I love how Hush sounds simultaneously like you’re winning and you’re loosing. Really gives the sense that the result of the battle hangs on the edge and anything could tip the scales.
I think the reason why is cause if you're familiar with the Strangereal timeline you'd know that AC 3 is next after 7 and that game is nothing but dour sadness and brutality.
@@DoujinDude I still say the West got robbed with that trimmed release. Here's hoping against hope that in this era of remakes/remasters that BN releases a fully realised version of AC3.
To me I think the vocals in the beginning of Hush sounds more tired after defeating the last Arsenal bird. In Daredevil, the vocals gave the feeling of confidence and energy that you could win the war, but when the two drones came in after that event the vocals felt tired but still had to finish the war. Even when playing the game I even felt exhausted after destroying the Arsenal bird and protecting myself from the barrage of missiles, then these two other advanced planes showed up.
@@DarkButz "AC tried to make the series more popular with Assault Horizon and it was an absolute catastrophe." And yet despite its quality, someone like AngryJoe is able to give it a hgih score with his trademark "badass seal of approval", even the worst Ace combat entry is still a triple-A level of goodness when you compare it to other action-oriented game in the market at that time lol
@@TheDaisukeMiyuki AC7 is literally the first mainline Ace Combat game we had to wait for for so long. And it's not even that long if you also count spin-offs and handhelds.
The electronic noise at the beginning of Hush is supposed to be the two AI controlled super planes you're fighting "talking" to each other as they coordinate their attacks with an almost humanlike level of consciousness. Throughout the mission you can hear it over the in-game radio and it's pretty unnerving. That Kobayashi incorporated that sound into Hush really highlights that this mission is the tipping point of history: a world dominated by endless AI-controlled warfare, or one where humans rise up and become symbols of hope and inspiration
The thing behind Hush is that if you're perfect with mission timing, the melody will hits the right spots at the right moments fitting perfectly with the mission, it's INSANE
I remember someone commenting that the synth at the beginning slowly transitioning to an orchestra represents the game’s narrative of humans triumphing over machines
Yep. From as early as Mission 2, the synths appear whenever the drones do, representing the soulless threat of automated warfare. So the constant tradeoff between the strings and the synths in Hush (and even Daredevil) represents the battle between the two.
I also remember someone commenting that the singers who do the sol squadron theme start singing triggers theme because sol is helping during this mission
@@IslandFenixI just checked this, it's real. Synth isn't new to Ace Combat, not at all. But its use for any track for any mission where drones are featured, it's such a nice bit of meaning to the soundtrack of this game and the elements that make it. And I love it.
Daredevil sounds like a song from a pilot, sitting in the cockpit and waiting for the chance to bring down all the enemies. While Hush sounds like a song from those innocent people that get caught into war. Their fear and the feelings of being frightened on their life at first, and female vocal for searching hope within all those. Then finally they have their hero flying above the clouds, pointing the direction of where they should follow to. What a piece!
You’re actually pretty spot-on. The briefings for one or both of mission containing these tracks mention that the war’s refugees have gathered below the space elevator, which is the location where both missions take place.
One of my favorite parts of Hush is the electric screech at the start. The way it sounds so electronic and discordant against the orchestra fits perfectly with the unnatural, inhuman AI drone fighter we're up against.
Man, Hush brings back a lot of memories. Hugin and Munin forming a helix pattern in their paths as you approach the space elevator, the intense dogfight between them and the Coalition forces, chasing the two in between the elevator’s supports, the many MANY times I played this mission to reliably save Sol 2. I also like the small touch of Norse mythology that (most) Ace Combat games add. Mostly in the forms of squadron and ship names, but also the Erusean capital itself, as well as the operations to take it, are also references to Fárbauti (sometimes spelled Farbanti), the giant who ferried the souls of the deceased to Hel, and was also the father of Loki
I tried saving Sol 2 so much but to no avail, and I gave up and downloaded the fenrir mod and just shot lswm to defeat them before they can even do anything
Lemme tell ya, I had tears in my eyes playing and hearing this for the first time. Absolute master class in how shaping a leitmotif in different ways evokes just the right emotions in the player for the scenario.
Just that way that it is timed so perfectly to that big ass plane's shields going down. The song is missing ONE THING though...Constant missile lock warnings.
Same, except I wasnt even the one playing, I discovered Ace Combat through a playthrough of 7, and after this song brought tears to my eyes decided I wanted to play it myself.
Hush is my favorite level theme in the game, it's perfect for this sense of "Oh god, the world is on my shoulders, I can't fuck this up." The only thing that's missing here is the glitchy and scrappy garbles of the AI drones you're fighting in the mission. They add a real horror element to the game
Hush represent perfectly the feelings of the people during the legendary dogfight with Huging and Muging, depicting the entitity of the battle and impling what you're fighting for. Daredevil is focused on reminding all that you've been through, expressing the feelings for flight itself and celebrating a great victory achieved by everyone but mostly you. Another really important song is Faceless Soldier, a midgame track that acts a clean cut between two phases of the title. The first desperate battle for survival and redemption and the second part, pure unfolding of the squadron feelings, linking everyone's wings together for a moment, before Bandog's death and second Trigger's strike into his growth.
The opening of the song is also... electronic. What's coming is not "human". It's not as heart pumping as other songs, because it's an elegant dance that belies something horrific underneath the surface. It's easy to get caught up in what you see and what you feel, and miss what's really happening. But there IS a human element. As the song continues, you engage in that dance. You're part of that human element. You are human. And because you're human, you can recognize both aspects of this scene. It's grandeur and beauty, it's sorrows and dangers. And you realize: it's just you. Only you can do this. Only you.
I will never get tired of seeing Maestro Marco having a geek-gasm over Ace Combat. The best part? I end up reliving my first AC geek-gasm right along with him. *And I love it.*
It's always amazing how accurately you're able to estimate the story beats of a scene by just listening to the music alone. Really has opened my eyes to just how universal music is as a storytelling tool.
That theme from Daredevil isnt so much from Daredevil itself. Its the main leitmotif of the whole game, you first hear it during the opening cutscene (in a track named Drag Racer, which also slaps) and it carries through the entire game. Daredevil is that same leitmotif coming out in its full force, its return literally screaming at you that this is the decisive moment of truth, that its now or never, and that you have the chance to put an end to it all. Hush is that same melody fighting against the oppressive power of the the enemy youre facing afterward, nearly being drowned out but stubbornly hanging on regardless. Its why Daredevil is so bombastic and heroic, while Hush is more quiet, solemn and determined. Further driving this point home, the track playing as you take off for the mission where Hush plays, that quite literally leads you into Hush, is called Determination.
That theme, at its core, is the Ace Combat Melody. It’s in many, if not all, of the games. And every time I hear it, it has the same impact. In a ballad of angels, demons and aces, freedom is there - so seize it.
I've been the one hammering this one for months. I love its build upon Daredevil like my love of Zero's build upon The Unsung War. it doesn't feel like simple leitmotifs; I love how Kobayashi can not just write musical masterpieces, but can write *sequels* to masterpieces.
Keiki Kobayashi is the GOAT, unironically shed a tear when I heard this song for the first time. I love how you can pick out form the track how high the stakes are, especially when you know the context and urgency behind the mission it plays in (I'm not gonna explain this as I know someone else will, and they will do it better, plus I don't want to spoil anything). Probably the best song I have heard, in a game or just overall.
There's a lot of hidden gems of Ace Combat 7 music that are included in the soundtracks. And i would like Marco to check them all out like Faceless Soldier and Battle for Farbanti, the two describes the heroic and uplifting melody of Trigger's journey.
@@johnnychopsockyArchange often gets a lot of attention because it's Mihaly's final boss music, but man Sol Squadron is fantastic and is really an underrated track.
6:00 this is the leitmotiff of the game which you can hear different variants of it throughout the entire games at important moments during the story, be it from the first engagement, or the moment spare squadron becomes a true and cohesive unit, you always hear a variation of this motiff and I personally love to hear it every time.
It's honestly pretty conflicting choosing between hush & Daredevil. Standalone, it's easy to see Daredevil as the superior But when it comes to how they are used both in game and in trailers, Hush is far superior. Daredevil became the unbelievable 'i guess we win now' song. Hush solidified itself as the Final Boss theme of AC7. (Not counting 'Eastern Wind' into 'Space elevator' for i understand how many lives that tunnel has taken)
The bwaaa at the beginning of daredevil reminds me of a ships horn, which works really well considering the arsenal birds are flying aircraft carriers. Like as the arsenal bird emerges from the clouds it blows its horn to signal its arrival, like a warship emerging from the fog into battle.
Really like how you went back and compared it to Daredevil, think that adds another layer of analysis that is very interesting. Hopefully you'd consider doing this with Invasion of Gracemeria and Liberation of Gracemeria.
I would have loved if they made this a creepier version of Daredevil, like the cutscene before the mission. Edit: I mean as in how the cutscene was a creepy version of Pensees it should have had a similar vibe.
