Appreciating a DCS World Content Creator As we mentioned roughly a week ago , the former "Creator Highlight" series here on Skyward Flight Media focused on discussing content creators making flight related content is being revamped. As we find our way forward with the series, including searching for a new series name, we take a look at by far one of my favorite Digital Combat Simulator content creators, Venom Cinematic . Without naming names here, for anyone that has watched DCS gameplay video for a few years now, there is a certain pattern that is followed. Well scripted cinematic videos crafted to show the in-combat actions of a specific aircraft or long casual livestreams that last a few hours. This makes creators that have a different variety to their content rather appealing if you know what you are looking at. Within the last six months or so, Venom Cinematic has been hitting that sweet spot in DCS World content for me. May 9, 2025 This YouTube channel started posting videos as early as May 2022. During the first year of its operation, you could tell that the two reoccurring personalities, one of them being named 'Venom', were relatively new to DCS, but quite invested in learning more about the simulator and jumping into player vs player (PVP) multiplayer servers. While there was a minor variation in content in the beginning as the direction their channel would take, by the time the YouTube channel reached 1000 subscribers on September 7th, 2022, it seemed like more traditionally edited gameplay videos would be the main focus of the channel. Venom Cinematic once had active profiles on Twitch, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram between 2022 to 2024, but while those gradually ebbed and flowed Venom decided to gradually shut those down while maintaining activity on the YouTube channel and letting himself be found in Discord servers attached to DCS multiplayer servers he frequents. Why is that? Who can say. Venom Cinematic has certainly found success in their current video format and approach within the DCS world online community. For example, the first video from this content creator that caught my attention was an official pre-release preview video for the Heatblur F-4E Phantom II for Digital Combat Simulator. A major achievement for a creator of this size. May 17th, 2024 Objectively speaking, this was a notable product preview video as it was not a clinical clickthrough of every switch in the cockpit, but a high energy demonstration of a Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer flying and fighting in the aircraft with live communication, working the instruments as needed to survive and win. At a glance a majority of the videos up to 2024 focused on fixed-wing fighter operations on well-known DCS World multiplayer servers like BlueFlag, BuddySpike, Contention, Enigma's Cold War Server (now Heatblur Simulations Cold War Server), Grayflag, Growling Sidewinder and Tempest's Blue Flash to name a few. What I appreciate is how Venom Cinematic shows experienced, expert level flying in the simulator, while being able to communicate in required brevity for air operations in multiplayer and use casual commentary in between. All in videos much shorter than livestream VODs; between 7 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the video. November 1st, 2025 However, Venom is also fully capable of flying more than just the newest fixed-wing fighter added to the sim. Venom is competent enough to fly missions with multiple different types of aircraft. From Cold War era sweethearts to slightly more unusual aircraft for the simulator like the JF-17 Thunder. It is great to have variety. October 20th, 2025. Further adding to the variety is other people that appear in his videos are either players known to him or complete strangers he works wish to finish the task at hand. This leads to some pretty interesting combinations of aircraft working together. This is exemplified in the videos where Venom is utilizing rotary-wing aircraft working alongside fast jets and combined arms vehicles. Venom is one of the few DCS content creators out there still producing engaging videos of the OH-58 scout helicopter. March 3rd, 2025. Today Venom Cinematic has an engaging blend of well edited gameplay footage from online servers or some limited scenario PVE co-op missions that now incorporates cinematic camera views you would expect from amazing set pieces from other content creators that only make heavliy scripted, mini-movie style videos. Shoutout to Venom for finding their way and keeping the variety going! Connect with 'Venom Cinematic' Instagram YouTube Linktree 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 ]

An interview with a proliphic VRChat aviation creator! Over the past three years, VRChat has become an unlikely hub for some aviation enthusiasts thanks to the release SaccFlight, a vehicle system made by Sacchan that enabled users to make properly usable aircraft without coding knowledge. That being said, that does not mean that some creators haven't pushed the limits of the system to their limits. Some have created 3D models of original aircraft designs, some have tried making ridiculously complex fictional aircraft, and others have pushed for a more realistic flight sensation despite the limitations of the system. Today's interviewee, VTail, falls on the latter category. He has pushed the limits of what can be done with SaccFlight to build one of the most interesting aircraft ever made with this system. Hello, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers.  Hello, and thank you for having me. My name's VTail. I am a VRChat world creator and photographer affiliated with a VRChat aviation community called the Black Aces. How did your interest in aviation begin?  My interest in aviation started practically as early as I was born. My father has been an airline pilot for longer than I’ve been alive, and his job and interests ended had a big influence growing up. As I grew older into middle and high school my interest in aviation waned while I was extremely occupied with classes, and it wouldn’t be until the Covid lockdowns where I began to regain that interest. Before becoming a VRChat Aviation world creator, did you have previous game related projects?  Yes I did, back between 2018 and 2019, I spent a lot of my free time learning about the Source Engine and making game maps for Garry’s Mod using the Hammer Editor. I worked on countless files, but only ever publicly released a handful of them. The first ones I made were not that good, but I’d say I ended up making decent maps by the time I stopped developing them. Beyond that however, I went into creating VRC flight worlds blind from a development standpoint. How did you become involved with VRChat?  I began to play VRChat back in the middle of 2017 when I purchased an Oculus Rift CV1. While I had owned early development kits, I hadn’t been too interested in VR by the time the first full VR setups were entering the market. It wasn’t until my brother bought his own CV1 and let me try it out, as well as playing VRChat on desktop, that I then changed my mind. When I first got into the game using VR, I only knew the bare basics on how to upload poorly rigged avatars, and just hung around as a mute. But within the month I was talking with new friends and learning more about Unity and how to create content for the game. You made your first VRCA test world in April 2021. Using the SaccFlight prefab , what were some of the challenges you experienced while experimenting with flight on this platform?  I learned of SaccFlight and plane worlds during a short period of time playing the game again after playing very intermittently. While meeting up with an old friend, they showed me Zweikaku’s F-14 world, and I was so impressed that I wanted to make a flight world as well. When I worked on that first test world though, it was admittedly a lot of trial and error and banging rocks together learning both SaccFlight, and making VRChat worlds as a whole. Beyond Sacchan’s Test Pilots world and Zweikaku’s carrier world existing, I did not know a whole community existed, and I was too nervous to ask either creator for help solving issues with making the planes work. That left me practically flying blind so to speak figuring out how to make a flight world, with just Sacchan’s own documentation file. Thankfully it documented everything on how to set up the prefab, and explained what each variable did to the plane’s handling. After tinkering for almost 2 months, I had several planes flying around in a basic world before losing interest in VRChat for several months. You could say that your first major exposure in the VRCA community as a whole was the Black Aces March 2022 showcase for Russian designed aircraft. Thinking back, do you have any thoughts on it?  It was certainly a lot to process at the time and pretty nerve wracking. When I was given the chance to work on a showcase, it was more so because there was no other creator who had the capacity to make a showcase for that month. I had just released my second world a month prior, but I still was relatively new and felt self-obligated to work on the showcase, if not there wouldn’t have been one that month. Thankfully with collaboration with world creators Non and RaptorItasha, we assembled a showcase world with a really interesting lineup of soviet-era aircraft. But from the moment the event started to the group photo at the end, I was nervous, worried that I had missed something important that would only surface during the actual event. Thankfully, everything ran smoothly without a hitch. Speaking of the Black Aces, you have worked with them for quite a while as the official photographer. Your penchant for large dimension, high resolution photos from both the air and ground is certainly your calling card.  Photography in VRChat is something I almost love more than making flight worlds. Unlike real life, you don’t need thousands of dollars of camera bodies and lenses, just lots of practice, a keen eye, and timing. For me, I love to take photos of planes and events that not just capture the moment, but show the action, the story, or the beauty behind what it is I’m taking a picture of. For each event, there are upwards of 500+ photos I end up taking, and out of all of those, I usually end up getting about 20 photos that I’d consider good. This large amount of files was from lots of experimenting with angles, zoom, focus to create photos that really capture the action. Your most current project, and one that has been in the works for the past 13 months, is the F-14A -Naval Interceptor- world. How has this development journey been for you so far, and which difficulties have you encountered? Developing this world has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Initially the original scope and concept behind the world was just like any other flight world you would find on VRChat, only with nicer visuals. I figured I didn’t need to properly plan out development like I had done in my previous world since I expected the project to be done in a matter of two to three months. Very quickly however the project ballooned out of scope, with many additional features on the planes and the world itself. Along with the nightmare of trying to wrangle the project together, I ended up in a semi-burnout phase five to six months in, where the overall development crawled to a slow halt. At that point, I’d say at least seventy five percent of what was in the world at launch was completed, but all the small features I wanted to add made meaningful progression quite a mess. It wasn’t until other creators (thankfully) urged me to release the world by the end of the year. With two months left to get the world into a polished state for release, I started to shift development to get the world into a usable state as a normal flight world, then plan updates for the world with all the additions for the future. Of all aircraft you could have chosen after you were done with your Viggen Project, you chose the F-14A. Are there any particular reasons why you chose this aircraft? After finishing the Viggen flight world, I wanted to make another world with the same level of detail or more, but with a more recognizable aircraft. Out of a list of three aircraft I put actual consideration into, it just ended up being the F-14A. Mainly because there was so much about the tomcat that could be done in VRChat that hadn’t been done before. I wanted to try things that hadn’t been seen in a VRC flight world visually or under the hood, and using an aircraft filled with quirks and intricate nuances seemed like the perfect option. Your F-14A might be one of the most complete aircraft ever brought to VRChat, with its plethora of systems and features, but what distinguishes it from other ones?  There are various features that either set the F-14A above the average flight world, and some that allow the plane to stand out amongst everything else available. A lot of care went into the sound design, with a whole system to muffle audio when inside an interior or another plane, being the first flight world to do so. Between fellow VRC world designer Sournetic, various effects like fire, smoke, and explosions were enhanced, while additionally new effects were introduced, such as heat distortion, engine exhaust, contrails, and more that are rare to see in VRChat. With the help of another VRC creator, Zhakami Zhako, each gauge in the cockpit works, the yaw string moves around, and in a future update, even the radar will work. But the plane isn’t just all looks, even the way the plane flies is also significantly different than other worlds. Beyond the flight values that are tuned for a ‘sim-lite’ experience, chunks of Sacchan’s original code were completely rewritten to suit my needs. The biggest example was how the original way SaccFlight calculated thrust and afterburner was extremely arcade-like, so I overhauled the thrust system to allow for a more accurate thrust calculation, and stages of afterburner to progress through to reach full output. Another system overhauled was the original code that handled overstressing the aircraft. Now instead of simply losing health and exploding, pulling way harder than the airframe was designed for could result in the wings ripping off, turning your aircraft into a burning meteor. Developing complex systems that interact with Sacchan’s SaccFlight prefab was not an easy task. Which systems did you manage to implement on your F-14A? Along with the revised code for thrust and over g systems, one feature that is entirely new I coded in was a wing sweep system. Traditionally, wing sweep on planes in VRChat was purely visual and just tied to the airspeed of the aircraft, it never actually meant anything in terms of flight handling or characteristics. I designed a system that not only modifies how the plane flies based on wing angle, but implements the ability for a player to switch between an automatic wing sweep control, to a manual one if they so chose to. I wish I could tell you the reason I did something admittedly overly-complex like this, especially since most players will never touch the wing sweep, but it’s there. Most players probably wouldn’t realize it does affect flying, until they realize having their wings swept forward prohibits them from going supersonic. While a system like that makes perfect sense for any flight game, such effects have not been done on a VRChat flight world until now. You are known for adding more flight simulation like features to your aircraft. What is your inspiration for this?  