorite. What you want this game to be? I want the game to have a strong emphasis on dogfights against enemies that can use the floating terrain to their advantage. My goal is to have enemy AI that can give the player a challenge and feel like a fair fight. I want the base segments to give the player a better sense of immersion than the menus in a lot of flight games, and give them a way to interact more with characters and the setting in a genre that hasn't usually had ways to do that. I mean we have two big things here I'd just like for you to comment a bit more on: The floating terrain that we see in your social media posts, and then also that idea of on base segments, where does stuff like that come from for you? The floating terrain was originally just an idea for a cool visual, especially in 2D. The more I tried them out in game the more I liked them, especially with how they work with some mechanics that I've experimented with like restricting the player to semi-active missiles that can easily lose their lock if an enemy flies behind an island. I also thought Project Wingman's airships proved my theory that having more stuff in the air that you needed to keep track of was a fun mechanic, and the islands take that idea a little further.  The base segments come from my personal background growing up on base, so I felt like I could capture that feeling while also improving on what I've always thought was a bit of a missed opportunity with Ace Combat's reliance on menus for everything between missions.  So alongside floating islands, any other environmental or level design tricks you have up your sleeve? Not too much, but the islands do support tunnels, so look forward to that. So there's a gradient of simulation that these types of games have. Nuclear Option and War Thunder for example lean on accessible sim realism with physics and damage models, while games like Ace Combat are extremely arcadey in their flight models for the sake of ease of use. Where does your game fall? The physics are a little more realistic than Ace Combat, with some pretty detailed force and torque math, but it still has an arcade feel. I've actually never played War Thunder even once, so I can't speak to that comparison. The damage model is all arcade though. It's just a simple health bar and missiles that deal fixed damage on hits. How about weapon loadout and the theory behind them? Is that more arcade aligned? Weapons are an area where I'm trying to break out of the Ace Combat mold a bit. The semi-active missiles are my attempt at making the player really have to stick to enemies through some harder terrain than with Ace Combat's fire and forget standard missiles, and I like the idea of testing the player's flying skills by requiring them to keep a lock. I haven't decided what other options the player will have for things like attacking ground targets, but I'd like it to fit that same philosophy. So we've seen you talk about a pilot fatigue system, what's that about? The main goal with the fatigue system is to reward being able to maintain pursuit of an enemy rather than getting the lock, launching a fire-and-forget missile, and calling it good. It ties a lot into the semi-active missiles in that way. I think that, ideally, if you can stay on an enemy's tail long enough, you should eventually be rewarded with a near-guaranteed shot. You mentioned base segments, and from what we've seen from your publicly posted WIPs, you're walking around, talking and interacting with characters. How in depth do you want that to go? Vazgriz, and then Sanikku for Project Aggressors, are planning a similar system, and although it will be a long time until we are able to compare them, I have to ask what do you want to accomplish with this mechanically or emotionally more specifically; like will on-base segments affect dogfighting gameplay? I'm keeping my intentions pretty modest. I think there's a lot of cool things you could do, but some simple, optional dialogue and a little bit of exploration is all I'm shooting for. I want something that gives the player a little more investment in their squadron and the conflict. What type of writing and tone can we expect from you? I haven't gotten far with the writing, but I think it'll be lower stakes with a focus on the dissonance between combat and the mundanity back at base. I don't have any writing experience, but it's the part I'm most excited to give a try, and I think that tone is something I can portray well. We've seen a few aircraft in your social media sharings so far, can you speak about what type of planes you intend to include in your game? This one depends a lot on how much air-to-ground combat ends up in the game