Ace combat music my beloved ❤ The AC7 motif always gets me when it’s used, and each instance throughout the game makes Daredevil and Hush hit that much harder. The repetition here in a higher octave with new layers of instruments each time makes it feel even more heroic, which pairs amazingly with the beautiful performance from the solo vocalist. Any excuse to listen to Daredevil is a good one, so I’m glad you brought it back out. I love how each song feels so unique but is also so undeniably Ace Combat. Thank you so much for your continued coverage of this incredible series!
There's this one comment I read in the music video that provides context regarding the final boss. I suggest finding it in the comment section there yourself. Hugin and Munin. A duel with twin AI powered planes rather than the series staple Legendary Ace. Hush is humanity's ode to it's unpredictability and limitless potential. Flawed humans facing off against perfect machines. A duel between man and machine at an important turning point in this universe. A true masterpiece.
And for an extra bit of nerdy lore, in Norse lore Hugin and Munin are the two ravens that deliver the message that starts Ragnarok, representing the idea that if the drones transmit the data (including Trigger's) to all the other drones across the world nobody could stop them and they'd destroy everything. Ace Combat's symbolism, especially in 7 is NUTS.
I've always figured the turning point, that first not aborted climax of the song, was when the first of the two AI planes is downed. Now the corner is turned. Instead of a single human constantly having to defend against one while hunting the other, now there is only one on one. Now the AI, if it can, feels fear for the first time. The mathematical certainty of it's victory has been shattered. Being an AI, it can not deny the fact its assessment was wrong. The assessment it would win when it had its twin there working with it. Now it's alone against something it can not hope to understand. It always made total sense to me that the remaining drone would make a run for the objective, that it fled the field. Because it doesn't have to survive to 'Win', just get the upload off before being destroyed. So it makes the rational choice and flies into the tunnel. Then the anomaly comes in after it.
For an extra fun bit of additional lore: Hugin and Munin aren’t just regular drones, they’re operated and piloted by the AI “Zone of Endless”, which was a major villain during Ace Combat 2, where shooting down Z.O.E. Planes in multiple different missions is necessary to unlock the true ending of the game. These enemies aren’t new, per se, it’s literally that it’s an old, already dangerous enemy, now with the skill of Mihaly behind it.
Hush is easily now my favorite piece of all time. Gusty Garden Galaxy from SMG used to hold that spot, but now it’s been knocked down to second place. I love the use of the men’s chorus. I love how the use of the men’s chorus, which can be seen as being Sol Squadron, who has opposed the player for the whole game up until that point, now singing the player’s leitmotif can be viewed as symbolism that Sol Squadron no longer stands against the player, but alongside them.
[SPOILER ALERT] It hits harder when you can also interpret the male chorus as the Eruseans themselves joining hands now with the Oseans to stop a threat that has become bigger than what they will ever have faced since Ulysses. I would even go as far to say that Hush is Mankind's song against the cold and merciless nature of automated warfare. This is no longer Osea's fight, Erusea's fight, or even Belka's, this is Humanity's fight against the horrible nature of war itself. And in a way this is a correct fulfillment of Pixy's dream of removing borders since everyone's united to stop something that will put an end to their world.
15:40 when this part plays, the arsenal birds shield comes down and as a personal choice i always choose to be at idle thrust so i can kick in afterburners to move in for the kill when the vocals hit. so the idea of engines powering back on is completely correct in all my playthroughs.
That Melody, the soaring vocal that you hear in both pieces, is what I consider to be the Ace Combat Melody. It’s in many if not all of the games and always brings the emotions forward for me. So much so that any time I’m flying, that is often the theme I hear… the theme of the sky (for me).
Also i really like this form of analyze, instead of just listening to the music then reacting/commentating. The video will be longer sure but i do like analyzing pinpoint details of certain melody
The game within the game for me is locating Kobayashi-san's "main theme" leitmotif in each game. You're usually introduced to it fairly early on, but once you identify it and hear it interplay with other tracks throughout the soundscape, especially on a second playthrough, it simply elevates his work even further. My all-time favorite interplay so far has to be the motif from AC5, a game which talked about the Belkan War as a past event, and Zero, in which you play through the war, because UW and Zero are basically the same track, just played at different tempo and key. I cannot compose, but as a vocalist and a music geek in general, that decision sits high on my list of intelligent theming and composition.
God I love Hush, I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this but I'm pretty sure Daredevil was actually made from Hush as supposed to the other way around since Hush was composed first. By the way you should take a listen to Sound Embrace from Ace Combat Joint Assault, not everyone's favorite Ace Combat game but that song is up there with the other final mission songs in my opinion.
I, too, will never not take the opportunity to listen to Daredevil, especially when someone is there to nerd out to it with me. Also, with that slow rise in the middle with the vocalist taking center and the orchestra pulling back, it's like a jet climbing into a high loop, gaining altitude and losing, and right at the apex of the loop, right as the plane's about to stall, right as the orchestra kicks back in, it's like the plane turns its nose down and guns the engines. Edit: I was only partway through the video when I typed this and then thirty seconds later you made the exact same point.
Waited for this one, love this track so much, right from the start, the female voice gave me chills as my plane headed to the objectives, and as the mission progressed, the choirs with the Daredevil motif reminded me that the stakes were the same, if not greater, as the previous mission, Hush is like the hidden boss that was in the shadows of Daredevil
Another way of looking at the oppressive brass and discordant strings as they are the enemy fighting the the chorus of everyone you're fighting with/for. That is a non-spoiler "it will make more sense later" for when you play AC7.
2:20 Strings- Mage Squadron Drums- Spare Squadron Piano- Strider Squadron Men’s chorus- Sol Squadron, once your enemies, now on your side to cheer you on All beautifully working together to play Trigger’s theme, which has progressed throughout the story, much like you as a character. This soundtrack is so good
I would LOVE to watch you play through Ace Combat 7 if you haven't already. It's not just a game... It is an experience, unlike anything I have ever played.
Im not gonna lie, when you said two days, i just like" bro dont worry,he's gonna nailed it, " and your interpretation are hit hard!!❤ The thing about Hush (Blue Dark) and Daredevil (Lighthouse) mission, like you said, about death and life situation While Lighthouse mission to end the war, the Dark Blue are about Humanity Stake, on the final mission, you join up with other squadron from other nation that try to kill you in the past, it's not about saving a nation, what is border or pride, it's about saving Humanity itself, which is why the stakes in this mission much higher
Since repeating melodies and leitmotifs are so prevalent in AC games, I’d love to see more of these ‘comparison videos’ in the future. Perhaps Two Pairs, Sol Squadron, & Archange?
For context: Hush is basically the second half of Daredevil thematically, as the events take place minutes apart both in-universe and in-game, the two themes basically play back to back. There's also about 9 or so other tracks in the OST that use the same theme, it's unofficially known as Trigger's theme, including Daredevil and Hush, there's also; Drag Racer(opening cinematic) Charge Assault(mission 1) Dual Wielder(mission 3) Faceless Soldier(mission 7) Siren's Song(Mission 11) Dragon's Breath(Mission 12) Battle For Farbanti(Mission 15) < My personal favorite, arguably the most "traditional" theme out of the bunch. Dark Blue(Mission 20/Ending cinematic) Conclusion(DLC missions outro) By the way if you still take requests I *highly* recommend listening to Battle For Farbanti for a companion to these two... like Daredevil and Hush it represents an ending to the war, while Hush and Daredevil represent defeating the AI drones and Arsenal Bird respectively, Battle for Farbanti represents the final battle of the war, and the _symbolic_ victory against Erusea. Of course, us Ace Combat players know the final battle is never the actual ending, but it still has a slapping theme while you _almost_ win.
Just so you know, I’ve added at least 10 views to each of your Ace Combat videos. I’ll probably add more to all of them again because I enjoy your breakdowns with this awesome music.
The mention of singular vocalists, especially female ones, reminded me of Black Mesa's OST Specifically the Tracks made for Xen, like "Transcendent" "Internal Conflict" and "Ascension" If I remember correctly, the composers wife did the vocals (Joel and Kala Nielsen if memory serves me right) Either way, big reccommend from me for Black Mesa's soundtrack. Especially the Xen related tracks have a very ethereal and alien-like feeling to them
when i was playing the last mission my self i cant even focus on the gameplay the music is just so fucking good and emotional goddamn this game is so fucking good
On another video of Hush (just the song) on a different channel, there was a comment that made a really good explanation of Hush. I'll try to remember some of it but the biggest thing about this is that Hush is a song that screams Finality and a battle against the end. It's Human Spirit vs cold unfeeling AI / Machines, which is expressed by the heavy ominous digital aounds/horns against the soothing human singing. It's you vs the most advanced AI fighter jets in the world, which are flown by a more advanced version of an AI called the Zone of Endless (Z.O E), which has its own unique history of itself. I love Daredevil just like you but Hush took the cake because of hoe powerful it is, in the moment. Basically fighting the end of the world through perpetual, everlasting warfare. And it was made even better by a continuation of the prior mission where its no longer Osean or Erusean, it's Humankind together, United. It was amazing to fly with the Eruseans we had been fighting with before
Hush is a music equivalent of the question, Who would win: - An A.I. controlling jets fighting to survive and upload itself to the network. - Humans united in the middle of ongoing war, after realizing they need to save humanity.