I was mostly inspired by the large selection of flight games currently available to play such as War Thunder and DCS. While SaccFlight in its basic form was meant to resemble arcade-like flying, I felt like by adding sim-like features, it would make flying in VRChat more diverse and interesting. Even if a SaccFlight plane is made correctly, without either extensive tuning to the flight values or extra features being coded in, most planes end up feeling the same besides speed, armament, and turn rates. But by doing such tuning and adding those features, it makes each plane feel more unique or interesting to fly because there’s so many differences than the usual plane.  What are some of the features in your worlds that you are most proud of?  Definitely the visuals and audio are the elements I’m proud of the most. Despite being superficial at the end of the day under normal circumstances, in my perspective, visuals and audio are extremely important in VR. It’s a fine balance between performance and visuals, but making something that people see and just are stunned by the visuals from the planes, the clouds, the sunrises and sunsets, and above all else, the visceral feeling of flying these planes, that is what I am proud of. Does your approach to world building and creating custom flight characteristics make the development process longer than the average VRCA world process?  Unfortunately it most certainly does. Putting aside my own perfectionist view of what I work on, there are several things that I do that naturally increase development time. One of the largest time sinks during development is everything else but the planes in a world. Traditionally, the terrain of a world is one of the last things thrown in with little thought beyond where the runway is. I however feel that the terrain the planes fly around is as important as the planes themselves, and for better or for worse, take lots of time planning out the terrain for worlds, the design of the airfields, etc. And once I start working on integrating or coding new systems into worlds to suit a plane’s niche functions, naturally the longer the development will take. But in the end I feel like all the extra work is worth it. Thank you for your time with this interview. We appreciate it. Is there anything you would like to say to our viewers in closing? Thank you again for inviting me to talk about my VRChat flight worlds, and what goes on behind the scenes during development. It has been now a multi-year passion, and I want to continue and improve upon it for many more. There’s plenty in store for the F-14 world down the line, along with future worlds that are currently on the drawing board, so keep an eye out! 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 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 the co-founder and writer ever since. Twitter  | Discord : Cubeboy

Indie Demos from October 13th through 20th Whether they are indie developer game jams or full-on game festivals, events that showcase demos for upcoming games are great. For years now we have made it a point to cover them here at Skyward Flight Media. It is time once again to see what interesting flight games have demos available for Steam Next Fest October 2025 . While our compilation article about a selection of flight game demos comes just two days before the current Steam Next Fest ends, we did push the event on social media to ensure people knew of the flight focused devs that are participating right at the start of the event. If you have a free weekend, be sure to get some game time in with these demos! Death in Abyss There are many spiritually inspired by Star Fox style games these days. Some play is closer to the original with a vibrant cast of andromorphic characters and futuristic settings. Instead of that Death In Abyss by Agelvik travels deep into dark horror. As deep as the uncharted seas and maddening depths that players will fight mind bending monsters infected by a mysterious outbreak. Let me tell you, when I say I had to enter "full sweat mode", I mean it. There is not really a sliding scale of difficulty in this game. Players will die fast and learn even faster. After a brief period of letting players explore the controls during the first level, waves of some genuinely horrific enemies appear. First in swarms of parasite like piranhas. Eventually much larger horrors appear with spear like tongues and energy weapons. Only consistent, accurate fire, well timed dashes and dodges and knowing when to absolutely hammer down on key enemies will bring players to success. Fortunately, as enemies are defeated the player's ship recovers energy and health. "Unfortunately" this also means that constantly remaining engaged in combat is the only way to survive. Even disengaging from an area overwhelmed with enemies by boosting to a safer area only provides a handful of seconds of non-combat. By my third attempt I started getting the hang of it. Embracing the chaos, staying highly mobile and learning how to maintain good aim with blasters while dashing and rolling leads to a frenetic playstyle that is truly the only way to survive against the beasts within. While I can understand the gameplay style referring to Star Fox, Death In Abyss truly strikes out on its own. Between the relentless visually disturbing enemies, sudden jump scares of new horrors for the deep-sea darkness and sustained combat, I truly want to see what else lies ahead. This was a refreshing take on a storied genre. Freelancers: Rogue Skies All I needed to see was "open world" and about 60 seconds of gameplay for me to immediately want to play Freelancers: Rogue Skies by developer by ExodusIndie, published by GameLab. I find myself playing more roguelites / roguelikes in flight games lately. A game that encourages exploration while also denying long-term persistent power build up and still having a narrative story is rather unusual. In the demo the primary focus is gameplay. I would recommend playing with keyboard mouse for now. During combat the aiming precision needed to hit maneuvering targets at near maximum distances is very important. So far that precision is only achievable with a mouse. You could use a gamepad, but the sensitivity is quite high and hard to manage. Looking around at the celestial bodies of this unknown solar system gives a general sense of the play area. Even proceeding along at full afterburning thrust the planets seems like it would take hours to reach. Alternatively, the warp function to travel large distances in just a few short jumps, without an elaborate need to resource manage it, makes traversing the solar system very engaging. With little direction from the start (which turned out to be a choice), players wander the solar system purely by whatever catches their eye. Who knows what each planet, cluster of space objects or elaborate space station holds? As players explore, they find objects and locations they can scan to gain more information. Most commonly objects that can be added to their cargo holds or more mission critical objects like refueling cells and repair kits can be found. While there isn't a way to store those types of items for use later (for now), scanning them and leaving their locations active in UI is an easy way to find them quickly for use later. The official website for the game discusses eventually taking materials to trade, completing tasks and some other things to further gain upgrades. Combat in Freelancers: Rogue Skies is unexpectedly fast paced since the time to kill is decently low for non-upgraded ships. An accurate two second burst can be enough to defeat an enemy fighter. Likewise, one bad head on pass between the player and an enemy can result in the player being destroyed equally as fast. Learning how to speed boost, side strafe and even short-range warp out of bad combat engagements is vital for survival. This is going to be a game I plan on returning to for a more detailed playthrough on its launch day for sure. I am interested in seeing the more detailed parts of its exploration, ship upgrades and seeing just how far the open world will let a player wander. I've been bit by the wanderlust bug. House Fighters: Total Mess I may sound insane, but there is actually a strangely well-established niche of flight games set in fantastical toy-like settings. Recalling off the top of my head, one of the earliest instances of this I can think of is the extra content discs for the Aero Dancing series starting as early as January 2000. Aircraft flying inside houses or in backyards have appeared from time to time since then, but usually as a one-off game level. House Fighters: Total Mess by Revulo Games goes all in on the concept; you could even say they went a lot further with the concept. The controls of this game are easy enough to use with keyboard mouse or a gamepad. Needless to say, it is a pure arcade experience, but the easy-going manner that aircraft can be flown contributes itself towards the theme of the game. Controls do not let players roll fully inverted, but performing maneuvers like The Immelmann and Split-S will automatically flip the aircraft right side up. Colliding with an object is forgiving enough to not instantly destroy an aircraft that collides with an object, but players still take damage. In each mission players can wander the home to complete their objectives, but also pick up necessary items like repair kits, gun ammo and rockets. This arcade flight shooter puts players in control of a few characteristically different, aesthetically customizable pint-sized aircraft charged with winning the 'war at home' - literally in a home. Using guns that have a bit of aim assist, short-range missiles and bombs, players play through a series of narrative driven missions set throughout a house. Some missions are as simple as defeating a set of enemies after flying to a specific room in the house. Others involve gathering materials in a kitchen to help bake a cake for a party. Helping a toy construction team finish a RC racetrack while fending off the enemy forces. There is even a battle against an enemy ace pilot - Baron Von Speilzerg! Someone that only appears once in the demo, but I hope is a recurring character in the main game. I appreciate that this game embraces this more whimsical setting seriously. It does not get too tongue in cheek about it. It felt like a fun breakaway from the usual flight games and simulators I frequently partake in. It is easy enough to have a fun time without feeling as though things have been made so basic it doesn't feel "fun to fly". A bit of a hard concept to explain, but I am sure some of you understand the sentiment. I believe that the decision to focus on a singleplayer experience for House Fighters: Total Mess rather than finding a way to work in multiplayer may have been a solid long-term choice for this game. The handful of levels I played through seems to contribute to that, but fortunately for me, the full game is already available to play. I can test that theory for myself a bit more extensively. Kamikaze Strike: FPV Drone For about two years now Skyward staff has debated whether or not FPV drones are a type of flight game that we should cover or not. With the proliferation of this type Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) both in the real world since 2017 and now throughout specific video game genres, it does seem to be time to start coverage. Kamikaze Strike: FPV Drone  by Dinomore Games is now the first FPV dedicated game that we have ever tried here in Skyward Flight Media. The demo for this game is quite short, but with a tutorial and two missions, it does give a good feel for what the game is about and what the combat FPV genre as a whole generally aims to portray. Whether you are using the Arcade controls or Simulator controls, the feeling of flying these drones is both immensely twitchy and reliant on momentum in forward flight more than anything else. With no fancy avionics or external stores to rely on, piloting these FPV drones relies on a surprising amount of just feeling them out. Doing mental calculations on how gravity and the weight of the drones will carry them towards their targets. Flying an aircraft that is the munition rather than an aircraft that needs to stay aloft to deploy munitions is a bit of a mentality shift. Much like in videos that circulate through certain websites, the most common flight path of FPVs is a brief dive into targets in an effort to increase accuracy during the terminal dive and also decreased the amount of time to target has to potentially evade the incoming FPV. However, the enemies are not always just standing out in the open. Learning how to slowly, but deliberately maneuver a drone into buildings or behind terrain increases survivability and ensure that even targets hiding in rooms upstairs can be found. Players that learn fine control can also maneuver their FPVs behind buildings to bypass lower threats to hit higher priority objectives. Thus far enemies consist of drone jammers, logistics vehicles, battle tanks and assault rifle equipped infantry. In gameplay, infantry is the most prolific threat able to shoot down a drone with their rifles. The drone jammers have a rather short distance around them to disrupt the player's control over their FPV drones, but they are often placed in strategic areas. Flying into their jammer range disables vertical and lateral control, but players can still control the throttle. Predicting how a drone will lose control before entering a jammer's effective area lets player still somewhat steer it using throttle torque, allowing the drone to arc on a ballistic path and still potentially hit the intended target. Sneaking a drone through a contested area to strike a high value target before they boarded a helicopter and left the area was a good culmination of the demo by the end of it. While Kamikaze Strike: FPV Drone does not have a date for full release of the game yet, the developers have announced the addition of two new drones inspired by Chinese and Ukrainian designs, adding to the current roster of five drones in the base game. Other Notable Demos There are many other flight focused demos that are a part of Steam Next Fest that we did not cover in detail here but did spend a good amount of time playing. In fact, it is likely they will appear on Skyward Flight Media at some point in the near future. Drone District G-Rebels Hijong Park's Defender Patrol In the Black Paper Wars Wrath and Retribution 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 .