and whether I continue to try to do all the plane models myself, but one thing I definitely intend on is custom plane modding in some form. I'm already building a lot of my own tools, such as my level editing scripts in Blender, so I plan to have a plane editor that I can hopefully make publicly available. Not having some decent modding tools would feel like squandering one of the big advantages of building my own engine. Want to talk a bit on why you pursued a custom engine? My coding background is in C, so it's just what I'm most comfortable with. I like being able to write my core gameplay logic in C, but learning OpenGL and handwriting shaders has made visual design and experimentation painful. I think it would have been a much smoother process if I had gone into game development with a clearer idea of what I actually wanted the game to look like. One dream feature or thing you'd like to add into your game even if you might not be able to do it? I'd like to limit the player's loadout size to be more realistic, but with the ability to quickly land on bases on the islands and rearm. If I implement takeoff and landing mechanics, I'd want them to be more forgiving than most flight sims, but much more closely integrated into missions. Do you have any idea what you might name this game in the end? It's got a working title, but I want to make sure I have something I'm really happy with before I make anything public. Zhakami Zhako Website Links: X.com  | Project Fairy  | VRChat Who are you? I'm Zhakami Zhako, a programmer with very odd habits. Most people just call me Zhak. I work as a Software Engineer and do Game Development in my spare time. What are you working on? It's a project called "Project Fairy", which primarily is inspired by Sentou Yousei Yukikaze (Battle Fairy Yukikaze). It is a fan project that aims to recreate scenes that is based from the original game, the OVA and the novels as well as fan depictions/interpretation(s) of certain scenes; Hence the name "Fairy", as it takes place on planet Faery which is where most of Yukikaze's story unfolds. It is primarily a story driven ace arcade combat style game; Played in different pilot's POV's, to which it wont be only limited to B-3 (Fukai Rei) but also from various characters as well. My initial plan for it is to create multiple episodes and have each episode be their own build/world. At least for the VRC releases as I am also considering possibly creating a standalone. Released October 26th, 2021, 'Sugar Rush' was the first prototype flight arcade world for Project Fairy. Development has continued far beyond this point. The gameplay concept is straightforward dogfighting against JAM (At least initially) while keeping the core part of SaccFlight's handling (Flight, Movement, AOA, Controls, etc.); Multiple weapons (AAM-5, AAM-3, Gun, etc.), while doing TARP scans on certain episodes/objectives; Whilst keeping the core VR/C intact (VR Controls, Avatar, etc.) Project Fairy, however, isn't exactly only limited to the scope of Yukikaze as I somehow produce it as some sort of a result of various experimentations in Unity and VRChat's SDK; "If it's possible in VRC, then it's possible to do it in Unity." Other than the Yukikaze inspired part, I am also creating experimental worlds in VRChat, emulating a bit of fidelity with the aircrafts and possibly porting them into a standalone build as well. Maybe my own story at some point. Project Fairy WIP Canyon Run ( 2025 ) Are you inspired by anything in particular? Top Gun Combat Zones, Ace Combat (5, Zero, Assault Horizon, 7), HAWX, IL-2 Sturmovik and of course... Sentou Yousei Yukikaze. TG:CZ was my first ace arcade game when I was young; running with a really outdated PC hardware that renders everything transparent. Despite the poor presentation due to the hardware, it opened me to look into the genre; Planes, Arcade-Flight-Sim.  IL-2 Sturmovik opened my eyes further, tackling WWII, Physics and aircraft handling; Despite the fact that it is a sim rather than an ace arcade. HAWX, specifically HAWX 1 may have further inspired me to look into visuals especially during the time when it was released. Ace Combat of course, as it is what everyone is talking about... Ace combat; that pretty much defined a genre. Albeit that, people would probably fry me alive as I say that Assault Horizon was my first Ace Combat game before I was able to play 5, Zero and so forth. Lastly... Sentou Yousei Yukikaze. The concept of being at war at an unknown alien, having various unique aircraft designs, the uncertainty of things... It has been haunting me since I was a kid; And may have been calling for me to make a little something for it. Why are you in this