Long ago, there was a brave old knight whom no one could defeat. One day he was training with a warrior on the street. That warrior had something powerful about him that made him different from any warrior he had ever beaten. The old knight was afraid that his skills would weaken, so he went to see an alchemist. The alchemist offered to sharpen his equipment and received his swordsmanship skills in return. He wanted to create a tin robot that could protect the village against monsters. Every time the old knight visited the alchemist, the tin robot became stronger. People were afraid. “What if they get stronger and try to harm us later?” The alchemist didn't say anything, as if to tell him not to worry, and he continued to concentrate on his tin robot. Eventually, one day, the tin robot started burning down the village and harming people. A warrior who had competed with an old knight saw the village burning and hurried into the village. He fought and won against all the tin robots there. He left the alchemist and only one tin robot who ran away somewhere. The warrior became the village hero, and his rumor spread to neighboring villages. After hearing about him, many warriors came to fight him, and finally an old knight who had competed with him before and drew with him came to see him. The old knight and warrior fought fiercely, knowing that it would be their last duel. Under a very bright and dazzling sun. In the end, the warrior won and the old knight, wounded, went to see the alchemist. The alchemist said. “If you really want to beat him, you will need not only your swordsmanship but also your heart. Do you really want to beat him?” The old knight nodded his head in silence, knowing that his life would now come to an end. The alchemist divided his one tin robot into two and created two tin robots using the old knight's swordsmanship skills and even his heart. He wanted to protect the path to heaven, a place where all humanity in the world could live in peace, a place stained with the blood of those killed by tin robots. The bravest old knight in the world eventually became two angels who guard heaven and guarded the road to heaven. To lead all mankind to a blood-stained heaven. The warrior who once competed with the old knight now reveals his true self, discovers everything, becomes a devil, and begins hunting down the two angels. He had numerous warriors following him. "Hush"
Man, I remember playing the AC7 after work once. Got to the last level at 2am, I was sleep deprived and tired but I couldn't put the game down on that level. Hush perfectly encapsulates the desperation of needing to win
I feel like the two tracks are almost Social media wins: Daredevil (grand, witnessed by all, everything comes together) Real life wins: Hush (Messy, tense, there's no win until you win) Both amazing storytelling that I listen to continually without ever playing the game!
It’s funny, a lot of people ask me why I have so many soundtracks instead of regular group albums in my vinyl collection, but there’s something about just sitting and listening to a track like this in isolation of the gameplay, while also having your expectations and high points attached to the memories you forged playing it. Idk if I’m just overly sensitive but honestly tracks like these with the highs of the vocals make me want to tear up every time. It’s almost otherworldly music that just stirs so many emotions in me.
Something you might not quite realize about AC music is that it's not just about the situations or the people involved. It's about the airplanes, too. That all of this feeling comes first from a dearly romantic place for airplanes, that they are more than just machines. They are living, divine creatures, and the union between pilot and airplane is just as noble and celebrated as the union between horse and rider. That these are divine steeds carrying the will of everyone involved in these enormous conflicts with the deadliest powers. That above every cataclysmic foe, there is the Ace and his Wings. This music could not be composed without the composer first holding that idea in the center of his mind. Star Trek music has a similar feeling about its ships and star bases. You should take a listen to DS9's theme sometime.
I've always felt in these sorts of things the plane or the ship is the main characters steady steed and faithful companion. The plane or ship is a character in of themselves with limits that need to be overcome. And the music really elevates that I think.
I love the descending ostinato of the strings on the back half of Daredevil. Allows the piece to go bombastic without going over the top. Such smart decision making.
This is probably one of my favorite tracks from a game ever. You kind of feel this push and pull between Trigger and the drones with a sense of uncertainty from Trigger, symbolized by the almost robotic and harsh tones taking the lead, but as he gains some ground you have a gentle melody pushing back against the abrasiveness of before, becoming more and more prevalent and ultimately becoming the focus of the track.
I remember recommending you listen to "Hush" all the way back when you first reacted to Daredevil. I am glad that you finally reacted to it. Those final sections of it are magnificent in my opinion.
There's an excellent comment on the video for Daredevil that says about stages in the song symbolising the battle it goes along with, really leans into the battle going either way as it progresses, and its just such a fantastic track on its own, loved to see you talk about it.
I'd love to hear your musical analysis of Pyre's OST. I admire it overall, just like I admire all of Supergiant Games' OSTs, but in this one I'd love to see your analysis specifically of the Never to Return track. There's 9 versions of it - one for the player's group of characters, and the rest for other teams (most of which have a single named character). Figuring out what each team is like would be kind of like working out what the League's champions are like based on their musical themes, so I'd be excited to watch your reaction to Never to Return. There's an excellent mix of all nine versions of the song put together by a youtube named Gorfinhofin, but you could also listen to them one-by-one if you'd feel like it, search for the Black Mandolin album if you want the individual tracks.
I love Hush. It’s my second favourite of all the tracks that use AC7’s motif (only beaten by Battle for Farbanti. Daredevil takes third place) It’s sounds dire, but the buildup of the main theme feels like it’s cheering you on. Almost as if it’s telling you ‘You’re the Three Strikes, you can do this’.
Buy it!!! I play this game all the way through at least once every couple of months. The music hits hard in the background while you are flying around fighting for your life. Easily a good investment.
Hush is legit the duel of fates of Ace Combat imo. It’s played over a fight between Trigger and two drones named Hugin and Munin who are attempting to use the Space Elevator to transmit data to manufacture more of themselves. This song then leads into probably one of the most existentially terryifing osts in any video game I’ve ever played called Space Elevator.
To me, Hush is more muted and Synthy to reflect your current enemy, Autonomous Drones. In Archange, it's a grand battle against a legend, in Daredevil it's an epic set piece, and in Hush it's putting down the last artificial pilots to prevent it from spreading and restarting the war.
I really loved the final mission in Ace Combat 7. 1 squadron made up of the best Ace's from 2 opposite nations vs 2 of the most advanced AI piloted drones ever built. Man it was such a power trip
Hush is amazing. A music where you have to stop madness of this technology happening that cause people their lives. A fight between human and machine. Both nation fight together to stop the drones like saying who belongs to the blue and they don't belong to the skies. "This is our home! (referring to the skies)" Showing what fighter pilots are made of! But I'd still pick Daredevil because that is just different level. I still get thrills every time that female choir hits. A moment like " Fear no more! Here I am! Come on! Nothing can stop us now! We will win this!" that feeling. Made me cry much at the first time. Hush did like I gained confident and bravery for one more battle. Your reactions was same as mine because I keep comparing both of which was great. Nice analyzation though! I loved it! ☺
If you ever want to check out AC7, and I bet you do, I would highly recommend asking someone to get Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War set up for you. Out of the PS2 trilogy (considered the best games in the series, AC4, AC5, and ACZero), AC5 is treated more like a movie, one that you are taking part in, one of hardship, with an AMAZING soundtrack (If you remember listening to "The Unsung War"). A lot of other people might recommend Zero, and if you had the time to check out that one too, I also recommend it, especially for the very unique spanish soundtrack. But please do check out AC5 if you have the time, it has by far my favorite OST of all time. I hope to see more AC tracks in the future! Love the content, as always.
I recommend Blue Skies(Infinity remix) which is an insane track from a now unavailable game of the franchise, Ace Combat Infinity. That and a bunch of the tracks from another removed game, Assault Horizon, it's considered the worst game and even then it's still an awesome game with very different music(hint: the game was advertised as "metal carnage" and I consider it as "fighter jet DOOM")
Assault Horizon had many flaws but the soundtrack isn't one of it. If anything I consider some of the tracks in ACAH as some of the best in the franchise.
Fighter from Assault Horizon has to be one of my favourite songs in the franchise, only part I didn't like was that mid point, just sounded like a guitar throwing up to me.
@@TheMoonShepard Yeah some of the AH songs are just loud and bombastic like the game and a few are just generic action movie tracks and it works overall for the game, it's just that they can get repetitive. But the few ones that go noticeably harder are very good. White Devil is just nuts, Shall Defend and Keep Alive are also boppin' and I think that's because they retain that Ace Combat vibe with the mix of vocals and orchestra while also having the electronic and metal feel of AH. Fighter is cool but yes that djent part in the later half kinda ruins the vibe of it.