A Critical Eye of a Series Classic I’m not sure you could make Ace Combat 04 today.  Ace Combat 04 (2001) is an axiomatic military techno-thriller wrapped in a character documentary; a time capsule of a popular interpretation of western military organization and professionalism put through an obsessive Japanese lens surrounded by the post-postmodern framing of a classic war movie. A melting pot of Allied heroism of World War II powered by the echoes of post-Gulf War UN Coalition victory and a recent historical Cold War lens. It hearkens to a time when right made might. But does this even vibe with today’s post-truth forever wars? With Ace Combat’s hell-bent insistence on a postmodern bend through what now makes up the vast majority of its chronology, the classical interpretations of 04 not only feel dated and quaint, it almost seems alien. It feels so distant now that it’s hard to believe we could have ever related to its sincerity. In fact, it seems bizarre to believe that this game was the one that launched the Strangereal universe we follow today. The AC04 Project had its work cut out for it to come off the heels of Ace Combat 3 (1999). Neutered in its export release, it took a few years for the internet to mature for us to understand what we missed in that drop. But for what we had in our hands, it was… kinda strange. Even today it still acts as much its own game outside of its series and can be appreciated as a singular entity. It’s a rather strong (if derivative) cyberpunk postulate disguised as a war game. If we were to be realistic about this game’s western demographic skewing younger than the “teen” ESRB rating would have wanted, Ace Combat 3 probably wasn’t very accessible by the majority of its players. That would change with Ace Combat 04. The 2000 TGS trailer presents a bleak but familiar setting, panning over what you learn to be Newfield Island while a static-stricken pair of aviators speak through. Modern-day aircraft cut through the air as the high-energy trailer unfolds and the music rises in what resonates in desperation while the AWACS and pilot vector to engagement. A flash of light at the end and a receding shot of Anderson Crater, delivering the backdrop of a planet rocked by a cataclysmic event and foreshadowing the world-class visual storytelling to come. It could probably be surmised that Ace Combat 04 was developed in the zeitgeist of the World War II shooters of the time, with the cinematic and story-driven Medal of Honor defining the atmosphere. Project Aces would dip into this type of inspiration many times over the next few years with varying levels of success. UI/UX Design The acuity of Ace Combat 04’s aesthetic delivers an emulsification of digital and analog presentation, almost as though they recognized the end of an oncoming era. On a CRT of the time, the artificial scan lines and faded colors presented a traditional warmth in sharp contrast with Electrosphere. There’s no flash of action here. Just simple options to select, and a muted backdrop. The range of cool blues meet a digital teletype font that feels straight out of the movie WarGames . The distinctive sound of a thrashing hard drive and a flash lamp powering up for each briefing across a simple lined overlay and vector-inspired map invokes a well-equipped but aging technological atmosphere. Music The motif of the Independent State Allied Forces is presciently represented in just about every piece of music that the game presents. The ISAF theme proper itself presents in a triumphant symphony during the introduction of the war’s catalyst, properly driving home the importance of the military alliance that you fight to defend and avenge. Sitting Duck takes the theme and within the short time you hear it provides a trifecta of atmosphere, combining a down tempo electronic/brass introduction and a desperate cadence as it climaxes into a high action guitar. Motifs continue to play an important role in story immersion, with Stonehenge’s theme prominent whenever you are threatened by the turret network’s onslaught in the early game. The theme proper makes an explosive entrance in mission 12, never letting up on the horror of the machination that you are there to destroy. The music expands beyond the tactical into the strategic—once you’ve turned the tide, Second Strike blankets your briefings going forward, injecting fresh energy into the offensive phase of the war. Each time it fires up it enhances the power fantasy that the game builds to with your avatar. The game concludes with the epic symphony and choir of Agnus Dei, revisiting the ISAF motif for a penultimate time in such a massive cacophony that it may not immediately be identifiable to the untrained ear. It succeeds in spades no matter your decision to extend the fight in your engagement with Yellow Squadron or to desperately remove the final Ulysses threat from your fragile victory in Farbanti. Cutscenes It’s remarkable how serious Ace Combat 04 presents its story and its hard to explain how respectful the game treats its outlook on war. Devoid of humor and drowning in melancholy, the intertwining story and themes presented in the narrative interludes weaves brilliantly with Mobius One’s airborne exploits. The hand-drawn, hand-colored illustrations that chronicle the Continental War are presented in the style of a graphic novel while the audio, reminiscent of a radio drama with vocal narration peppered with an effective sound set, follow the experiences of the narrator living as a child in an Erusian occupied San Salvacion. From the first moment we are taken into a very consequential world—kicking the story off with an understated personal tragedy and an enigmatic vow. It carries a quote that is also rather profound:  “War was an abstract idea, nothing more than a show on TV … something that happened in a faraway land.”  Obvious perhaps, but almost deliberately understated. It sets the tone going forward so presciently.  Each cutscene carries purpose and vision, often expressed with poetic resolve. The narration’s gloomy tone never lets up, yet never feels melodramatic or boring. This presentation is world-class, and is just as fitting as a standalone story that remains under-appreciated for video games in the present day, let alone during its own time. It carries multiple themes of resistance, capitulation, self-doubt, and resilience. It slowly interweaves your actions into the story about one-third of the way through as Yellow 13 calls you out, and your actions start having more direct consequences by the halfway point when you down his trusted wingman. This trickle of narrative interplay is key to the atmosphere of the game and carries half the weight of the power fantasy build up that encompasses the mythos of Mobius One—you. The Heroic Ace  Ace Combat 04 introduced the now ‘series standard’ concept of the player becoming a heroic ace pilot in a modern battlefield. In Ace Combat 1 (1995) and Ace Combat 2, we play as barely referred to mercenary forces, who even in the final stages of these games, are not receiving direct name appreciation. The full story of Ace Combat 3 is an abstract concept removed from a traditional war setting with players playing as an artificial intelligence named ‘Nemo’ (Greek for “Nobody”). While their actions impacted the story they were really more of a pawn in an elaborate plot than anything else.  It is not until Ace Combat 04 that the name brand hero tradition begins. Whether it was the silent burning admiration of an opposing squadron or friendly rifleman yelling over the radio in celebration, the ‘legendary’ Mobius One was known to be flying above the battlefield. This same pilot would go on to appear in future releases as easter eggs and standalone game modes in future Ace Combat games. All player controlled protagonists after Ace Combat 04 would be built around common plot points that take them from relatively unknown individuals to known by name heroes that were the sole deciding factor in the ultimate outcome of a war.  While that is great for Ace Combat and the “Ace-like” genre the series has spawned, these days, even the World War coded concept of ace pilots being public facing figures changing the tide of battle and inspiring nations is lost in the modern perception of armed conflict. For example, the same weekend the Ghost of Kyiv was introduced as a staunch defender of Ukrainian skies in 2022, it could be seriously argued that the international view of the existence of such a pilot on a modern battlefield was never fully accepted as fact. It just seemed impossible today. However, when we turn to movies and generation defining flight games like Ace Combat, the belief of the war winning, ode worthy ace pilot still outshines the reality of the conditions such a pilot would exist in.  Control and Gameplay Ace Combat 04 is a return to tradition away from Ace Combat 3, taming turning recoil to such a degree and restoring complete analog control that the only limitations to your capability are yours and yours alone. With a limited selection of aircraft available to you each aircraft feels properly unique in the way it handles. Turn rates have just enough variety as you advance through your hangar selection that you will want to advance your collection. However, roll rates in late-model aircraft will feel exaggerated, with complete rolls being possible in what feels like a split second. Combined together, as mobility stats increase, aircraft tend to exhibit a prominent tailslide which can betray you in a low-altitude pull, with the Su-37 being egregious in this regard. However, between a combination of the modest acceleration and a working low-speed angle-of-attack physics you’ll find that it almost grants you passive post-stall mechanic. The analog triggers of the PlayStation 2 are in full display here, granting fine control of both throttle and yaw. This is best demonstrated when performing carrier ops, where careful manipulation of the throttle provides a modest simulation of a flared nose on takeoff and landing. Though there are clear flaws in the handling mechanics of Ace Combat 04, it retains a unique character that merges Newtonian flight mechanics with arcade feel in ways that no release that followed it provides. All this comes together to provide the familiar gameplay loop we’re used to. The refinement of it perhaps--though Ace Combat 2 defined the base mechanics that we’re used to, Ace Combat 04 solidified it, providing the combination of aircraft, secondary weapon, and livery that persists throughout the series and it’s contemporaries. Mission Design It would be hard to explain that the cliché of the back from the brink bomber intercept didn’t exist in quite the same way as it does today. At the time, Sitting Duck was breathtaking. If you subscribe to the interpretation that Ace Combat 04 is actually a soft reboot of Ace Combat 2 (1997), the implications are self-evident; a graphics and sound uplift rivaling that of the new generation of fidelity that the Playstation 2 represented over it’s predecessor. Combined with the desperation of the muted color palette, music, and voiceovers, what is effectively a simple tutorial mission becomes a perfect jump point for the story. This extends into Imminent Threat, which provides a soft but comprehensive familiarization for ground attack mechanics and a chance to use the secondary weapon that was teased to you in the hanger. It also presents a subtle but important detail of the thought put into what each mission represents tactically. Take out the substation, Mobius One. Deep Strike is still unparalleled in how it hid the fact that it is the representation of the typical canyon strike mission that remains a staple of the flight arcade genre. It also subverts the genre in that it provides story-based context for why you can’t exceed the altitude of the canyon walls as Stonehenge unleashes its fury against you and your comrades. All this wrapped within a rational mission objective that is actually quite satisfying to practice your gun marksmanship on. Comona remains the pinnacle of arcade furballs and has not yet been succeeded, despite valiant efforts in every game following. Fast paced with multiple objectives, its all-air-to-air, all-the-time, with only the most skilled players succeeding in clearing the map of threats. Backed by a screaming rock guitar and offering a plentiful array of targets, this remains the Ace Combat standby for a no-holds barred de facto air skirmish mode. These mission types build upon themselves as the missions go on. One could probably make the argument that Ace Combat 04 is the only video game ever made where the escort mission archetype is actually entertaining to play, though it’s something of an escort-in-name-only as even modest skill will keep your charge from falling to the enemy. Admittedly the mission Broken Arrows might be the only low point in mission design, being both the most egregious filler mission, though still strategically sound for the campaign as a whole. It’s a frustrating tail chase against cruise missiles that bleeds frustration rather than fun. Though it traces its roots back to Ace Combat 2’s late-game missile chase, this is one homage that should have probably stayed tabled. The Death of the Rational War     In the modern day, particularly from a Western perspective, the ISAF almost seems hyper-competent, and unapologetically so. Each mission’s reason and purpose is clearly communicated during each tightly packed briefing. Any wartime concept the player might be unfamiliar with is laconically described and actually seems to require a novice understanding of real-world military strategy. ISAF pilots and ground forces seem highly competent and well-motivated to perform the missions required of them. The grand strategy to eliminate Stonehenge and advance on Farbanti is layered out and each tactical objective seems to lead into it. There’s no in-flight questioning of the politics of the banner you’re fighting under, just what feels like a unified fight to stop the Erusian war machine.     