Ace Combat 8

This thing is a behemoth. It outclasses all of its predecessors in every category. Mission variety, level design, character development, plot, themes and messages. It’s heavy in more ways than one: the emotional weight of the narrative feels as heavy as the planes themselves. It’s a test of your ability to identify and fight to your objective, even if it changes mid mission, and still be able to pick up the radio chatter between your wingmen.

And it’s not always idle banter, they are not merely smiley faces duct taped to the canopy of an F-18. No, their emotional states impact your mission. They have heart and drive, but that means they feel pain and grief. They are interconnected through mission and cutscenes alike, hell even through the music.

The soundtrack is easily one of the best in the series, and that’s quite a feat considering it’s well known history of bangers. There’s no dud tracks, not even the briefing or hangar tracks. And the music is, on multiple occasions, diagetic in way we haven’t seen since Journey Home (AC5). The dynamic music system creates moments so hype I was smashing my fist on my desk like a goddamn caveman.

I shed tears several times, I haven’t felt a game on an emotional level like this since Nier Automata. I’m halfway through a second campaign playthrough on Hard difficulty, S ranked every mission so far. My only worry is that the game is hitting the mainstream. This will be some people’s first Ace Combat, and they’ll go through the previous games – each stellar in their own rights – and be disappointed by how primitive they are by comparison.

GOTY contender, OST OTY for certain.