Ace combat always has good music, in every game, its almost like a rule and as always amazing way to analyze the meaning of the songs. Some recommendations of songs from ace combat and that you might like are: Winter Storm(ac5), Sound embrace and war-torn radiance (acx2) these 2 go one after the other, to be honest these songs are a little bit underrated and are some of my favorites too
I know I am a bit late but I'd like to mention something I haven't seen anyone else bring up (spoilers): The Male choir and the Female choir are used to represent Sol Squadron and the Player Squadrons respectively. In the song Archange you can hear them directly competing, whereas in Hush they are taking turns in the spotlight, playing the same motif. Pretty cool representation of the story there. This rule is broken in the DLC missions, where both choirs are basically switching sides and unsure of who they represent.
When I tell you that I just started moving my hands like an orchestra director when listening to hush ( and I have listened to the whole soundtrack countless times). I need an ace combat 8 just for the new sound track that Kobayashi will create.
Holy shit! I was the one who suggested it! I know you said you’d make the video, but now that I’ve finally seen it, damn! It makes me happy to know you were able to appreciate Hush. To copy-paste the comment I made on the other video: “Daredevil” is the penultimate track, with “Hush” being the very last orchestral song of the game. I know I’m six months late but I’d seriously recommend listening to Hush, it’s got far more vocals, and is designed to sound like the closing battle; the one to end them all. If anything, I’d say it’s better. It incorporates the main motif you hear in the first mission into it, but this time, something is wrong and unnatural. It sounds as if the motif is weak and the melody is straining itself to “catch up” to the drums, with multiple horns sounding throughout. The unnatural sound of these horns is oppressive, signifying the move into the technological era of drones, with human pilots struggling to catch up in a similar fashion to that of the theme. However, as the song progresses, we then hear the main motif again, but this time in a powerful, emotional form . Strings, broken chords, a full choir and even the once oppressive drums shifting to join the “side” of the music you associate with your character most, it represents humanity and their unique identity, undying passion and enduring spirit, one that no machine can replicate or something even come close to amounting to. It is beauty in its purest form.
What i love from Hush is that part that its pretty obvious they took from the Armageddon soundtrack, when the shuttles take off, such an amazing composition!
You can also give a chance to Ace Combat Assault Horizon ost (the story is set in the real world), a game hated by many and in a special place for others, at the time it was considered the air COD, but without a doubt an impressive ost, it involves the famous composers of the AC saga and the musical group Yuval Ron Ensemble (that focuses on traditional sacred Middle Eastern repertoire. ), the whole ost is very enjoyable, the variety of new instruments, sounds, etc, not common of the previous soundtracks to this game, Among the highlights: Rebirth (a whole intro of the new sounds and instruments in this game), Spooky, Rush, Beyond the Canal (one of my favorites, a whole history of sounds and instruments), White Devil, Naval Warfare, Keep Alive, Shall defend, Mrs. Krista Yoslav, etc if it were for me I would name almost the whole band xD
Coming back to this because I realised something. Lots of people by now know the story of Daredevil's creation, namely that the game was behind schedule but the director still felt like that mission was lacking an emotional punch so he called up Kobayashi and said to make one gut punch of a track. If that's the case then that potentially means that Daredevil was composed/arranged AFTER Hush. To me this makes both pieces even better not only because of the emotional impact Hush has, but because Kobayashi had to keep that in mind while doing Daredevil to both evoke that feeling of chaos and maintain a different feeling of tension for the final mission. Daredevil is the craziness of doing what people thought was impossible. Hush is all of humanity uniting in prayer behind YOU because losing means extinction.
While you can get a lot of the emotion from the songs just by listening, honestly knowing the story, seeing the gameplay, or experiencing it yourself, really helps strengthen the emotions.
Its so good its like we battle for our live for more precise we battle for our lllove on we protect someone dear to us and the music plays like if not us who will fought then who else we must stand our ground ❤❤❤❤ love it marco hope you chanel will grow more and more
Every time I listen to Hush, I see in my mind's eye: A few Osean fighters. A few Erusean fighters. Led by the pilot known as "Three Strikes.".. As the first few seconds of the song play..... there! Right there on the horizon! Two black spots becoming more distinct by the second! Growing bigger rapidly as they approach. And then, as the music truly begins with all its intensity, a cacophony of sounds! Two aircraft moving faster than anything ever seen before, making the allied coalition look as though they are standing still! The air screams with their unique engine noises and lasers! The anxiety is taken to new levels by one simple fact. You are so close, so close to ending the war! There are only two enemies! Yet, these two enemies are cutting the last of your forces down with brutal efficiency! If they are not shot down, if they are not destroyed within the next few minutes, the war will restart and it will never end!
Every time you hear the big trumpet sound in daredevil and in Hush is the sound or leivmotif of the IA , the enemy , is the sound of the IA atacking and striking planes , is the sound of danger and it sound in every song of the game who have at least 1 drone
I humbly recommend *ahem* : -"Scourge of God" from Total War: Atilla, -"Promethean" from Civilization: Beyond Earth, -"Ceddin Dedden" (War) from Civilization V (there is a Peace version but it does not have the same 'kick'), -"The Keeper" from Homeworld, -"Bandit Slaughter" from Borderlands 2, -"The Black Sea" from Hearts of Iron 4, -"Bouncing in the Desert" from Surviving Mars: Revelation Radio, -"Abandoned Area" from Surviving Mars: Revelation Radio, -"Rush" from Ace Combat Assault Horizon, -"Tanc a Lelek" from Highfleet (admittingly some of the nomenclature in Highfleet may have aged poorly, but it's still good music) Just a select few of my personal favorites. Some of them are old and from indie games and may be difficult to find.
My favourite tracks from Ace 7 are: Hush Alicorn Archange Daredevil There's really not much between them though, they're all fantastic and join the likes of Unsung War, Agnus Dei, Zero among others. As a side note: I also absolutely love Morceaux from Ace Combat 3 (basically just a Drakengard track that got lost).
Another Ace Combat soundtrack reaction!! To me, Hush sounds likes you, the Daredevil from the previous mission, is the beacon of light that everyone rallies behind. It sounds like everyone is saying that you're the only hope, and multiple people during the mission do back that up. To me, Hush is not the enemies' theme. It's the player's theme. OUR theme. In this mission, your wingman quotes something, that up until this point, he never really acknowledged. It's the survival mantra for the people on your side. "Stick with Trigger, and you'll make it." Beautiful, just beautiful, Marco. Keep it up!
Theyre both awesome pieces of art, daredevil is the epic badass moment where youre sure youre gonna win with that beat drop, but hush is like a sad, gray song, you can hear the drones' sounds (whirring all that) but then you get the human choir symbolizing hope, then back to the dark gritty part. THEN the choir comes back with more power and so on, i swear AC OST is so good.
I love how Hush sounds simultaneously like you’re winning and you’re loosing. Really gives the sense that the result of the battle hangs on the edge and anything could tip the scales.
this
I think the reason why is cause if you're familiar with the Strangereal timeline you'd know that AC 3 is next after 7 and that game is nothing but dour sadness and brutality.
@@DoujinDude I still say the West got robbed with that trimmed release. Here's hoping against hope that in this era of remakes/remasters that BN releases a fully realised version of AC3.
@@DoujinDude **sad gryphus and falco noises**
To me I think the vocals in the beginning of Hush sounds more tired after defeating the last Arsenal bird. In Daredevil, the vocals gave the feeling of confidence and energy that you could win the war, but when the two drones came in after that event the vocals felt tired but still had to finish the war. Even when playing the game I even felt exhausted after destroying the Arsenal bird and protecting myself from the barrage of missiles, then these two other advanced planes showed up.
I swear to God. The more Ace combat tracks I hear. The more I wonder why this series is so criminally underrated. That was beautiful.
I want to say people probably don't think a game about flying planes can be as fun to play, and somehow more insane than other game plots
I'd say it's for the better. AC tried to make the series more popular with Assault Horizon and it was an absolute catastrophe.
@@DarkButz "AC tried to make the series more popular with Assault Horizon and it was an absolute catastrophe."
And yet despite its quality, someone like AngryJoe is able to give it a hgih score with his trademark "badass seal of approval", even the worst Ace combat entry is still a triple-A level of goodness when you compare it to other action-oriented game in the market at that time lol
Because only one game comes out per 15 years LOL
@@TheDaisukeMiyuki AC7 is literally the first mainline Ace Combat game we had to wait for for so long. And it's not even that long if you also count spin-offs and handhelds.
The electronic noise at the beginning of Hush is supposed to be the two AI controlled super planes you're fighting "talking" to each other as they coordinate their attacks with an almost humanlike level of consciousness. Throughout the mission you can hear it over the in-game radio and it's pretty unnerving.