Whether it’s the explanation that Operation Bunker Shot is required due to Stonehenge covering any possible port landing sites or the push to interdict enemy petrochemical supply lines while covering your own alliance’s build out of space-based intelligence operations, the ISAF’s push into the mainland after the destruction of Stonehenge feels justified and satisfying. Something that doesn’t seem to carry over to later parts of this series. At one time it was said that the general banter in Ace Combat 5 (2004) wouldn’t be tolerated due to its politically charged, over-explained, emotionally-driven dialogue. It was “unrealistic” compared to its predecessor.  Perhaps in today’s geopolitical climate the opposite is now true. It would be extremely naïve to think that Ace Combat 04 is nothing but romantic in its portrayal of warfare. Actual combat, no matter what nation partakes, in the air and on the ground, is messy and filled with confusion and chaos. But there was a vestigial aura left over from news, movies, radio, and books that portrayed well-coordinated and well-communicated tactics and strategy from wars fought in the 20th century--A time when wars between powers were as much battles of wit, chivalry, conventions, treaties, and science. A time when wars actually… ended. Looking back on any real-world conflict with rose-tinted glasses probably eschews nothing but privilege, but from the perspective of “the show on TV” that Ace Combat 04 intuitively touches upon, it’s hard to see the action and dialogue in Ace Combat 04 resonating with a young person who might only have experience and memories of a post GWOT-world. Ace Combat 04’s greatest strength and greatest weakness is the swan song that is the portrayal of warfare as a series of rational actions. Even with the interplay between the homefront portrayed in the cutscenes, it can’t help but feel like Ace Combat 04 is now unrelatable. About the Writer T.J. "Millie" Archer T.J. "Millie" Archer is Life-long realist and aviation enthusiast. Once the co-founding Administrator of the Electrosphere.info English Ace Combat Database. In the present day he is freelance, roving the internet in search of the latest aviation news and entertainment. [ Read Staff Profile ]

On October 18th, 2025, Skyward Flight Media posted its 500th release. Founded on March 24th, 2020, this organization has truly come a long way. As we reached and passed this milestone (the article you are reading now is our 503rd release), we take a moment to look back at some of the notable points in our journey so far. Decision Height The organization that preceded Skyward Flight Media was named Project Lighthouse (2017-2019). This community was created with a focus on all things about the Ace Combat series from Bandai-Namco. After two years of operation, there would occasionally be content created about games outside of that series, but not in a substantial way. Project Lighthouse would secure two pivotal interviews in 2019 that would begin a shift in how the content creation branch of that organization would approach future efforts. Their first indie game interview with Johan Persson from Muddy Pixel, developer of Worlds At War and Ace Combat Series Brand Director Kazutoki Kono at PAX South 2019 during the launch weekend of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Finally having the potential to be recognized as a media entity in a more substantial way, the rebranding in 2020 would be influenced by these two interviews. The new organization, Skyward Flight Media, would become highly diverse in the type of content it would create within the flight game and simulation genre with a more standard game journalism style approach. Frecce Tricolori Virtuali A major part of defining the content the newly formed Skyward Flight Media would produce came from our coverage of the activities of Freccee Tricolori Virtuali . In May 2020, our interviews with this virtual air demo team was our first major coverage of content related to Digital Combat Simulator by Eagle Dynamics. While discussing airshow flying and aircraft module development on this platform, our connection with certain individuals that founded IndiaFoxtEcho would also lead to future coverage of their modules in DCS and Microsoft Flight Simulator in the future. Our work with Freccee Tricolori Virtuali would kickstart our Digital Combat Simulator coverage, which would act as a sort of "counterweight" to our still noticeable Ace Combat series focus within the first 10 months of our foundation. Creator Highlight Month 2022 While 2021 was mostly spent trying new types of content, monitoring audience reception, adjusting our social media trends and refining creative processes, one of our defining moments in 2022 was Creator Highlight Month . CHM was a new effort to start covering content creators that interacted with simulated flight operations on their own media channels. The mixture of well-known video content creators and unusual developers successfully opened a new avenue of content. From that time forward discussion of content creators did start on Skyward Flight Media, albeit not in a reoccurring month-long series, but rather multiple single creator focused articles spread out over time. As of October 2025, the Creator Highlight concept is being reviewed for a potential restart as a formal, consistent series with an altered name to deconflict with another series on the website. VRChat Aviation: In Game and Beyond VRChat Aviation had a profound impact on Skyward as an organization and on an individual level. As an organization, our involvement with this subject started in 2020 during the height of COVID 19 lockdown as coverage of flight simulation in a rather unexpected place. Years later, Skyward has become a staple of airshows, tournaments and media coverage for aviation across the entire platform. This includes a level of ' virtual aircraft development ' by two members of the staff designing original aircraft and 3D modeling them from scratch to then fly them in various VRChat worlds. The personal connections with people we have met have spawned many new opportunities. Some of the VRChat focused world developers have started pursuing game development. One of the Skyward staff members found employment as a 3D modeler for an in-development flight game and government contract work. Another staff member has used their passion and skill as an aeronautical engineer to see some of their designs take to the virtual skies. Some of the partnerships Skyward has made on this platform have also created cross community events on other flight games and in-person meet ups. Flight Sim Expo Media Partnership Our involvement with Flight Sim Expo , North America's largest expo focused on flight simulation, was a huge move for us. By May 2021 Skyward Flight Media had found its footing with a rather eclectic mix of content focused on flight games and simulators. Wanting to further expand our content reach, Skyward made contact with the Flight Simulation Association and became a formal media partner for Flight Sim Expo. Since then, Skyward has made it a point to register for each event as media partners and attend as many of these events in person as possible. The experience of meeting so many individuals and companies within flight simulation has been a deeply impactful experience and has changed the way Skyward operates. Indie Highlight Series When deciding what the identity of Skyward Flight Media would be after the rebrand in 2019, we took note that other established flight focused media outlets focused at least 80% of their coverage on two to four flight simulators. Skyward then endeavored to establish itself as an indie flight game supportive platform from its first day of operation. Whether it was the smallest, one-off game created for a game jam or an indie game that reached game consoles, Skyward would be interested in covering it. Looking for a way to further increase our indie content rotation, the Indie Highlight Series was started on May 17th, 2025. The original concept for this series was to create compilation articles that would discuss many indie games per release. Each game mentioned receiving a paragraph or two of coverage within the articles. Release 001 followed this concept. Shortly after the series started discussions with Matthew "FlyAwayNow" Nguyen ( Project Wingman producer / co-writer , flight game focused producer) about his inclusion into the series began. An agreement was made to have FlyAwayNow join the Indie Highlight Series on July 21st, 2025, with a new focus on interviewing upcoming indie developers creating the next generation of flight games. To date, this has been one of the most successful content series in Skyward Flight Media's history. 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 ]

​ The third weekend of January 2019 was undoubtedly an important weekend for the Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown but also featured a landmark event for the Ace Combat series as a whole. This summary of event coverage is the first of a set of articles about PAX South 2019 as covered by Project Lighthouse (this is the name of the organization that preceded Skyward Flight Media). ​​The initial plan was to send a single representative to observe, record and later write an article about PAX South 2019 from January 18th to January 20th, 2019. Our focus would be on everything related to Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. A few days before the event, others from the Ace Combat online community were confirmed to also be attending. The result of this was Aaron " Ribbon-Blue " Mendoza joining up with Ace Combat Fan  (Ace Combat-focused YouTuber),  F22Coleman  (USAF Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Long-time Ace Combat fan) and  Zetec  (the head of  r/AceCombat ) to collaborate on event coverage and meet with new and returning fans of the series. Ace Combat Fan, Zetec, Ribbon-Blue and F22Coleman at the AC7 booth. Attendance of Kazutoki Kono It goes without saying that any event attended by the Brand Director of the Ace Combat series is important. Having Kazutoki Kono attend PAX South on the weekend of Ace Combat 7's launch was huge. In comparison to other PAX conventions in the United States of America, PAX South is still relatively new. For this reason, along with the small window of travel before the event for Kono-san, no one was expecting him to attend before the announcement was made days before the convention doors opened. Especially not on the launch weekend of the latest main series release of the series. Kazutoki Kono autographing a postcard with the Trigger emblem. While at PAX South, Kono-san had casual interactions with the attendees, performed an interview with Ace Combat Fan and had an on-stage presentation before watching AC7 played live in an eSports style event. His two autograph sessions on Friday and Saturday were entertaining. As he signed merchandise presented to him by fans, he used his own personal cellphone to snap photos, autographed everything from postcards to video game consoles and saluted in photos with fans. He was very engaged with the event from start to finish. Fans expressed their own gratitude by presenting him with gifts . He also took the time to try a staple Texan fast food chain . The AC7 Booth In the landscape of PAX South 2019, the Ace Combat 7 booth was eye-catching in the mass of booths on the PAX floor. With a wall-sized banner as its background, the blue and white booth presented three clusters of PlayStation 4 game consoles. Eight player battle royale and virtual reality experiences we offered. Bandai Namco Entertainment USA staff and other attendants wearing flight suits consistently interacted with attendees as they came to the booth. It didn't matter if they were waiting for a chance to play or looked