Kono Director:The Ace Combat series is always set in the world of 'Strangereal', a past world, but we envision its setting as a slightly distant future of our own reality. This allows us to maintain a sense of realism even within a historical context. When we began development in 2020, the idea emerged from the belief that information warfare, including social media, would become a crucial theme.

Shimomoto Producer:The game is set on the continent of Usea, a decade after the events of Ace Combat 7. Since the events of Ace Combat 3 unfold around the 2040s in the Strangereal timeline, we've consciously developed the world to create a clear flow from Ace Combat 7, through this new title, and into Ace Combat 3.

Kono Director:Director Katabuchi readily agreed to personally oversee the story for Ace Combat 8 as well. Once the development team lays the groundwork for the game's missions and combat scenarios – for instance, scenes where allies are sacrificed under the barrage of a land battleship's railgun – the director weaves it all together, adding thematic depth, narrative direction, and the emotional core of the characters. He possesses an unparalleled understanding of the events unfolding throughout Strangereal's history, from Ace Combat 7 through to Ace Combat 8 and Ace Combat 3.

While you won't be lost if you haven't played Ace Combat 7, you might recognise a familiar face or two. These appearances are brief, so playing the previous game isn't essential. With Director Katabuchi's novels also contributing, it's evolving into a grand saga connecting Ace Combat 4, 5, 7, and 8.

Kono Director:Our primary goal was to maximise the player's immersion, making them feel like the 'Ace Pilot' (the hero) beyond the screen. We've added a sense of standing on the same ground as your comrades, gazing at the same scenery from a first-person viewpoint. By incorporating button prompts for interaction in key moments, we wanted to enhance the feeling of actively participating in the battlefield through your own decisions, rather than just being a spectator.

Kono Director:While previous titles used rendered CG for such elements, this time everything is in real-time 3D graphics. Seeing the faces of your helmeted comrades within the cockpit creates a wonderful system that allows you to feel a much closer connection with them.

Character designs were developed by first establishing the narrative requirements: the historical context, age, height, and other settings essential to the story. We then worked closely with the designer, conveying visual concepts through dialogue. For example, the character Tasha's pink hair was initially surprising, but we decided it was a fresh and appealing element not seen before in the series. Yusuke Kozaki, who worked on the previous title, has returned to handle character design.

Shimomoto Producer:This story revolves around carrier operations and combat across the continent of Usea. To immediately convey this carrier-centric theme to the players, we chose the Super Hornet, arguably the most recognisable carrier-based aircraft globally, as the initial aircraft. A preliminary survey among series fans indicated that those who love the Ace Combat series or fighter jets could indeed imagine the story just by looking at the aircraft, aligning perfectly with our intent.

Kono Director:It wasn't a conscious effort to make things brighter. The initial missions you play are tutorial-based, featuring clear weather like a bright blue sky for better visibility. As you progress through the campaign, you'll encounter various atmospheric conditions, including nightscapes and sunsets. However, as always, we've aimed to depict the beautiful vistas that are characteristic of Ace Combat.

Kono Director:We've expressed multi-layered cloud structures and types using multiple layers. This allows players to visually discern whether they are below rain clouds or at high altitudes with thin, wispy cirrus clouds. We've intentionally designed the game so that players can navigate using visual cues, such as spotting an enemy indicated by a contrail's end or a glint on the canopy, rather than solely relying on the instrument panel.

The advancements in visuals have significantly enhanced the sense of speed and the sensation of flight as you cut through the atmosphere. Notably, the expression of 'cloud seas' that blanket the sky, which was difficult to achieve in Ace Combat 7, has been improved, allowing for a distinct experience of the world above and below the clouds.

Shimomoto Producer:I'm delighted to hear you feel that way. It confirms that the adjustments we aimed for have worked as intended. As you pointed out, we received a lot of feedback after the release of Ace Combat 7 about it being too difficult. At the time of its launch, we didn't anticipate it would become such a massive hit, selling 7.5 million units worldwide. Therefore, for Ace Combat 8, we anticipated a larger influx of new players – those who entered the series through Ace Combat 7, as well as newcomers entirely – and consciously designed the difficulty to be more accessible. Features like the tutorial and training modes were also implemented with this consideration in mind.

Kono Director:Many players find ground combat difficult. Unlike dogfights at high altitudes, ground attacks often result in crashes when approaching too close to the terrain. This is one hurdle to overcome, but once you master the techniques and gain freedom in maneuvering your aircraft, the fun and depth of Ace Combat will truly reveal themselves. When I watch others play, I often feel the urge to shout advice, especially when they're taking shots from above but getting too close.

Shimomoto Producer:To add to that, Mission 9 in the demo version is designed to be the major boss battle highlight of the early game, hence its higher difficulty compared to other missions. We intentionally made it challenging and nail-biting to convey the menace and thrill of the land battleship. Furthermore, the demo's difficulty was tuned for veteran series players; the default (standard) setting at launch will be lower and more relaxed.

Shimomoto Producer:While I can't disclose the exact number, we plan to include over 30 types of aircraft. Of course, fictional aircraft original to the series will also make an appearance, so please look forward to them.

Kono Director:The inclusion of two types of special weapons is intended to enhance the player's strategic options. By allowing combinations like air-to-air and air-to-ground, or equipping more ammo for a single weapon type, we've broadened the player's choices.

The revival of the squad command system is also a result of considering both gameplay strategy and narrative. The composition of your three wingmen – whether they are fighters, multi-role aircraft, or electronic warfare planes – becomes crucial for mission success. Furthermore, in line with the concept of 'overcoming difficult situations together with comrades,' we felt that the process of direct communication, choosing 'yes' or 'no' as in Ace Combat 5, is vital.

As Ace Combat 8 is our 30th-anniversary title, we decided to re-examine and evolve elements from past instalments that were excellent but had been removed, consolidating them into this game.

Kono Director:The special weapon on/off system was present in Ace Combat 5 and was introduced to enhance the strategic enjoyment of the game. When to use them during boss battles or challenging encounters is entirely up to the player's judgment. However, allowing unlimited use would diminish the presence of your wingmen and simplify the gameplay, so we've implemented capacity limits to encourage strategic decision-making. We've strived to balance it so that wingmen appear as genuine 'human pilots' within the game, rather than just reacting mechanically to the player's immediate commands.

Shimomoto Producer:For an effective tip: consider equipping an electronic warfare aircraft in your squadron. When facing a formidable enemy, granting permission for its special weapon use can provide a buff effect, such as enhanced missile guidance performance for allies within a certain radius, thereby significantly aiding your combat efforts.

Shimomoto Producer:On the standard PS5 and Xbox Series X, players can choose between 'Quality Mode' (30fps, 4K) and 'Performance Mode' (60fps, 2K FHD). For the Xbox Series S, we are currently fine-tuning the specifications.

On the PS5 Pro, performance will be further enhanced. In Performance Mode, it will maintain 60fps while upgrading the resolution to WQHD. In Quality Mode, while remaining at 30fps, the internal graphics upscaling quality will be superior to the standard edition.

Shimomoto Producer:We were incredibly happy to host a fan event in Korea during the release of Ace Combat 7 and interact with our wonderful fans for the first time. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to connect with our Korean fans again following the release of this new title.

Kono Director:We've kept you waiting for quite some time for the latest Ace Combat instalment. We would be immensely grateful if you enjoy it thoroughly and help foster a positive atmosphere together. I met some Korean fans at the G-STAR event last year. It was quite challenging, as I desperately wanted to talk about the new game, which hadn't been officially revealed yet, and I nearly let slip some secrets unintentionally.