That Kobayashi incorporated that sound into Hush really highlights that this mission is the tipping point of history: a world dominated by endless AI-controlled warfare, or one where humans rise up and become symbols of hope and inspiration
Your right i always hear it
Does it really now? Huh.... I'll have to go back and play the game again and listen closer. LOL
The thing behind Hush is that if you're perfect with mission timing, the melody will hits the right spots at the right moments fitting perfectly with the mission, it's INSANE
I remember someone commenting that the synth at the beginning slowly transitioning to an orchestra represents the game’s narrative of humans triumphing over machines
Yep. From as early as Mission 2, the synths appear whenever the drones do, representing the soulless threat of automated warfare. So the constant tradeoff between the strings and the synths in Hush (and even Daredevil) represents the battle between the two.
More like humans triumphing over something they created
I also remember someone commenting that the singers who do the sol squadron theme start singing triggers theme because sol is helping during this mission
This shi so magnificent
@@IslandFenixI just checked this, it's real. Synth isn't new to Ace Combat, not at all. But its use for any track for any mission where drones are featured, it's such a nice bit of meaning to the soundtrack of this game and the elements that make it. And I love it.
Daredevil sounds like a song from a pilot, sitting in the cockpit and waiting for the chance to bring down all the enemies.
While Hush sounds like a song from those innocent people that get caught into war. Their fear and the feelings of being frightened on their life at first, and female vocal for searching hope within all those. Then finally they have their hero flying above the clouds, pointing the direction of where they should follow to. What a piece!
This comment right here! Hush feels way more cinematic
You’re actually pretty spot-on. The briefings for one or both of mission containing these tracks mention that the war’s refugees have gathered below the space elevator, which is the location where both missions take place.
One of my favorite parts of Hush is the electric screech at the start. The way it sounds so electronic and discordant against the orchestra fits perfectly with the unnatural, inhuman AI drone fighter we're up against.
Man, Hush brings back a lot of memories. Hugin and Munin forming a helix pattern in their paths as you approach the space elevator, the intense dogfight between them and the Coalition forces, chasing the two in between the elevator’s supports, the many MANY times I played this mission to reliably save Sol 2.
I also like the small touch of Norse mythology that (most) Ace Combat games add. Mostly in the forms of squadron and ship names, but also the Erusean capital itself, as well as the operations to take it, are also references to Fárbauti (sometimes spelled Farbanti), the giant who ferried the souls of the deceased to Hel, and was also the father of Loki
Not to mention the whole world-tree imagery of the space elevator.
the drones are even named as Hugin and Munin
I tried saving Sol 2 so much but to no avail, and I gave up and downloaded the fenrir mod and just shot lswm to defeat them before they can even do anything
I got pretty distracted by the pretty music - AC7 playthrough coming in a couple weeks.
LET'S GOOOOO
Yooooo Fr?
Ain’t no way
Can't wait to see you play good luck pilot
NOO WAYY
Lemme tell ya, I had tears in my eyes playing and hearing this for the first time. Absolute master class in how shaping a leitmotif in different ways evokes just the right emotions in the player for the scenario.
Just that way that it is timed so perfectly to that big ass plane's shields going down. The song is missing ONE THING though...Constant missile lock warnings.
Same, except I wasnt even the one playing, I discovered Ace Combat through a playthrough of 7, and after this song brought tears to my eyes decided I wanted to play it myself.
Hush is my favorite level theme in the game, it's perfect for this sense of "Oh god, the world is on my shoulders, I can't fuck this up." The only thing that's missing here is the glitchy and scrappy garbles of the AI drones you're fighting in the mission. They add a real horror element to the game
Hush also has callbacks to the track "ADFX-10" from an earlier mission if you fancy a listen
Hush represent perfectly the feelings of the people during the legendary dogfight with Huging and Muging, depicting the entitity of the battle and impling what you're fighting for.
Daredevil is focused on reminding all that you've been through, expressing the feelings for flight itself and celebrating a great victory achieved by everyone but mostly you.
Another really important song is Faceless Soldier, a midgame track that acts a clean cut between two phases of the title. The first desperate battle for survival and redemption and the second part, pure unfolding of the squadron feelings, linking everyone's wings together for a moment, before Bandog's death and second Trigger's strike into his growth.
Hugging and mugging truly are the menaces to society
The opening of the song is also... electronic. What's coming is not "human". It's not as heart pumping as other songs, because it's an elegant dance that belies something horrific underneath the surface. It's easy to get caught up in what you see and what you feel, and miss what's really happening.
But there IS a human element.
As the song continues, you engage in that dance. You're part of that human element. You are human. And because you're human, you can recognize both aspects of this scene. It's grandeur and beauty, it's sorrows and dangers. And you realize: it's just you. Only you can do this. Only you.
I will never get tired of seeing Maestro Marco having a geek-gasm over Ace Combat. The best part? I end up reliving my first AC geek-gasm right along with him. *And I love it.*
It's always amazing how accurately you're able to estimate the story beats of a scene by just listening to the music alone. Really has opened my eyes to just how universal music is as a storytelling tool.
That theme from Daredevil isnt so much from Daredevil itself.
Its the main leitmotif of the whole game, you first hear it during the opening cutscene (in a track named Drag Racer, which also slaps) and it carries through the entire game.
Daredevil is that same leitmotif coming out in its full force, its return literally screaming at you that this is the decisive moment of truth, that its now or never, and that you have the chance to put an end to it all.
Hush is that same melody fighting against the oppressive power of the the enemy youre facing afterward, nearly being drowned out but stubbornly hanging on regardless.
Its why Daredevil is so bombastic and heroic, while Hush is more quiet, solemn and determined.
Further driving this point home, the track playing as you take off for the mission where Hush plays, that quite literally leads you into Hush, is called Determination.
Drag racer is by far the most underrated track from the game. I cry every time i listen to it
@@yes1708 Right? Its such a strong opener for the whole game, I love it!
That theme, at its core, is the Ace Combat Melody. It’s in many, if not all, of the games.
And every time I hear it, it has the same impact. In a ballad of angels, demons and aces, freedom is there - so seize it.
Absolutely agreed!
I've been the one hammering this one for months. I love its build upon Daredevil like my love of Zero's build upon The Unsung War.
it doesn't feel like simple leitmotifs; I love how Kobayashi can not just write musical masterpieces, but can write *sequels* to masterpieces.
Also, me this morning:
"Why am I seeing a Discord ping about Hus..."
*dives out of bed*
AC7's main leitmotif can be heard all across the game, even since the first cutscene and first mission.
Words cannot describe how excited I am to see you play this game and see the context of these soundtracks firsthand.
Coming in like two weeks id say
@@MarcoMeatball one week left!
@@SolitarySpade_Davon no! TODAY. on twitch! 4oclock est
@@MarcoMeatball Looks like it's time to get a twitch account
Keiki Kobayashi is the GOAT, unironically shed a tear when I heard this song for the first time.
I love how you can pick out form the track how high the stakes are, especially when you know the context and urgency behind the mission it plays in (I'm not gonna explain this as I know someone else will, and they will do it better, plus I don't want to spoil anything).
Probably the best song I have heard, in a game or just overall.
There's a lot of hidden gems of Ace Combat 7 music that are included in the soundtracks. And i would like Marco to check them all out like Faceless Soldier and Battle for Farbanti, the two describes the heroic and uplifting melody of Trigger's journey.
And "Two Pairs" as well!
Sol Squadron as well, less for Trigger and more for Mihaly's evolution
And Sighthound
@@johnnychopsockyArchange often gets a lot of attention because it's Mihaly's final boss music, but man Sol Squadron is fantastic and is really an underrated track.
another absolute banger that i dont see mentioned too often is Fighter's Honor, it is absolutely majestic
6:00 this is the leitmotiff of the game which you can hear different variants of it throughout the entire games at important moments during the story, be it from the first engagement, or the moment spare squadron becomes a true and cohesive unit, you always hear a variation of this motiff and I personally love to hear it every time.
It's honestly pretty conflicting choosing between hush & Daredevil.
Standalone, it's easy to see Daredevil as the superior
But when it comes to how they are used both in game and in trailers, Hush is far superior.
Daredevil became the unbelievable 'i guess we win now' song.
Hush solidified itself as the Final Boss theme of AC7.
(Not counting 'Eastern Wind' into 'Space elevator' for i understand how many lives that tunnel has taken)
The bwaaa at the beginning of daredevil reminds me of a ships horn, which works really well considering the arsenal birds are flying aircraft carriers. Like as the arsenal bird emerges from the clouds it blows its horn to signal its arrival, like a warship emerging from the fog into battle.
Really like how you went back and compared it to Daredevil, think that adds another layer of analysis that is very interesting.
Hopefully you'd consider doing this with Invasion of Gracemeria and Liberation of Gracemeria.
Marco already listened to the libertarian of gracemeria
@@DellKaGor he also already listened to Daredevil yet here we are.
Agreed. The contrasts and call backs within pairs of songs in the AC series is really fertile ground for examination and appreciation.
I would have loved if they made this a creepier version of Daredevil, like the cutscene before the mission.
Edit: I mean as in how the cutscene was a creepy version of Pensees it should have had a similar vibe.
That one was meant to be a creepy version of Pensees, wasn't it?
That one was Pensées motif.