on from outside with curiosity, the staff there was courteous and always on standby to answer questions. Gamers at the AC7 demo area. The booth was also a meeting spot for new, returning and veteran Ace Combat fans. While there they discussed the current game and all facets of Ace Combat as a whole while networking with one another. Of note were long-time fans taking the time to teach new players quick tips to make their first flights with the Ace Combat series more enjoyable. ​Throughout the weekend three grand prizes for the individual that put up the highest score on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were available. These top scorers would win a PlayStation VR bundle that included two games, the PS VR headset, and a PlayStation camera. Winners would have their achievement commemorated with a photo of themselves with the grand prize and staff at the booth. Competition for this grand prize was quietly fierce with a handful of particularly skilled players regularly walking by to see if their score was outdone. ​ On Friday, January 18th, 2019, PAX attendees who won their battle royale matches at the Ace Combat 7 booth were registered to compete in the Air Force Ace Combat 7 Open Competition on the PAX Arena stage. A select few of them would later participate in an event on the same stage that was a landmark event for the public outlook of Ace Combat as a whole. Gamers at the AC7 demo area. Once in a Lifetime Chris Aguilar had one of the most interesting experiences any convention attendee could possibly have. During the weekend of his first convention visit ever, he won a PlayStation Virtual Reality headset for having the highest battle royale score in a day and competed in the first PAX Arena Ace Combat 7 competition. Air Force Ace Combat 7 Competition Live at PAX Arena ​​The headline event for Ace Combat at PAX South 2019 was both days of the Air Force Ace Combat 7 competitions done on the arena stage.  For those that do not know, PAX Arena broadcasts competitive game play from PAX events to thousands of Twitch viewers and a live audience. For Ace Combat, eSports style tournament play with commentary rarity but having it broadcast for the first time to such a wide audience has raised the curiosity of many. On Saturday, January 20th, Ace Combat 7 events at PAX Arena consisted of many rounds of battle royale made up of players that won matches at the AC7 booth the day before. Each victory on stage resulted in a short interview with the winner and a prize for their victory ranging from mugs, a copy of Ace Combat 7 and more (time stamp 00:00:00 to 01:53:00): After the battle royale matches, a change in programming occurred which resulted in the first-ever live team death matches for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Unexpectedly, members and affiliates of Project: Lighthouse appeared on stage as Team Project: Lighthouse - announced as the first team to participate in an eSports style event for Ace Combat 7. Commentary by Ace Combat Fan and Matrym carried through the event (timestamp: 02:02:49): The final, headline event for Ace Combat at PAX Arena was the Air Force Ace Combat 7 Showdown on Sunday, January 20th. This pitted Twitch streamers Deejay Knight , Kyente , PmsProxy , and Tinmac against members of United States of America Air Force. After an on-stage presentation with Kazutoki Kono with translation by Ace Combat Fan, both the Twitch and Air Force teams were introduced, and gameplay began. Commentary for the event included a former F-15C Eagle pilot. Colonel Bradley Oliver of the United States Air Force is the Commander of the 369th Recruiting Group. His commentary discussed his own life experiences with combat aircraft in comparison to what he saw being played on stage.   The full event can be viewed here . 'Apex Predator' Known as ' Valk ' to the Ace Combat online community, Jonathon B. now jokingly self identifies as an accidental Ace Combat eSport personality.  At PAX South 2019 he flew with the title of 'Apex Predator' as his in game nickname. A fitting name for one of the best players attending the convention that weekend. Besides securing a top score and winning a PS VR bundle, he also won a copy of Ace Combat 7 during the PAX Arena battle royales and filled an open slot with Team Project: Lighthouse in the team death match competition on the PAX Arena stage. ​ Bandai Namco America Outreach Ribbon-Blue, Dmitryi Khlynin and Ace Combat Fan. I​​n the lead up to the release of Ace Combat 7, Bandai Namco Entertainment America performed a level of community outreach they had never done before in relation to the Ace Combat franchise in the US market.  The last high-level outreach was performed in 2011, in support of the release of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. Outreach was directed at AceCombatSkies, one of the oldest English Ace Combat fan forums with roots extending back to the early 2000s. This contact resulted in a representative of the long-established fan forum attending E3 2011 with the Community Manager at the time.  In 2018 and 2019, Bandai Namco Entertainment America maintained a constant presence on social media, engaged directly with well-known hubs of Ace Combat activity and performed interviews and livestreams with notable individuals from the Ace Combat online community. While at PAX South their engagement and enthusiasm continued. From the AC7 booth, behind the scenes of the Air Force Ace Combat 7 events at PAX Arena, in support of Ace Combat Fan's interview with Kazutoki Kono and encouraging F22Coleman, Ribbon-Blue, and Zetec to engage with convention attendees coming to the Ace Combat 7 booth.  Let the record show that for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Bandai Namco Entertainment America has put on one of the most, if not the most, extensive community outreach thus far for Ace Combat in the US market. Congratulations and thanks are in order for their staff for all they've done. Special thanks to Dmitryi Khlynin , Community Specialist. Many may know him from the December 2018 and January 2019  AC7 livestreams. While he may not have been on camera, his efforts were pivotal in the success of Ace Combat 7 related events at PAX South 2019 that weekend. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. A lifelong aviation enthusiast with a special interest in flight simulators and games. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating aviation related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and sims with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. | Twitter | Discord: RibbonBlue#8870 |

​This report is written by Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza who attended PAX South 2019 and experienced it all first hand. Written from his point of view, he describes some of the day by day events not mentioned in the Summary: PAX South 2019 article. Launch weekend of the long-awaited newest game from Project Aces with the brand director of the series in attendance and a live competition sponsored by the United States Air Force? It was undeniably a once in a lifetime event. ​In my opinion, some of what happened at PAX South 2019 was a landmark event for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown and for the Ace Combat franchise as a whole. Preparation Two weeks before the convention doors opened, I had not looked too closely at PAX South. Just because I thought it was too far away and with Ace Combat 7 being released that weekend, a far off game convention seemed less critical. As time passed, and contacts were made, it became apparent that PAX South 2019 would be an experience with key people from Bandai-Namco USA, Project Aces (Ace Combat Development Team) and members of the Ace Combat online community. In the end, the final deciding factor for my trip was location. San Antonio, Texas, USA. My hometown.  ​Days of rushed prep work, buying supplies, researching camera equipment and booking flights and hotels paid off. By January 17th, 2019 I was landing in San Antonio still riding a wave of excitement and anticipation. All of those feelings weren't just about the convention itself. In the lead up to PAX South, I learned that Ace Combat Fan  (Ace Combat-focused YouTuber),  F22Coleman  (USAF Aircraft Maintenance Officer, Long-time Ace Combat fan) and  Zetec  (the head of  r/AceCombat ) were also going to attend. It would be one of the few times I would ever meet up with people I've spoken with on a computer screen, at a location that was sure to be full of new and returning Ace Combat fans.  In-flight entertainment. With agreements to support one another made and collaboration on media coverage established, the four of us were prepared for the weekend. Prepared for what we thought the weekend would be at least. Though my focus was on taking pictures and video, we were all pulled in much deeper than any of us had planned for.  On January 17th, at a time in the morning I may never travel during again, I was at Denver International Airport before the baggage check in kiosks were even activated. Three hours and one flight transfer later I landed in San Antonio, Texas. Midnight Pickup The same day I arrived in San Antonio, F22Coleman and I picked up Ace Combat Fan from the airport around midnight. Upon his arrival we were gifted Canadian Chocolates. My only regret is that I ate them far too quickly. San Antonio was unusually cold during the weekend. Day One - January 18th, 2019 ​My own experiences with conventions of all types and sizes have made me relatively use to them, but even for me, PAX South seemed to be larger than I expected. On the internet many people that attend other PAX  conventions talk of PAX South as though it is smaller and less important. That created a preconception before I arrived and saw it for myself. With F22Coleman at the wheel of his dependable vehicle, we picked up Zetec and met Ace Combat Fan at the Ace Combat 7 booth. ​After winding through PAX security and the various other booths, we arrived at the Ace Combat 7 area. As mentioned in the event summary article, it was eye-catching when looking at the different booths around it. The constant crowd of convention goers getting in line and looking on with interest kept the atmosphere active. After meeting with the Bandai-Namco staff there, the four of us spent the day challenging one another, interacting with fans while they waited in line, encouraged others to give the demo a try and frequently used the booth as a meetup point for the weekend. It became the unofficial event HQ for our coverage from day 1.   AC7 demonstration area. Throughout Friday, January 18th, the booth would run two unique events for attendees that played the eight-player battle royale. The winner of each round would be signed up to participate in battle royale matches for the Air Force Ace Combat 7 Open Competition to be held on Saturday, January 19th, live on the PAX Arena stage. The second event was a weekend-long high score challenge. The individual that put up the top score for each day of the convention would win a PlayStation VR bundle that included two games and the PS4 Camera. A select few skilled Ace Combat fans openly and frequently battled one another for the top prize all weekend. ​ ​ With the Saturday battle royale on the minds of the top scorers, Ace Combat Fan, F22Coleman, Zetec and myself played as many rounds as possible at the Ace Combat 7. We all felt as though we needed to gather experience quickly. No one wants to embarrass themselves in a live stream on stage. Little did I know that everyone but me brought a PS4 and a copy of AC7 with them to their hotels.  The final events of Friday rounded out with a midday lunch at Whataburger, an autograph session with Kazutoki Kono, Brand Director of the Ace Combat series and the rest of the four-man PAX South team supporting Ace Combat Fan during his interview with Kazutoki Kono. ​ ​ ​There are times when meeting the people behind your most beloved game series can be disappointing. After having conversations with Kazutoki Kono, taking photos of his autograph sessions, watching his interactions with fans and casually talking to him throughout the convention, I felt happy and relieved. He is a humble man with a genuine appreciation for those that have played and continue to support the Ace Combat series. During his autograph sessions he often took his own pictures of the merchandise fans asked him to sign and saluted with fans that asked for photos with him. You could tell he was genuinely happy to be there.  