space (VRC) instead of something more independent? It more or less has to do with wanting the project to be accessible for everyone that has VRChat than a standalone build which you need to upload somewhere. The base flight mechanics of the whole system is based on Sacchan's SaccFlight for VRChat, and most users that are familiar with SaccFlight Worlds should be able to adapt almost immediately. The systems that I've used in VRC can be ported to standalone as I am also working on porting the whole system(s) involving SaccFlight and the custom stuff that I have made from scratch. Most flight worlds in VRChat are first person cockpit flights, socializing and hangout worlds that often times have players just end up having mock dogfights, a free for all, a bit of PVE as well as multiple worlds that's involving groups having event sessions (Educational stuff like learn-how-to-fly, how to BVR, How to DFM, General aviation protocols, and special events like airshows.) During the rise of these worlds around 2020-2021 when SaccFlight was initially released, I've decided to experiment and make something that's unique for VRChat. Hence the need of creating an ace-arcade-like gameplay in VRChat. ZhakamiZhako Original Project 2 (2025) How has your experience been in VRC been? It's great so far. I wouldn't have ended up making a flight game if I have not started playing VRChat. I've started playing VRC around early March 2020 during the height of the pandemic. I started learning to socialize with people virtually and basically a month later after meeting a certain HolyKnightAD, Zweikaku and Sacchan... it may have driven me to start creating flight related worlds. What's interesting in VRC is you get to see various worlds from hangouts to scenic views, to socializing, to minigames and then... dogfighting. I've been part of a community in VRChat for aviation enthusiasts, The Black Aces . We hosts events, tournaments and other things in VRChat. I've contributed various systems for various communities as well. Other than that, there's a lot of flight communities in VRChat that hosts events such as how-to-fly, how to BVR, how to BFM/Dogfight, Educational/General Aviation and even airshows. They're mostly my friends as well. ZhakamiZhako Original Project 1 (2025) What are the limitations of trying to make plane-based experiences in VR? The benefits? In general, it's more or less the adoption of the gameplay in VR, especially if you're developing an ace-like gameplay.  If you're making your game in Desktop-first, creating a VR compatible build may prove challenging especially with controls, scenes and among other things Questions like "Does this scene look nice in Desktop?", "Does the VR Build show a much more enhanced scene?", "Are the controls working in VR? How should we have the controls work in VR? Do we use the VR Native controllers? Do we use Virtual flight sticks in VR instead of the joysticks?" The benefits however, would be a complete immersion into the game you are trying to develop; Especially for a story driven ace-like gameplay and when it comes to the narrative being… "You" are the Pilot, you are seeing the point of view of the pilot as you fly in the skies.  "You" are holding the controls literally in VR. "You" are reaching out to press a button.  Mix that with a proper story and gameplay... You can end up asking yourself whether the "World" you've played into is real or was it just a fever dream as you take off your headset... Which is one of my many goals as I develop this game. In VRChat in terms of development, one of the many things that's also challenging is keeping builds the same experience or optimized on one type or another. One example is keeping the Desktop Experience the same as the VR Experience. Another is keeping the PCVR experience the same as the Quest/Android build, considering that there is also the Quest versions in VRChat. It may depend on which userbase you are primarily targeting as well (Quest Users first? VR Users only? Desktop to VR only? etc.) Building a Quest version needs to be debugged whether if certain shaders work in the android build and if it looks okay compared to the PC build; Another that's somewhat holding it back since this is still tied up to VRChat's SDK is primarily its blacklisted components and the adoption of a slow Udon/UdonSharp VM; Code runs slow, Certain assets cannot be used from the Unity Store, and even more.  