@@metalgearexcelsus
I mean as in a similar spin on it as the cutscene was for Pensees.
Ace combat music my beloved ❤
The AC7 motif always gets me when it’s used, and each instance throughout the game makes Daredevil and Hush hit that much harder. The repetition here in a higher octave with new layers of instruments each time makes it feel even more heroic, which pairs amazingly with the beautiful performance from the solo vocalist.
Any excuse to listen to Daredevil is a good one, so I’m glad you brought it back out. I love how each song feels so unique but is also so undeniably Ace Combat. Thank you so much for your continued coverage of this incredible series!
There's this one comment I read in the music video that provides context regarding the final boss. I suggest finding it in the comment section there yourself.
Hugin and Munin. A duel with twin AI powered planes rather than the series staple Legendary Ace.
Hush is humanity's ode to it's unpredictability and limitless potential. Flawed humans facing off against perfect machines.
A duel between man and machine at an important turning point in this universe. A true masterpiece.
It's mariofan1ish's comment on Zapotronix's video to be precise.
And for an extra bit of nerdy lore, in Norse lore Hugin and Munin are the two ravens that deliver the message that starts Ragnarok, representing the idea that if the drones transmit the data (including Trigger's) to all the other drones across the world nobody could stop them and they'd destroy everything.
Ace Combat's symbolism, especially in 7 is NUTS.
I've always figured the turning point, that first not aborted climax of the song, was when the first of the two AI planes is downed.
Now the corner is turned. Instead of a single human constantly having to defend against one while hunting the other, now there is only one on one.
Now the AI, if it can, feels fear for the first time. The mathematical certainty of it's victory has been shattered. Being an AI, it can not deny the fact its assessment was wrong. The assessment it would win when it had its twin there working with it. Now it's alone against something it can not hope to understand.
It always made total sense to me that the remaining drone would make a run for the objective, that it fled the field. Because it doesn't have to survive to 'Win', just get the upload off before being destroyed. So it makes the rational choice and flies into the tunnel.
Then the anomaly comes in after it.
For an extra fun bit of additional lore: Hugin and Munin aren’t just regular drones, they’re operated and piloted by the AI “Zone of Endless”, which was a major villain during Ace Combat 2, where shooting down Z.O.E. Planes in multiple different missions is necessary to unlock the true ending of the game. These enemies aren’t new, per se, it’s literally that it’s an old, already dangerous enemy, now with the skill of Mihaly behind it.
Hush is so good, I really like how it builds up and it feels the vocals lift you up
Hush is easily now my favorite piece of all time. Gusty Garden Galaxy from SMG used to hold that spot, but now it’s been knocked down to second place. I love the use of the men’s chorus. I love how the use of the men’s chorus, which can be seen as being Sol Squadron, who has opposed the player for the whole game up until that point, now singing the player’s leitmotif can be viewed as symbolism that Sol Squadron no longer stands against the player, but alongside them.
[SPOILER ALERT]
It hits harder when you can also interpret the male chorus as the Eruseans themselves joining hands now with the Oseans to stop a threat that has become bigger than what they will ever have faced since Ulysses. I would even go as far to say that Hush is Mankind's song against the cold and merciless nature of automated warfare. This is no longer Osea's fight, Erusea's fight, or even Belka's, this is Humanity's fight against the horrible nature of war itself. And in a way this is a correct fulfillment of Pixy's dream of removing borders since everyone's united to stop something that will put an end to their world.
15:40 when this part plays, the arsenal birds shield comes down and as a personal choice i always choose to be at idle thrust so i can kick in afterburners to move in for the kill when the vocals hit. so the idea of engines powering back on is completely correct in all my playthroughs.
Honestly, you couldn't pay me enough to choose between the two, they're both SO GOOD...
That Melody, the soaring vocal that you hear in both pieces, is what I consider to be the Ace Combat Melody.
It’s in many if not all of the games and always brings the emotions forward for me. So much so that any time I’m flying, that is often the theme I hear… the theme of the sky (for me).
Also i really like this form of analyze, instead of just listening to the music then reacting/commentating. The video will be longer sure but i do like analyzing pinpoint details of certain melody
"There's a big thing that's coming your way."
At full throttle, too.
The game within the game for me is locating Kobayashi-san's "main theme" leitmotif in each game. You're usually introduced to it fairly early on, but once you identify it and hear it interplay with other tracks throughout the soundscape, especially on a second playthrough, it simply elevates his work even further. My all-time favorite interplay so far has to be the motif from AC5, a game which talked about the Belkan War as a past event, and Zero, in which you play through the war, because UW and Zero are basically the same track, just played at different tempo and key. I cannot compose, but as a vocalist and a music geek in general, that decision sits high on my list of intelligent theming and composition.
God I love Hush, I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this but I'm pretty sure Daredevil was actually made from Hush as supposed to the other way around since Hush was composed first. By the way you should take a listen to Sound Embrace from Ace Combat Joint Assault, not everyone's favorite Ace Combat game but that song is up there with the other final mission songs in my opinion.
I, too, will never not take the opportunity to listen to Daredevil, especially when someone is there to nerd out to it with me.
Also, with that slow rise in the middle with the vocalist taking center and the orchestra pulling back, it's like a jet climbing into a high loop, gaining altitude and losing, and right at the apex of the loop, right as the plane's about to stall, right as the orchestra kicks back in, it's like the plane turns its nose down and guns the engines.
Edit: I was only partway through the video when I typed this and then thirty seconds later you made the exact same point.
Waited for this one, love this track so much, right from the start, the female voice gave me chills as my plane headed to the objectives, and as the mission progressed, the choirs with the Daredevil motif reminded me that the stakes were the same, if not greater, as the previous mission, Hush is like the hidden boss that was in the shadows of Daredevil
Another way of looking at the oppressive brass and discordant strings as they are the enemy fighting the the chorus of everyone you're fighting with/for.
That is a non-spoiler "it will make more sense later" for when you play AC7.
2:20
Strings- Mage Squadron
Drums- Spare Squadron
Piano- Strider Squadron
Men’s chorus- Sol Squadron, once your enemies, now on your side to cheer you on
All beautifully working together to play Trigger’s theme, which has progressed throughout the story, much like you as a character.
This soundtrack is so good
I would LOVE to watch you play through Ace Combat 7 if you haven't already. It's not just a game... It is an experience, unlike anything I have ever played.
I love your reactions to AC music. It's easily one of my favorite game series of all time.
Im not gonna lie, when you said two days, i just like" bro dont worry,he's gonna nailed it, " and your interpretation are hit hard!!❤
The thing about Hush (Blue Dark) and Daredevil (Lighthouse) mission, like you said, about death and life situation
While Lighthouse mission to end the war, the Dark Blue are about Humanity Stake,
on the final mission, you join up with other squadron from other nation that try to kill you in the past,
it's not about saving a nation, what is border or pride, it's about saving Humanity itself, which is why the stakes in this mission much higher
How did I miss this?! Hush is definitely Daredevil with a different tone. Kudos to that patreon supporter. I overlooked Hush when I played AC7.
Since repeating melodies and leitmotifs are so prevalent in AC games, I’d love to see more of these ‘comparison videos’ in the future. Perhaps Two Pairs, Sol Squadron, & Archange?
For context: Hush is basically the second half of Daredevil thematically, as the events take place minutes apart both in-universe and in-game, the two themes basically play back to back.
There's also about 9 or so other tracks in the OST that use the same theme, it's unofficially known as Trigger's theme, including Daredevil and Hush, there's also;
Drag Racer(opening cinematic)
Charge Assault(mission 1)
Dual Wielder(mission 3)
Faceless Soldier(mission 7)
Siren's Song(Mission 11)
Dragon's Breath(Mission 12)
Battle For Farbanti(Mission 15) < My personal favorite, arguably the most "traditional" theme out of the bunch.
Dark Blue(Mission 20/Ending cinematic)
Conclusion(DLC missions outro)
By the way if you still take requests I *highly* recommend listening to Battle For Farbanti for a companion to these two... like Daredevil and Hush it represents an ending to the war, while Hush and Daredevil represent defeating the AI drones and Arsenal Bird respectively, Battle for Farbanti represents the final battle of the war, and the _symbolic_ victory against Erusea.
Of course, us Ace Combat players know the final battle is never the actual ending, but it still has a slapping theme while you _almost_ win.
Just so you know, I’ve added at least 10 views to each of your Ace Combat videos. I’ll probably add more to all of them again because I enjoy your breakdowns with this awesome music.
I really appreciate that!!
Would love to hear more reviews from the Ace Combat series!