After a successful day at the convention, the four of us ended up at Denny's, the current in-joke restaurant related to Ace Combat ( ACF explains in this video ) to review the day's events and prepare for Saturday. Interview Wingmen F22Coleman, Zetec and I provided whatever support Ace Combat Fan, Kazutoki Kono and staff from Bandai-Namco Entertainment America needed for his interview. After relocating chairs, banners and personnel to an area away from the busy Ace Combat 7 booth, the interview went without a hitch. With Zetec on the camera (as seen in the photo) and myself taking separate photos, ACF's interview with Kazutoki Kono was an important part of the PAX South weekend. Day Two - January 19th, 2019 Arriving just in time to play on stage, F22Coleman, Zetec and I entered into the battle royale segment alongside new companions we met on Friday. With commentary by Ace Combat Fan and  Matrym ,  beneath the stage lights, with a camera high above roving around the arena, waves of contenders got on stage with only the winner of each round receiving a prize and a short interview. Though competitive, a casual atmosphere filled both the arena seats and the stage. As I walked around the arena snapping photos before and after my own battle royale round, an amazing chance appeared.   The decision to change the battle royale format of the segment came to us suddenly during a commercial break. With the immediate assistance from Bandai Namco staff on site, the final details were settled within minutes.  We found ourselves preparing for the first-ever, live on stage Ace Combat 7 team death match (TDM) exhibition . With less than forty minutes of overall game time on Ace Combat 7, I selected the F-15J with SAAMs and competed alongside the rest of what was be known as Team Project Lighthouse. The atmosphere of team-based competition felt like it had finally set in. This offset any nervousness or stage fright we would have felt. After four consecutive victories, Team Project Lighthouse was split, new teams were formed, and competition continued.  ​ Ace Combat Fan (right) and Matrym (left) providing commentary. Throughout the on-stage team death matches, we were told there were consecutively over 10,000 viewers on Twitch with a peak of 16,000 viewers. ​​No pressure, right?  After the on stage, on camera events ended, the post-game celebration between those that participated shifted back to the AC7 booth. You'd figure after roughly four hours of competitive game play we'd need a break. Instead, we were right back at it celebrating with our newfound companions with battle royale. It's hard for me to say if we're creatures of habit or a bit more diehard than I expected.  The second round of autographs with Kazutoki Kono resulted in him signing everything from copies of Ace Combat 7 to entire video game consoles. Zetec flew back to his home that evening, leaving Coleman and I to indulge Ace Combat Fan in a local Texan restaurant once again. Saturday's choice being Bill Miller's BBQ restaurant. With both this restaurant and Whataburger under his belt, we felt as though Ace Combat Fan could honestly say he had "been to Texas." Day Three - January 20th, 2019 USAF personnel (left), Twitch Streamers (right) January 20th, 2019. ​The final day for PAX South featured the main Ace Combat 7 event which pitted Twitch streamers  Deejay Knight ,  Kyente ,  PmsProxy , and  Tinmac  against members of United States of America Air Force. I found myself in the crowd with the other hardcore Ace Combat fans, as well as Kazutoki Kono in the audience. Cheering and commenting as we watched the tide of competition slowly rise. It was at this time, sitting in the crowd with fellow Ace Combat fans and new acquaintances that I found myself having to let this all sink in. A history of competitive Ace Combat gameplay from my time joining the online community in 2004 up to sitting in this crowd in 2019 came to mind. What a long way this has all come. Left to right: Matrym, USAF Colonel Bradley Oliver and Ace Combat Fan commentating. As my thoughts on this began to gather, F22Coleman said his goodbyes and began his drive home. This ended his weekend of being very popular with just about everyone that saw him or spoke to him for those three days.  ​Once again, those that had been involved with the live events found ourselves at the Ace Combat 7 booth. We exchanged contact information with new friends, I had reunions with members of Ace Combat online squadrons from over a decade ago and even met the representative of AceCombatSkies.com from 2011 in person. Throughout the event, I met many others that knew of Project: Lighthouse. In an interesting moment of "coming full circle," I met a younger individual along with their family. To be told that he was the same age I was when I signed up on my first Ace Combat forum in 2004 and that Project: Lighthouse was a significant part of what got him involved today was very special for me. The thanks I received from them are something I'll probably never forget. ​The final highlight of my personal PAX South experience with AC7 was using a MiG-21 with Machine Gun Pods for "the memes" as it were. The target? An advanced version of the X-02 Wyvern, one of the most well known fictional aircraft in Ace Combat. A random but hilariously satisfying high point.  With the main event hall closing at 6:00 PM on Sunday, January 20th, goodbyes were expressed, and thanks were given to Ace Combat Fan and the dedicated staff of Bandai Namco USA who truly performed above and beyond. Not only at PAX South, but in many other ways leading up to the launch weekend for Ace Combat 7.  The after effects of the meetings, interviews, live events, photos and videos of PAX South 2019 are still having an effect on the online community at large today. In the background of the energy surround in the release of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, plans are being laid for long term ventures created by and managed by various members and organizations within the Ace Combat community.  I look forward to seeing where it all goes from here. Kazutoki Kono and Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza. About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. A lifelong aviation enthusiast with a special interest in flight simulators and games. After founding Electrosphere.info, the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating aviation related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He continues to explore past and present flight games and sims with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. | Twitter | Discord: RibbonBlue#8870 |

Our interview with Ace Combat Brand Director Kazutoki Kono at PAX South 2019 was originally scheduled for Tokyo Game Show in 2018, but under went a rescheduling due to unforeseen circumstances. We give our special thanks to Bandai-Namco US community specialist Dmitryi Khlynin for assisting with the rescheduling of this interview. This interview is available in English and ​日本語 thanks to TaskForce23 who also assisted Ace Combat Fan in his  interview with Kazutoki Kono. Congratulations on the official release of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. What a surprise it was to have you present on the launch weekend of Ace Combat 7. Thank you for making the trip to San Antonio, Texas to meet with the fans in person. What did you think of PAX South? Were you surprised by how many fans were wearing flight suits? ​I was really surprised. (lol) It was a sight that you really don’t see in Japan. They showed that they were fans of Ace Combat from head to toe, and I was really pleased. What were your thoughts on seeing Ace Combat 7 played live on the PAX Arena stage in competition? For this event, we showcased the multiplayer and VR modes. Many times I watched from the booth, wondering “what kind of playstyle are they going for?” in the multiplayer mode. I laughed because first place for the daily rankings went to community members every day. Have you seen any events in Japan for Ace Combat similar to what you saw in PAX Arena? There aren’t that many events hosted in Japan. In contrast, PAX is an event that takes place in many locations in North America over the course of the entire year, and was an impressive event  where “real game fans” gather, with these communities and fans at the core. Looking at the differences in how these events are in Japan and North America, it was very intriguing as an example of what we [in Japan] should aim for. In AC7, Spare Squadron is a penal military unit, which is very unique for the Ace Combat series. The concept of using the 'Sin Lines' to represent how severe their crimes are is eye-catching. Why did you decide to use this kind of unit? When brainstorming scenarios for Ace Combat, one very important factor to consider is “what kind of name/designation will the player be known by from his enemies and allies?” In the case of this game, we thought “what about having scars on the tail [of the aircraft]?” as a design-like symbol. That became “diagonal strike lines,” and while this idea was moving towards “sin lines,” we also wanted the game scenario to put the player in a situation that differed from previous installments. Thus this concept [of a penal unit] was born and both of these ideas [sin lines and a penal unit] were created accordingly. About the mural "Skies Unknown". As you know, people find different messages or meanings when they observe art. When you view the mural, what do you think about it? Since I’m the person who instructed the artist to “make a painting like this,” I know all the meanings that were put into it. (Lol) But I still think about the virtue of aiming towards a so-called Utopia that goes beyond ethnicity and nations, and how it can be realized in “a painting,” but is something that cannot really be done in reality. "Skies Unknown" by Yukari Masuike. Unrelated to the main story of Ace Combat 7, the hero Mobius 1 from Ace Combat 04 and 5's Arcade mode returns for the PlayStation VR missions. How did Project Aces feel reintroducing this iconic protagonist? At first, I had doubts like “do we really need to bring back a protagonist from ten years ago?” I even had fears thinking, “will this ruin the dreams of all the fans?” In the end, I made the decision to entrust it to the staff’s strong enthusiasm. As a result, the fans were delighted, so I feel wonderful about it. It seems like the pilots flying alongside Mobius 1 are unsure of his exploits from the past conflicts. One of them even said they don't like "old timer pilots." What a change of tone regarding a former hero! What was the reason for this change around Mobius 1? One of Ace Combat 7’s themes is “the gap between the old era and the new era.” Even Mobius 1 cannot fight against this tide. However, through players flying as him, he was able to make those around him accept that he is a hero once again. Those actions themselves are our message. In your opinion, what is the greatest accomplishment the Project Aces team achieved during the development of Ace Combat 7? The fact that we developed the game with new members and a new [organizational] structure, overcame huge hardships, but was able to good results. This was especially true for the clouds. “Through the use of clouds, effects of  weather and air currents will be added, revolutionizing the environment in the sky, and the gameplay itself will become new.” There were some staff members that were skeptical of this, and we were even firmly told “NO” by the in-house product evaluation team. Even then, we believed in the concept, completed it, and actually received support from users and fans for the novelty this “revolution in the skies” brought. That [support we received] is proof that the development team carefully examined the vision that lay before them. Without visionaries, there won’t be a good development [period]. Implementing virtual reality is undoubtedly a landmark achievement for the Ace Combat series. When the team tested the final build of the VR component, what were your feelings and thoughts? We realized that this really elevated the fun of Ace Combat, “the experience of a pilot flying and fighting freely in the skies.” We really felt that revolutionizing entertainment shouldn’t be done solely on the software side of things, and that revolution will come from innovation in hardware. We are hoping that many more people get to experience VR. After seeing VR in its completion do you feel as though future Ace Combat titles could utilize VR on a larger scale? 