Albeit these somewhat impact developing Project Fairy, it still gives me the thrill to push its limits while optimizing the whole thing so that it can be played by various VR Users. Project Fairy WIP Footage (2025) Any closing thoughts or things you want to say? Probably a thought that Ace Arcade Genre, nevertheless a flight-sim, sim-cade, arcade... this style of gameplay will always continue to evolve; one game to another. As a developer towards fellow developers, keep doing your thing; keep that vision and keep chasing after that vision. As developer towards the players, I hope you will continue to look forward towards each and every developer that chases their vision. As a developer towards the fanbase and towards any other fanbases, a passion project will always be a passion. A big shoutout to Project Wingman as well, as it is also a huge inspiration (and good god the music). A big thanks to the Jetboys / Black Aces; Wouldn't have gotten this far to the project without their support. Big thanks to SkywardFM, the Japanese Communities, Boris, the people who have helped so far, the people who are following the project and development, the fanbases, and even to you Matt.  I will always be grateful to you all. And please look forward to the project. About the Interviewer Matthew "FlyAwayNow" Nguyen Artwork by alice (@atrousyolks) Producer, writer, incidentally personified online as a rooster. One of the three main developers of Project Wingman and now working across the board on several other combat flight videogames, audioplays, podcasts, and books. Advocate for indie creators, fanfiction, and critical analysis of what you love. [ Bluesky  / Linkedin  / X.com ]

Next Sunday, the first 200 FSA Captains to register will save more than $30 on ‘Entire Event’ tickets. Get your FlightSimExpo tickets early for the best prices! Plus, hotel, airfare, and car rental discounts are available now. FlightSimExpo 2026 tickets go on sale at 12pm CT next Sunday, December 14. An ‘Entire Event’ ticket includes all seminars and workshops, #FSExpoFriday, 3 days of exhibits—including the new Friday Exhibit Hall Preview—and exclusive access to post-event seminar recordings. Starting Sunday, December 14, the first 200 FSA Captains to register will have access to an FSA Captain Special: an ‘Entire Event’ ticket for just $50! If you’re not yet an FSA Captain, subscribe today at flightsimassociation.com . Non-Captains can buy ‘Entire Event’ tickets for $75, with single-day options also available. “We’re proud to share that – in a world where everything seems to be getting more expensive – we’ve been able to reduce ticket prices for FlightSimExpo 2026,” said FSA Co-Founder Phil Coyle. “Last year, an ‘Entire Event’ ticket was $84. This year, it’s $75—and you get 20% more time in the exhibit hall. Alongside hotel rates that are about 25% lower than in 2025, we’ve made the show even more affordable in 2026.” FlightSimExpo 2026 takes place June 12-14, 2026 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, an 8-mile drive from Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) and 20 minutes from the Mall of America®. For more details on all ticket options and pricing, visit flightsimexpo.com/register . Register to Sponsor and Exhibit at FlightSimExpo 2026. FlightSimExpo welcomes software developers, hardware vendors, communities, and other flight simulation organizations to participate as sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers. All exhibit booths include furnishings, internet, electricity, and event passes. Educational speaking opportunities are available at no charge. Details on getting involved are available at flightsimexpo.com/partner . Book your travel now. A detailed schedule and exhibitor updates are coming in 2026. Discounted hotel rooms and airfare deals from Delta, United, Southwest, and codeshare partners are available now. Make your plans early to take advantage of rates as low as $149/night plus tax. Details: flightsimexpo.com/travel . FlightSimExpo 2026 will feature product reveals, exhibits, virtual reality and training demonstrations, and how-to seminars from the biggest names in flight sim. For the first time, attendees will also get access to a Friday Exhibit Hall Preview immediately following #FSExpoFriday on June 12, 2026. An initial list of sponsors and exhibitors will be shared in March 2026. About FlightSimExpo. FlightSimExpo is one of the world’s largest flight simulation conventions. The event has welcomed almost 10,000 attendees to events in Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego, Houston, and Providence since 2018. FlightSimExpo is produced by Flight Simulation Association, a community-driven organization of developers, simmers, and real-world pilots working to make it easier to get started in home simulation. Join the community today—free—at flightsimassociation.com for resources, learning content, webinars, and discounts on top add-ons and simulation hardware.