I absolutely love how Hush tells a story without saying a single word. Just two themes trying to overpower one another
The mention of singular vocalists, especially female ones, reminded me of Black Mesa's OST
Specifically the Tracks made for Xen, like "Transcendent" "Internal Conflict" and "Ascension"
If I remember correctly, the composers wife did the vocals (Joel and Kala Nielsen if memory serves me right)
Either way, big reccommend from me for Black Mesa's soundtrack. Especially the Xen related tracks have a very ethereal and alien-like feeling to them
Anchorhead Raid is definitely a heroic banger for sure
when i was playing the last mission my self i cant even focus on the gameplay the music is just so fucking good and emotional goddamn this game is so fucking good
On another video of Hush (just the song) on a different channel, there was a comment that made a really good explanation of Hush. I'll try to remember some of it but the biggest thing about this is that Hush is a song that screams Finality and a battle against the end. It's Human Spirit vs cold unfeeling AI / Machines, which is expressed by the heavy ominous digital aounds/horns against the soothing human singing. It's you vs the most advanced AI fighter jets in the world, which are flown by a more advanced version of an AI called the Zone of Endless (Z.O E), which has its own unique history of itself. I love Daredevil just like you but Hush took the cake because of hoe powerful it is, in the moment. Basically fighting the end of the world through perpetual, everlasting warfare. And it was made even better by a continuation of the prior mission where its no longer Osean or Erusean, it's Humankind together, United. It was amazing to fly with the Eruseans we had been fighting with before
Daredevil is a struggle to avenge lost friends and end a war. Hush is a struggle for existence
Hush is a music equivalent of the question, Who would win:
- An A.I. controlling jets fighting to survive and upload itself to the network.
- Humans united in the middle of ongoing war, after realizing they need to save humanity.
Yes more Ace combat. I will never get over just how good this silly plan music's is.
Long ago, there was a brave old knight whom no one could defeat. One day he was training with a warrior on the street. That warrior had something powerful about him that made him different from any warrior he had ever beaten. The old knight was afraid that his skills would weaken, so he went to see an alchemist. The alchemist offered to sharpen his equipment and received his swordsmanship skills in return. He wanted to create a tin robot that could protect the village against monsters. Every time the old knight visited the alchemist, the tin robot became stronger. People were afraid.
“What if they get stronger and try to harm us later?”
The alchemist didn't say anything, as if to tell him not to worry, and he continued to concentrate on his tin robot. Eventually, one day, the tin robot started burning down the village and harming people. A warrior who had competed with an old knight saw the village burning and hurried into the village. He fought and won against all the tin robots there. He left the alchemist and only one tin robot who ran away somewhere. The warrior became the village hero, and his rumor spread to neighboring villages. After hearing about him, many warriors came to fight him, and finally an old knight who had competed with him before and drew with him came to see him. The old knight and warrior fought fiercely, knowing that it would be their last duel. Under a very bright and dazzling sun.
In the end, the warrior won and the old knight, wounded, went to see the alchemist. The alchemist said.
“If you really want to beat him, you will need not only your swordsmanship but also your heart. Do you really want to beat him?”
The old knight nodded his head in silence, knowing that his life would now come to an end. The alchemist divided his one tin robot into two and created two tin robots using the old knight's swordsmanship skills and even his heart. He wanted to protect the path to heaven, a place where all humanity in the world could live in peace, a place stained with the blood of those killed by tin robots. The bravest old knight in the world eventually became two angels who guard heaven and guarded the road to heaven. To lead all mankind to a blood-stained heaven. The warrior who once competed with the old knight now reveals his true self, discovers everything, becomes a devil, and begins hunting down the two angels.
He had numerous warriors following him.
"Hush"
Man, I remember playing the AC7 after work once. Got to the last level at 2am, I was sleep deprived and tired but I couldn't put the game down on that level. Hush perfectly encapsulates the desperation of needing to win
Thanks for reviewing Ace Combat music again!
I cannot wait to see you play through Ace Combat 7. I hope I have the chance to see it live.
I feel like the two tracks are almost
Social media wins: Daredevil (grand, witnessed by all, everything comes together)
Real life wins: Hush (Messy, tense, there's no win until you win)
Both amazing storytelling that I listen to continually without ever playing the game!
It’s funny, a lot of people ask me why I have so many soundtracks instead of regular group albums in my vinyl collection, but there’s something about just sitting and listening to a track like this in isolation of the gameplay, while also having your expectations and high points attached to the memories you forged playing it.
Idk if I’m just overly sensitive but honestly tracks like these with the highs of the vocals make me want to tear up every time. It’s almost otherworldly music that just stirs so many emotions in me.
Something you might not quite realize about AC music is that it's not just about the situations or the people involved. It's about the airplanes, too. That all of this feeling comes first from a dearly romantic place for airplanes, that they are more than just machines. They are living, divine creatures, and the union between pilot and airplane is just as noble and celebrated as the union between horse and rider. That these are divine steeds carrying the will of everyone involved in these enormous conflicts with the deadliest powers. That above every cataclysmic foe, there is the Ace and his Wings. This music could not be composed without the composer first holding that idea in the center of his mind. Star Trek music has a similar feeling about its ships and star bases. You should take a listen to DS9's theme sometime.
I've always felt in these sorts of things the plane or the ship is the main characters steady steed and faithful companion. The plane or ship is a character in of themselves with limits that need to be overcome. And the music really elevates that I think.
I love the descending ostinato of the strings on the back half of Daredevil. Allows the piece to go bombastic without going over the top. Such smart decision making.
This is probably one of my favorite tracks from a game ever. You kind of feel this push and pull between Trigger and the drones with a sense of uncertainty from Trigger, symbolized by the almost robotic and harsh tones taking the lead, but as he gains some ground you have a gentle melody pushing back against the abrasiveness of before, becoming more and more prevalent and ultimately becoming the focus of the track.
I remember recommending you listen to "Hush" all the way back when you first reacted to Daredevil. I am glad that you finally reacted to it. Those final sections of it are magnificent in my opinion.
There's an excellent comment on the video for Daredevil that says about stages in the song symbolising the battle it goes along with, really leans into the battle going either way as it progresses, and its just such a fantastic track on its own, loved to see you talk about it.
I'd love to hear your musical analysis of Pyre's OST. I admire it overall, just like I admire all of Supergiant Games' OSTs, but in this one I'd love to see your analysis specifically of the Never to Return track. There's 9 versions of it - one for the player's group of characters, and the rest for other teams (most of which have a single named character). Figuring out what each team is like would be kind of like working out what the League's champions are like based on their musical themes, so I'd be excited to watch your reaction to Never to Return.
There's an excellent mix of all nine versions of the song put together by a youtube named Gorfinhofin, but you could also listen to them one-by-one if you'd feel like it, search for the Black Mandolin album if you want the individual tracks.
I love Hush. It’s my second favourite of all the tracks that use AC7’s motif (only beaten by Battle for Farbanti. Daredevil takes third place)
It’s sounds dire, but the buildup of the main theme feels like it’s cheering you on. Almost as if it’s telling you ‘You’re the Three Strikes, you can do this’.
I just saw this game on sale on the PSN! I’m legitimately tempted of buying it! This song is truly a banger!!!
Buy it, disconnect your brain, enjoy it, play the difficulty you want. It's meant to be enjoyed, not to be try-harded.
Buy it!!! I play this game all the way through at least once every couple of months. The music hits hard in the background while you are flying around fighting for your life. Easily a good investment.
I hope you enjoyed it dude! It’s a fantastic game and one of my favourites, to the point where I double dipped and got it on PC as well as PS4 😁.
Hush is legit the duel of fates of Ace Combat imo. It’s played over a fight between Trigger and two drones named Hugin and Munin who are attempting to use the Space Elevator to transmit data to manufacture more of themselves. This song then leads into probably one of the most existentially terryifing osts in any video game I’ve ever played called Space Elevator.
To me, Hush is more muted and Synthy to reflect your current enemy, Autonomous Drones. In Archange, it's a grand battle against a legend, in Daredevil it's an epic set piece, and in Hush it's putting down the last artificial pilots to prevent it from spreading and restarting the war.
I really loved the final mission in Ace Combat 7.
1 squadron made up of the best Ace's from 2 opposite nations vs 2 of the most advanced AI piloted drones ever built.
Man it was such a power trip
Hush is amazing. A music where you have to stop madness of this technology happening that cause people their lives. A fight between human and machine. Both nation fight together to stop the drones like saying who belongs to the blue and they don't belong to the skies. "This is our home! (referring to the skies)" Showing what fighter pilots are made of!
But I'd still pick Daredevil because that is just different level. I still get thrills every time that female choir hits. A moment like " Fear no more! Here I am! Come on! Nothing can stop us now! We will win this!" that feeling. Made me cry much at the first time. Hush did like I gained confident and bravery for one more battle.
Your reactions was same as mine because I keep comparing both of which was great. Nice analyzation though! I loved it! ☺
We were waiting for AC7 for so long....Thx Marco ♡
If you ever want to check out AC7, and I bet you do, I would highly recommend asking someone to get Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War set up for you. Out of the PS2 trilogy (considered the best games in the series, AC4, AC5, and ACZero), AC5 is treated more like a movie, one that you are taking part in, one of hardship, with an AMAZING soundtrack (If you remember listening to "The Unsung War"). A lot of other people might recommend Zero, and if you had the time to check out that one too, I also recommend it, especially for the very unique spanish soundtrack. But please do check out AC5 if you have the time, it has by far my favorite OST of all time.