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. In the past, you've said you're a fan of the Sukhoi Flanker series of aircraft. That being said, are you living your dream of flying a Su-30 Flanker with AC7 and PSVR? We didn’t include it just to suit my personal tastes. I think the dreams of a lot of fans have been achieved. Am I wrong? (lol) What is the process to translate the game and game materials to other languages like? First of all, we transcribe everything in Japanese. Then we translate those into English, which is then translated into other languages, but in the case of Project ACES, we work on the English wording within the team, and re-check and re-translate military terminology. With the release of Ace Combat 5, the series introduced the map of what would become known as the "Strangereal" World. How early in development did the decision to create an original world arise? For example, did the idea start with Ace Combat 04 development back in the year 2000? “Ulysses” and “a world with craters” were born when I was working as art director for 04. I thought in the Ace Combat world, a world where you look down at the ground from the sky, a “massive symbol” was required. This was to differentiate it from other flight games. At that time, I think instead of “creating a world,” we were focused on “creating a setting where battles between fighter jets are frequent and heroes are more easily made.” Afterwards, I personally named and called it a “Strange Real World.” That turned into “Strangereal” among fans, developed into common language, and thus became a world. A world map in 5 was shown because it was necessary to depict the cross-national war between Osea and Yuktobania. Map of the original world of Ace Combat. On the subject of Strangereal, what are some of your favorite additions from over the years? Any specific countries, characters, original aircraft or events? Hmm, this is a very difficult question. I want to know what’s going on in places like SOTOA where nothing has been talked about yet. (lol) I’ve checked the main stories over and over again, so I love everything equally. Rather, I like the “events not depicted in the main story of Strangereal” that are presented on the Japanese official website or Aces at War. Seeing those things, it really feels like Strangereal actually exists. Were there any original aircraft designs you wanted included in a game, but they were never used? Could you possibly describe any of them or tell us their names? All original aircraft should be included in one title or another. Even the ADA-01B “Adler” which had not been implemented for a long time was added in Ace Combat Infinity. Right now, I feel like there aren’t any [unused aircraft]. In games and books from series' past, there are references to unseen conflicts in the 1900s of Strangereal. Some Ace Combat games featured famous World War II-era aircraft as a part of their aircraft list as well. Has there ever been talk of a making a World War II-era Ace Combat game using propeller-driven aircraft? Even now, Producer Shimomoto frequently proposes ideas. We definitely have staff that want to make one within the development team. However, we, Project ACES is a much smaller team than what you imagine. We have our hands full with just 7 and the season pass. Another game by Project Aces, Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces, features wind and minor clouds in its gameplay. Did these mechanics have an influence in the early development of Ace Combat 7? There are no direct influences. The clouds and wind phenomenon seem the same, but the way of implementing things via “setting the concept’s focal point” and “adding features” varies greatly. In the case of setting the concept’s focal point, conforming to the concept affects the game system, scenarios, presentation, multiplayer, and everything else. The blueprint becomes something totally different. This is a feeling particular to [game] development, so it might be hard to put into words. Throughout the years the Project Aces team has interacted with the Japanese Self Defense Forces in many ways. Have you had any memorable experiences involving the JSDF? Have they taken you for a flight in one of their aircraft? Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to ride in one, but some development staff has sat in the cockpit of one their aircraft. We’re always so grateful for their cooperation when we collect data, but the most memorable experience was that they went out of their way to line up F-15s and F-2s at Matsushima and Nyutabaru Air Bases for the Ace Combat 7 exhibits. I was extremely moved on how the people on the bases came together to promote our work. Has your vision for Ace Combat 7 come alive with the game’s release? I don’t think everything has been fulfilled. There are probably users who weren’t satisfied. However, I think we have definitely moved the series forward. After experiencing 7’s skies, “the sensation of the sky” in previous works should feel like there is something missing. The fact that we were able to go one step beyond that ambient sense and revolutionize [the game] by appealing to the human senses makes me think that my vision has been achieved. Our final question: How would you describe your journey with this franchise as it has evolved? I feel like I’ll be like Mihaly soon. People like Producer Shimomoto, [VR] Producer Tamaoki, and Trigger and his allies have appeared. The times will change. I want to stand in their way as an obstacle that must be crossed and surpassed. We would like to thank you for this interview and meeting with our interviewer at PAX South. Thank you for everything you and the Project Aces team has done to create the Ace Combat series and continue moving it ever forward. ​ The original Japanese interview can be found here . About the Translator TaskForce 23 // Japanese to English Translation About the Interviewer 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. [Profile]

Our interview with Ace Combat Brand Director Kazutoki Kono at PAX South 2019 was originally scheduled for Tokyo Game Show in 2018, but under went a rescheduling due to unforeseen circumstances. The questions presented in this interview were gathered from various members and staff from Project: Lighthouse during the lead up to the convention, along with questions that were created onsite at PAX South. We give our special thanks to Bandai-Namco US community specialist Dmitryi Khlynin for assisting with the rescheduling of this interview. This interview is available in English and ​日本語 thanks to TaskForce23 who also assisted Ace Combat Fan in his  interview with Kazutoki Kono. エースコンバット７: スカイズ・アンノウンの発売おめでとうございます。ゲーム発売の週末に来てくれて驚きました。テキサス州のサンアントニオに来て、ファンに直接会ってくれてありがとうございました。 PAX Southをどう思いましたか？こんなにたくさんフライトスーツを着ているファンがいるのにびっくりしましたか？ とても驚きましたよ。(笑)日本ではなかなか見られない光景です。ACE COMBATのファンであることを全身で表現していて、すごく嬉しかったです。 エースコンバット７が生でPAX会場にプレーされていたことの感想は？ 今回は、マルチプレイとVRを出展しました。マルチプレイは「どういう遊ばれ方をしているのだろう？」と気にかけて何度もブースで見守っていました。デイリーランキングの1位が毎日、コミュニティのメンバーだったので笑いました。 PAX会場で行われたようなイベントは日本にもありましたか？ 日本のイベント開催数はそれほど多くありません。対照的にPAXは北米で数か所にわたって年間を通して行われるイベントで、また「本当のゲームファン」が集まり、コミュニティやファンが中心になっている力強いイベントでした。日本と北米のイベントの在り方の違い、目指すべきお手本としてとても興味深かったです。 7に登場するスペア部隊は懲罰部隊で、エースコンバットシリーズの中でもとても一意的な存在となっています。「罪線」を使って、犯した罪の重さを示すコンセプトは目立ちました。どうしてこのような部隊を使うことにしたのですか？ エースコンバットのシナリオを考えて行く際に、プレイヤーが「なんという呼称で敵と味方に知られるか？」というのが１つの大切な要素です。今回の場合、デザイン的なシンボルとして、「尾翼に爪痕」があるのはどうだろう？と考えました。それが、「斜線の取り消し線」となり、「罪線」という設定に進む中で、同時にシナリオもこれまでとは違った境遇にプレイヤーを置いてみたい。というコンセプトが生まれ、双方が一致する形で誕生しました。 絵画:「スカイズ・アンノウン」について。ご存知でしょうが、人は絵を見て色々なメッセージや意味を見つけますが、河野さんはこれを見てどんなことが頭に浮かびますか？ 僕は、「このような絵にしてください」という指示をした身ですので、込められた意味を全て知ってしまっています。(笑)ただ、民族、国家を超えて理想郷ともいえる世界を目指すということの尊さ、またそれは『絵』では実現できるが、現実ではなかなか実現できないということを考えます。 絵画: スカイズ・アンノウン 7のメインストーリーとは関係ないですが、エースコンバット04とエースコンバット5のアーケードモードの英雄、メビウス1がPlaystation VRのミッションにまた登場します。Project Acesの皆さんはこの象徴的な主人公の再導入にどう感じました？ 最初は、わざわざ本当に「十数年前の主人公を再び借り出す必要があるのか？」と疑問はありました。「ファンの方々の夢を壊してしまうのではないか？」という恐怖もありました。最終的にスタッフの熱意の強さに「任せてみよう」と決断しました。結果として、ファンの方々も喜んでくださったので素晴らしいと感じています。 メビウス1と一緒に飛んでいる仲間たちは彼の過去の成果に自信がなさそうですね。 「故老」はすきではないと言うやつもいました。元英雄になんという言葉遣い！どうしてメビウス1への態度が変わったのでしょうか？ ACE COMBAT 7のテーマの１つに「旧時代から新時代への狭間」があります。メビウス1もその波には抗えません。しかしながら、皆さんのプレイによって、彼は再び英雄であることを周囲に認めさせました。その行動自体が我々のメッセージです。 河野さんはエースコンバット7を開発している間、Project Acesの最大の功績とは何だと思いますか？ 新しいメンバー、新しい体制で挑戦的な開発を行い、大きな苦労を乗り越えて成果を出したことです。「雲」の表現１つとってもそうです。『「雲」によって、天候、気流が加わり、空の環境が革新されて、ゲームプレイそのものが新しくなる。』このことに懐疑的なスタッフもいましたし、実際に社内での製品評価チームにも「NO」を突き付けられました。それでもコンセプトを信じて完成させて、実際にユーザー、ファンの皆さんから『空の革新』がもたらす新しさに支持を得たこと。それは、開発チームがキチンと半歩先のビジョンをみて開発を続けた証拠になります。ビジョナリストなしには良い開発はありません。 バーチャルリアリティーをエースコンバットに導入できたことは画期的な成果で間違いないです。完成したVRモードをテストした時、Project Acesの皆さんの気持ちや思いはどんなものでしたか？ これはエースコンバットの原点的な楽しみ、「空を自由飛んで闘うパイロットの体験」の根底を格上げさせるものだと気づきました。エンターテイメントの革新はソフト側だけで行うことではなく、ハードの革新性によって飛躍的に高まるということを実感しました。もっとVRを体験する人が増えて欲しいと我々は願っています。 VRモードの完成を見たとき、将来のエースコンバットにもっと大きな規模にVRを用いることができると思いましたか？ 可能ですね。ビジネス的な課題、問題はあるにせよ。VRに特化したACE COMBATの制作のメソッド、ノウハウは溜まりました。何度もお話していますが、VR専用のACE COMBATを制作する場合は、ストーリーテリングも、演出も全て従来とは違ったものになります。それだけの大規模な作品であれば、それ相応の受け皿が必要ですね。 河野さんは前にSukhoi社の飛行機がお気に入りだと言ったことがありますが、Su-30をエースコンバット7のVRモードで飛べることができて夢が叶ったのでは？ 僕の個人的な趣味で収録したわけではありません。多くのファンの夢を叶えたと思っています。違いますか？(笑) ゲームやゲームの資料を英語や他の語言に通訳するときはどんな手順を取るのですか？ 先ずは日本語で全て書き起こします。それを英語化して、そこから各国の言語に翻訳していくのですが、Project ACESの場合、英語化されたものをチーム内で言い回しや、ミリタリー用語の再チェック、再翻訳を行っています。 エースコンバット5の発売で、シリーズは初めて「ストレンジリアル」と名付けられる世界の地図を紹介しました。開発のいつ頃から別世界を生み出すと決めたのですか？もしかしてエースコンバット04が開発が行われていた2000年頃からですか？ 僕がアートディレクターを務めた04で「ユリシーズ」と「クレーターのある世界」が誕生しました。僕は空から地表を見下ろすこの世界、ACE COMBATの世界には「巨大なシンボル」が必要だと考えました。それは他のフライトゲームとの差別化です。その時は「世界を生み出す」というより、「より戦闘機同士の闘いや、英雄が作りやすくなる設定を作る」だったと思います。その後、Strange Real Worldという名称で個人的に発信していました。それがファンの間で「ストレンジリアル」となって共通言語化し、世界となったのです。5での世界地図の公開は、オーシアとユークトバニアの国家間戦争を描くため必要になったのです。 ストレンジリアル 河野さんは「ストレンジリアル」の中の好みな国、登場人物、オリジナル機体や出来事はありますか？ うーん、非常に難しい質問ですね。まだ語られていないSOTOAとかで何が起こっているのか知ってみたいです。(笑)僕は、本編は何度も何度もチェックを重ねるので、すべてが平等に愛おしくなってしまっています。むしろ個人的には日本の公式ページや、ACES  at WARで発表されている「ストレンジリアルの世界で起こっていた本編で描かれていない出来事」が好きですね。あれらを見ると、より、ストレンジリアルの世界は実在するような気がしてきます。 オリジナル機体をゲームに含みたかったけれど、出来なかったことはありますか？もしあればその機体の名前やデザインのことを話せますか？ オリジナル機体自体は、全て何れかのタイトルに収録されているはずです。長年、実装されていなかったADA-01B”ADLER”もACE COMBAT INFINITYにて収録されましたし。今のところは存在しない気がします。 シリーズ過去のゲームや資料にはストレンジリアルの1900年代に起こった戦争や紛争が言及されています。有名な第二次世界大戦の戦闘機が登場したエースコンバットもあります。第二次世界大戦頃のプロペラ機をつかったエースコンバットゲームを開発する談話があったことはありましたか？ 今も下元プロデューサーからちょくちょく提案されます。開発の中にも作りたいというスタッフはいますね。ただ、僕らProject ACESは皆さんが想像するよりも小さな開発チームです。7とシーズンパスで手一杯ですね。 Project Acesが他にも開発したゲーム、Sky Crawlers: innocent Acesは立体っぽい雲や風が飛行機を動かす機能が含まれていました。この機能はエースコンバット7の初期開発に影響をあたえましたか？ 直接的な影響はないです。雲も風も、同様の現象ではありますが、「コンセプトの軸に据える」という考えと、「機能を追加する」では作り込む方向が全く異なります。軸に据えた場合は、それに準じてゲームシステム、シナリオ、演出、マルチプレイと全てに影響を及ぼします。設計図は全く違うものになるのです。これは開発的な感覚なので上手く言語化できていないかもしれませんね。 Project Acesのチームは日本自衛隊と色々かかわっていますが、自衛隊との忘れられない経験とかありますか？ 航空自衛隊の飛行機に乗ったことはありますか？ 残念ながら私は乗ったことがないのですが、開発スタッフの何人かは、コクピットに搭乗しています。我々の取材へのご協力にはいつも大変感謝していますが、最も印象的だったのは、松島基地や新田原基地など、ACE COMBAT 7の出展に際して、わざわざ本物のF-15やF-2を並べてくれたことです。基地の方々が一致団結して我々の作品を盛り上げてくださって、すごく感動しました。 ゲームが発売してから、河野さんのエースコンバット7のビジョンは叶ったと思いますか？ 全てが叶ったとは思いません。賛成できないユーザーもいらっしゃるでしょう。しかしながら、我々は確実にシリーズを前進させました。7の空を体験した後に、過去作の空を飛んだなら、「空の感触」に物足らなさを感じるはずです。そういう、臨場感より一歩踏み込んだ、人間の感覚に訴える革新ができたことは、ビジョンが叶ったと考えています。 最後の質問です。このシリーズが進化していく中、河野さんの「旅」はどのようなものですか？ 僕はそろそろミハイかと。下元Pや玉置Pなどトリガーたちが現れました。時代は変わっていきます。彼らの障害として、越えなければならない存在として立ち塞がりたいと思っています。 Project: Lighthouseはこのインタビューに参加し、PAX Southで私たちの会見者と会ってくれた河野さんに感謝を告げます。あなたとProject Acesの皆さんがエースコンバット    シリーズを生み出し、それを進歩し続けてくださって本当にありがとうございます。

Mind Melting Air Combat, Soviet Future Punk Monster Slaying Hey howa’ doin, FlyAwayNow here again, bringing you Q and As from the cold dystopian Soviet flavored future past and simultaneously a bombastic delivery simulator. The line between these two being, of course, aerial combat. In one: the enemy is rebellion and monstrous manifestations of creatures more horrible yet than all of the imagery of Christian reckoning. In the other? Drones and dragons and the g-force itself. We are surrounded by radical dreamers in this genre, building brick by brick new games that bring this genre of arcade flight action, in its wide gradient, to its gameplay ends of explosive, fast-paced, insanity seen only in Touhou or the rebirth of the Boomer Shooter these last few years, or the other side of the Iron Curtain, where order and politics at the End of History are as much of a threat as cancerous beings, bleeding in the streets.  Here are two of those dreamers: Yollie, and Misha, of Delivery Must Complete and Zakon . Delivery Must Complete Website Links: Linktree Who are You? I'm Yoyoyollie, but I prefer people calling me Yollie. If you call me Yoyo, I will stab you. I'm an Australian gamedev who makes games as a hobby and have been doing so for like, 5-ish years now, all for game jams. I've made 29 games as of now, but currently this game is going to be my 30th.... that is, if I don't end up doing (another) jam in the middle of making this one. You might know me from GMTK 2024 (because I was a winner, Pizzascaper, search it up). I'll do my best to make this game with the skills I learnt from making all those.  Why are you making your game and this type of game?  Honestly, the main reason I'm making this game like this is I just feel like I should make a full game by now (lol). A lot of my dev friends are moving from doing jams to making full games and I felt like I should be doing the same, so here I am. This genre in particular because I'm sick and tired of waiting for Ace Combat 8 to release. Though as you might be able to tell, I'm also a big fan of the spectacle of games like Devil May Cry / Ultrakill, plus I also like roguelikes, so I sorta just stuffed all that into the game and it works? What do you want this game to be? I absolutely want this game to be fast paced and action packed, as well as having a ton of build variety and depth in its roguelike elements. I mean, I can't be the only one who found Project Wingman's Conquest mode lackluster, right? As I design the game, I realize I'm deviating a lot from traditional acelike design (by that I mean, basically just Ace Combat and games like it) but it lets me have way more freedom in what I can do with the game, so it's a fair tradeoff. Also, I do not want this game to focus on story as much as Ace Combat does, and the story won't ever be nearly as serious. Instead, I want to dedicate all that into the gameplay, because I think a fun game is more important.  29 Game Jams and games is a lot, what’s your secret? Doing jams is really fun and somewhat addicting, and every time an interesting jam came up I'd join it and give it a shot... which ended up being like, 80 jams (though I only managed to submit to 31). Game jams are just really, really fun to participate in, especially being able to have a game idea and rock out a prototype in a weekend. I LIVE for that adrenaline rush at 2am, an hour before submissions close, finishing and building a game while battling the clock. What’s your background? When did you get started making games? Aside from messing around with scratch when very young, I basically learnt gamedev and programming entirely through game jams. I did originally start gamedev by just straight up following a tutorial series loosely for a month or so, but game jams were what really taught me how to make games. I guess, after practicing making games for jams enough, I just got good at it? Were you surprised by how much traction Delivery Must Complete, then Cloudbreaker, got when you shared it for the first time? Not at all, the first time I shared it, it got as much as most of my other twitter posts get. A couple dozen likes and a few retweets (lol). The first reddit post (and later on the first YouTube post) REALLY surprised me though. I literally did not expect the community to have that good of a reaction to the game and was very unprepared for it. Now I’m terrified of filling up the Ace Combat subreddit with posts about Delivery Must Complete instead of Ace Combat (lol). I wonder what the mods will think about that.  This game used to be called Cloudbreaker, and now it’s Delivery Must Complete. What caused the name change? Literally a day or two after I put the game up on Steam, another game that was ALSO called Cloudbreaker got put up. The other game's team had been working on their title for longer than mine at that point, so it was just a pure coincidence we both came up with the same name and published the pages at the same time. Anyways, I decided to change the name of my game so we wouldn't sabotage each other's place on search engines (also it gave me an excuse to get a redesign for the old mediocre logo for the game).  How about inspirations for Delivery Must Complete? You mentioned Ultrakill and Devil May Cry above, but anything else?   The main inspirations for the game are, of course, Ace Combat, Project Wingman, Ultrakill and Devil May Cry. I also took a lot of inspiration from Afterburner, especially the sheer speed and energy it has. I suppose the roguelike elements of the game are heavily inspired by Backpack Hero and Sephiria, with a little bit of Slay The Spire and Hades on the side. The drift and boost in the game were actually inspired by Mario Kart, funnily enough. I don't actually have a Nintendo Switch, I just thought one day, "oh, that could work in a plane game." How long do you think a run in Delivery Must Complete can last? I'm aiming for a full run from an experienced player to last somewhere around 45-60 minutes! There is still a bit of game design that will probably change a lot as I develop the rest of the game though, so it might be longer / shorter by release. What features make your roguelike experience the way it is? The biggest feature is the upgrade grid system. It ’s difficult to explain through text and it’s still WIP but it allows players to customize and improve on practically every aspect their weapons and aircraft throughout a run. Much deeper than what games like Ace Combat let you do. Aside from that, the fully procedural environments and the Slay The Spire style map are both pretty new to the genre and makes the game feel wildly different between runs. Why’d you decide to go after this crazy aesthetic for DMC? It's more like I really don't wanna do realism and stuff like other acelikes do because it takes too much effort. Plus I'm too lazy to draw any textures. This style means I just have to make a couple shaders here and there, and I'm not restrained by having to make things look feasibly realistic. I mean, I do this sorta similar visual style for a lot of my jam games because it's pretty damn fast, so I'm used to it by now -- its gotten to the point where some people I know can tell that I worked on a game just by looking at the VFX... which might mean I have a unique visual style but might also mean I'm not creative enough. Idk.  You post a lot of new features on your social media, how much more can you possibly have? I'm lucky enough to be working in a genre which already has crazy ass stuff constantly, and I'm designing the game around having a ton of variety in the content. So literally anything. I'll continue showing them off on socials though, making weird content is always very fun to do  I don't want to dig too deep but, what's going on as far as story and characters go in DMC? What are we delivering? The game will have story, characters, but most importantly, planes. No, actually, not that, the most important part of the story is what you're delivering. It's highly confidential but you gotta get it there fast, it tastes way better piping hot! Is it a pizza? No comment. Alright well what's your favorite type of pizza, unrelated to the previous question? Pineapple. Nice. Any closing thoughts or things you want to say? Wishlist the game, RIGHT NOW ON STEAM ( https://devilmayfly.com/ ). PLEASE WISHLIST I BEG YOU. Also join the Discord too if you want. ZAKON Website Links: Itch.io  | Steam  | X.com   | Who are you? My name is Misha (or Mishanya). I'm a regular shmegular software developer who is developing Zakon in my free time. Why are you making your game and this type of game? The origin story of Zakon is related to Ubisoft but not in a way that you would think. During my last year of University, I applied there for an intern or junior dev and got rejected. One of the reasons was that I didn't have a C++ project in my portfolio (which was true). So, I decided to play around with Unreal Engine and have something in my portfolio. Because I didn't know any 3D and especially modelling, I decided to go with the flying game because: A. I always liked the jets IRL and jet & vehicle games. B. It was much easier to do, in comparison with the normal 3D human-characters games. After some time though, the game grew into something much more defined and I decided to try and make it into a real video game. What do you want this game to be? Sadly, I didn't know what direction I wanted to take with Zakon for a fat while. That made a lot of the aspects feel incoherent or not well developed all together. Only somewhere late in the development I was able to shape out what Zakon is and what ideas I want to explore with it. Developing a game, for me, is a way to explore a certain idea or a topic. Usually, I have only one main idea that the whole game is structured upon: from gameplay to the story, UI, sounds, worldbuilding, etc... I've always been fascinated when videogames are using all of the available tools of this media: from the writing and cinematography during the cutscenes, sparkly VFX, gameplay input controls, etc... to the consequences of the player's actions in the world. When everything is being made with the idea of the supporting the main topic. That being said, the main topic of Zakon is "following orders". Especially now, with so many terrible conflicts in the world, we yet again are faced with the arguments surrounding "I was only following orders". It's easy to judge it while being inside our cozy houses, but it's hard to imagine what it's like to actually be a soldier and receive inhumane orders. Of course, if it were only good vs. evil there would be far fewer questions about that, but I think there are a lot of variables that have a great effect in the decision making and even in knowing that the there is a decision to be made. In a way, Zakon is just a tool to explore that. Through the game the player will have questionable mission objectives and it's up to the player to decide what to do with them. Not knowing that you can disobey is already a part of this conversation. You complete the orders? Great! The UI is going crazy in the affirmation of your actions and here, have some cool new shiny upgrades that are fun to use. You accidentally helped the protestors? Careful, your Social Score has been decreased and who knows what happens when it goes too low? Better keep it high and healthy. And the people and the officers are shaming you? Not good. You helped to stop the protests? Yay, people are cheering and happy, right? They must be happy if they are cheering? I don't want to sound all this artsy-housy pretentious guy. I'm not trying to hide it under layers of deep meanings. On the contrary, I just think we kinda lack some simple games with silly gameplay and a topic that is somewhat easy to access and digest. What are some inspirations for Zakon? I've been thinking about it for a lot but honestly, I don't think that there are many inspirations. Obviously, I take a lot of visual inspiration from Evangelion, Gundam, old PS2/PS1 games. But nothing in particular. The most "influential" were real events, such as protests in Belarus and in Russia. In both countries, after the big protests and the start of the war, there was a trend of policemen burning their uniform on video. Some of them got arrested and are still in jail AFAIK. I would say this is one of the big questions that I want to explore and maybe find an answer to in Zakon. Zakon can be a bit intimidating to get into, so, just for a short summary, what is the world of Zakon? The world of Zakon is somewhat based on the real world which had quite a few historical turns during the 19th century.  The game takes place in the capital of a country called Krasnogorie. It's an exaggerated high-tech world with old problems. I often find myself calling it "futuristic soviet punk" to give it a simple and short explanation. I've played Zakon, and it's not exactly the easiest, or most traditional of "flight" games. Do you intend it to be a harder experience? Yes, that's one of the biggest hurdles of Zakon. There is a lot to this question, but ultimately it comes down to the trade-offs of what I want from the game and what a player will experience.  From a conceptual point of view, Zakon is on the harder side: Much more dense map Non-trivial navigation Big boss fights Due to the high density of the city, I had to modify the controls to the extreme in comparison with other flight games. However, this led to a lot of frustration for the players because it doesn't feel right at the beginning. Especially if they have little experience with flight games. I received a lot of feedback from the demo about it, tried a bunch of different methods, but sadly I couldn't get anything to work properly to give the same feeling and level of control. But also there is another big point to it - my abilities. The game is clearly unpolished and lacking some of the basic QOL features. Buuuut I'm still relatively new to game development and due to the lack of experience I might not even know how to make something feel better.  That being said, the game fundamentally has a level of difficulty which I wanted. I will work on improving it and adding QOL features but I doubt I will make it easier, hopefully less frustrating though. How much farther do you have to go in development before 1.0? Ah, the famous question... And the famous answer is - hopefully not a lot. All the main things are more or less completed: all the missions are done, most of the cutscenes are done, the main systems are done, etc... So, the roadmap would be something like: Finish all the endings Improve QOL Localization UI fixes Sound fixes OST coherence Fix what needs to be fixed Balance changes Performance optimization Any closing thoughts or things you want to say? Thank you for the opportunity to speak about Zakon . I really feel grateful that my little game could bring so much attention. I appreciate everybody for their support and thank you to all who played the demo. I did not expect myself to be an indie developer and definitely did not expect Zakon to reach this level. I'm enjoying the ride and, with all the flying games that are being baked right now, am excited about the future of this genre. And remember: war bad, jets rad . 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 ]