I hope to see more AC tracks in the future! Love the content, as always.
I recommend Blue Skies(Infinity remix) which is an insane track from a now unavailable game of the franchise, Ace Combat Infinity. That and a bunch of the tracks from another removed game, Assault Horizon, it's considered the worst game and even then it's still an awesome game with very different music(hint: the game was advertised as "metal carnage" and I consider it as "fighter jet DOOM")
Assault Horizon had many flaws but the soundtrack isn't one of it. If anything I consider some of the tracks in ACAH as some of the best in the franchise.
Fighter from Assault Horizon has to be one of my favourite songs in the franchise, only part I didn't like was that mid point, just sounded like a guitar throwing up to me.
@@TheMoonShepard Yeah some of the AH songs are just loud and bombastic like the game and a few are just generic action movie tracks and it works overall for the game, it's just that they can get repetitive. But the few ones that go noticeably harder are very good. White Devil is just nuts, Shall Defend and Keep Alive are also boppin' and I think that's because they retain that Ace Combat vibe with the mix of vocals and orchestra while also having the electronic and metal feel of AH. Fighter is cool but yes that djent part in the later half kinda ruins the vibe of it.
Ace combat always has good music, in every game, its almost like a rule and as always amazing way to analyze the meaning of the songs. Some recommendations of songs from ace combat and that you might like are: Winter Storm(ac5), Sound embrace and war-torn radiance (acx2) these 2 go one after the other, to be honest these songs are a little bit underrated and are some of my favorites too
I know I am a bit late but I'd like to mention something I haven't seen anyone else bring up (spoilers):
The Male choir and the Female choir are used to represent Sol Squadron and the Player Squadrons respectively. In the song Archange you can hear them directly competing, whereas in Hush they are taking turns in the spotlight, playing the same motif. Pretty cool representation of the story there.
This rule is broken in the DLC missions, where both choirs are basically switching sides and unsure of who they represent.
When I tell you that I just started moving my hands like an orchestra director when listening to hush ( and I have listened to the whole soundtrack countless times). I need an ace combat 8 just for the new sound track that Kobayashi will create.
Holy shit! I was the one who suggested it!
I know you said you’d make the video, but now that I’ve finally seen it, damn! It makes me happy to know you were able to appreciate Hush.
To copy-paste the comment I made on the other video:
“Daredevil” is the penultimate track, with “Hush” being the very last orchestral song of the game. I know I’m six months late but I’d seriously recommend listening to Hush, it’s got far more vocals, and is designed to sound like the closing battle; the one to end them all.
If anything, I’d say it’s better. It incorporates the main motif you hear in the first mission into it, but this time, something is wrong and unnatural. It sounds as if the motif is weak and the melody is straining itself to “catch up” to the drums, with multiple horns sounding throughout. The unnatural sound of these horns is oppressive, signifying the move into the technological era of drones, with human pilots struggling to catch up in a similar fashion to that of the theme. However, as the song progresses, we then hear the main motif again, but this time in a powerful, emotional form . Strings, broken chords, a full choir and even the once oppressive drums shifting to join the “side” of the music you associate with your character most, it represents humanity and their unique identity, undying passion and enduring spirit, one that no machine can replicate or something even come close to amounting to. It is beauty in its purest form.
What i love from Hush is that part that its pretty obvious they took from the Armageddon soundtrack, when the shuttles take off, such an amazing composition!
You can also give a chance to Ace Combat Assault Horizon ost (the story is set in the real world), a game hated by many and in a special place for others, at the time it was considered the air COD, but without a doubt an impressive ost, it involves the famous composers of the AC saga and the musical group Yuval Ron Ensemble (that focuses on traditional sacred Middle Eastern repertoire. ), the whole ost is very enjoyable, the variety of new instruments, sounds, etc, not common of the previous soundtracks to this game, Among the highlights: Rebirth (a whole intro of the new sounds and instruments in this game), Spooky, Rush, Beyond the Canal (one of my favorites, a whole history of sounds and instruments), White Devil, Naval Warfare, Keep Alive, Shall defend, Mrs. Krista Yoslav, etc if it were for me I would name almost the whole band xD
big hype to marvel at the rest of the soundtrack when we actually get to see marco fly an aircraft and gun down some bogies
Coming back to this because I realised something.
Lots of people by now know the story of Daredevil's creation, namely that the game was behind schedule but the director still felt like that mission was lacking an emotional punch so he called up Kobayashi and said to make one gut punch of a track. If that's the case then that potentially means that Daredevil was composed/arranged AFTER Hush.
To me this makes both pieces even better not only because of the emotional impact Hush has, but because Kobayashi had to keep that in mind while doing Daredevil to both evoke that feeling of chaos and maintain a different feeling of tension for the final mission.
Daredevil is the craziness of doing what people thought was impossible. Hush is all of humanity uniting in prayer behind YOU because losing means extinction.
While you can get a lot of the emotion from the songs just by listening, honestly knowing the story, seeing the gameplay, or experiencing it yourself, really helps strengthen the emotions.
im playing it right now on twitch!
Its so good its like we battle for our live for more precise we battle for our lllove on we protect someone dear to us and the music plays like if not us who will fought then who else we must stand our ground ❤❤❤❤ love it marco hope you chanel will grow more and more
Hush is the beginning of the sentence. Daredevil is the period at the end of it.
If you listen AC's ost ingame with fighting in the sky, it gets even better. Trust me.
Ahhh these song when there was a final fight against the 2 advance drones Hugin and Munin. Those things so manoeuvrable that can shoot lasers beams
Every time I listen to Hush, I see in my mind's eye: A few Osean fighters. A few Erusean fighters. Led by the pilot known as "Three Strikes.".. As the first few seconds of the song play..... there! Right there on the horizon! Two black spots becoming more distinct by the second! Growing bigger rapidly as they approach. And then, as the music truly begins with all its intensity, a cacophony of sounds! Two aircraft moving faster than anything ever seen before, making the allied coalition look as though they are standing still! The air screams with their unique engine noises and lasers! The anxiety is taken to new levels by one simple fact. You are so close, so close to ending the war! There are only two enemies! Yet, these two enemies are cutting the last of your forces down with brutal efficiency! If they are not shot down, if they are not destroyed within the next few minutes, the war will restart and it will never end!
Every time you hear the big trumpet sound in daredevil and in Hush is the sound or leivmotif of the IA , the enemy , is the sound of the IA atacking and striking planes , is the sound of danger and it sound in every song of the game who have at least 1 drone
Hey! More Ace combat. Im really excited for your stream for this game, and Im sure it’ll be fun. Good luck on the second part on mission 8 though 😉
Usually I listen to Magic Spear I & II while doing intense work.
This soundtrack always give me excitement to the point it gave me shivers down my spine
I humbly recommend *ahem* :
-"Scourge of God" from Total War: Atilla,
-"Promethean" from Civilization: Beyond Earth,
-"Ceddin Dedden" (War) from Civilization V (there is a Peace version but it does not have the same 'kick'),
-"The Keeper" from Homeworld,
-"Bandit Slaughter" from Borderlands 2,
-"The Black Sea" from Hearts of Iron 4,
-"Bouncing in the Desert" from Surviving Mars: Revelation Radio,
-"Abandoned Area" from Surviving Mars: Revelation Radio,
-"Rush" from Ace Combat Assault Horizon,
-"Tanc a Lelek" from Highfleet (admittingly some of the nomenclature in Highfleet may have aged poorly, but it's still good music)
Just a select few of my personal favorites. Some of them are old and from indie games and may be difficult to find.
My favourite tracks from Ace 7 are:
Hush
Alicorn
Archange
Daredevil
There's really not much between them though, they're all fantastic and join the likes of Unsung War, Agnus Dei, Zero among others. As a side note: I also absolutely love Morceaux from Ace Combat 3 (basically just a Drakengard track that got lost).
Another Ace Combat soundtrack reaction!!
To me, Hush sounds likes you, the Daredevil from the previous mission, is the beacon of light that everyone rallies behind. It sounds like everyone is saying that you're the only hope, and multiple people during the mission do back that up.
To me, Hush is not the enemies' theme. It's the player's theme. OUR theme.
In this mission, your wingman quotes something, that up until this point, he never really acknowledged. It's the survival mantra for the people on your side.
"Stick with Trigger, and you'll make it."
Beautiful, just beautiful, Marco. Keep it up!
Theyre both awesome pieces of art, daredevil is the epic badass moment where youre sure youre gonna win with that beat drop, but hush is like a sad, gray song, you can hear the drones' sounds (whirring all that) but then you get the human choir symbolizing hope, then back to the dark gritty part. THEN the choir comes back with more power and so on, i swear AC OST is so good.