I'm Glad ACX was put so high. I genuinely think some of the things it added, like the dynamic campaign, were really interesting. I reckon if it had gotten the same love to it's story like Zero, it would have been really interesting. I'm annoyed now though the the Special Aircraft (Aside form the XFA-27) were never added to AC7, because it would have been sick seeing the Apalis in full glory
There actually is a mod for AC7 that adds the XFA-24A, XR-45, etc (End of Deception mod). There is another one that for right now replaces the SU-30SM with the Fenrir
as a newgen fan: ac infinity looks like it's just in that Armored Core 4 hot spot of horrifying megalophobia-inducing bosses and pilot-to-pilot duels. sad that it's been taken offline
Born in the early 90s, & grew up with this series. Ace Combat was my introduction to not only my love of the games, but also my love for airplanes/aviation & military equipment(s). Still have my original copies of: Air Combat, AC4, AC5, ACZ, ACAH, & AC7. Sold off AC6 & ACX sadly. The "Holy Trinity" in my own opionion, I'd put AC4 higher than AC5 or ACZ because of 2 major things: Storytelling & it's groundbreaking gameplay. I loved the way each type of aircraft, had a unique heavy or light weight feeling to them. None of AC4s missions were ever boring to me. They all had such a wonderful atmosphere to them, even if the "score attack missions" did draw out for at least 15 to 20 mins long. AC5 is a mixed bag in my own opinion. Granted being one of the longer games in the series, what falls short for me is of course not being able to choose a special weapon for your aircraft. The story is good, but not great compared to AC4. Some missions were too drawn out, or just not very imaginative. Example: Ancient Walls. That mission to rescue President Vincent Harling, I just wanted it to end. Granted the song in that mission was a real banger! Also the scale of battles in AC5 compared to AC4, isn't as large like "Tango Line" or "Whiskey Corridor". Such examples: "Powder Keg" or "Desert Blitz", were kinda remeniscent of said missions, just not enough deal with & blow up at times. Heck what was missing BIG TIME in AC5, was an "RTB line" to repair & rearm your plane! ACZ is definitely a step up from AC5. The soundtrack in this game especially: PURE GOLD ✨️✨️✨️ "Zero" is & always will be THE GOAT of Ace Combats theme songs!! Glad that choosing your aircrafts special weapons, makes a return in this game. But getting to choose your wingmans aircraft, has been removed to sticking to their story cannon plane. Loved the edition of the "Assault Records", getting to know each & every enemy Aces backstory & epilogue. Some of them even reading with: Details reguarding with this pilots information is unknown. "Eric Klinsmann" for example, flying "Yellow 013s" color scheme, looked very suspecious but of course had to be a funny easter egg & non-canon. If I were to place each & every Ace Combat game on my tier list that I've played: S rank being AC4 & ACZ. A rank being AC5, AC7, & ACX. B rank being AC6. C rank being Air Combat. D rank being ACAH. The other games "AC2, AC3, Joint Assault, Infinity, Assault Horizon Legacy, & Advance" I've not played myself. Never got the chance to either purchase them, or they just weren't on my gaming radar list at the time. But I did managed to try out a demo of AC2, back when PS1 demo discs were a thing in the 90s. Overall Ace Combat really holds a special place in my heart, just like "Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Spyro PS1 Trilogy, & Killzone" series combined. I'm really hoping that AC8 whenever it is revealed, to be a fantastic package awaiting to be discovered!
I agree with you 100% on everything Especially with the need of an "Infinity" Style Ace Combat to come back someday, I loved grinding those events and get MVP emblems alot, Hopefully they revisit that idea someday.
I feel like Ace Combat: Assault Horizon should be bumped up at least a tier or two for the variety and new things it tried, and it's multiplayer. Of course DFM and all associated mechanics are a major stain, but the bomber and helicopter missions were fun new additions, and the multiplayer had some fantastic game modes where you could actually take out helicopters and bombers to complete objectives, requiring your fast jet teammates to cover you while you began a carrier assault or worked to clear a control zone.
If we only can see a Remastered ACX in a home console in a next title. Seriously, it's one of the most badass Ace Combat games out there, and it really lived up to it's name on it's Ace difficulty, boy, I was so exhausted when I finished ace diff and unlocked Fenrir along with it still grinding on me alot. I still play it today on emulator in my phone with skin and graphics mod.
Havent even watched, let me guess, Ace Zero S tier, ACAH Negative F tier Give or take some fodder games like Xi. Saved everyone some ACS levels of Reddit tier listing
ACX in S tier, my dawg 🤝 Personally I'd rank AC6 higher than 5, due to it's higher replay value and (unfortunately now defunct) DLC system personally being more interesting than AC5's story to me, but I'm also very biased for the 360 era of games, so grain of salt and all that but overall, pretty respectable tier list.
awesome video Folf! I was gifted ace combat 4 when I got my first ps2 at 7yo, still one of my favorite games of all time and appreciate it even more going back to it from an adult lens, been slowly getting though the other games starting with electrosphere to get the full strangereal experience
In my personal opinion, as it was the game I did start out with; Ace Combat: Infinity was probably my favorite game to play after getting home from middle and high school, so it would be high A tier. I'd finish up homework and boot up the game to play the absolutely revolutionary Multiplayer. Seriously, I loved that competitive co-op system so much as it was so new at the time. As for Ace Combat 3 (Japanese), I'd say its an S tier game. Considering the factors it had to deal with after it sold poorly, the fan translation being amazing and the game being the first real story driven game that we are STILL building up to (Ace Combat X is the last game in the modern timeline, remember) has me hyped for what happens with Ace Combat 8.
honestly very good list imo glad you give ace combat 7 the respect it need it actually my favorite game in term of gameplay compared to the rest of the series if they have like zero and 6 missions design and better a story I would like to give it a s rank
I'd place AC5 on S tier, because of the variety of aircrafts you get to fly, as well as the story. switching sides, espionage, super weapons, and the mission variety, you get fleet battles, escort, recon, close air support, betrayal, escape, switching sides, search and rescue, counter terror, etc. It was just an all amazing package. A few features from other games could have made it into this game such as the return line system and the multiple special weapons per plane. But given the amount of aircrafts available it is understandable, since for a lot of the aircraft despite having multiple special weapons in other games, you're usually using the one that's iconic with the aircraft anyways, such as the XLAA with the F-14, XMAA with the F-22, etc, since there are other planes with other weapons that does the job better.
I'd argue that AC2 deserves minimal S tier because of the incredible soundtrack. Joint Assault also has way too high costs for aircraft and parts - the fact that you lose money for damage + weapons (a system that makes sense as a mercenary), it makes it so much harder. I've played the game for a year at this point, and I've only managed to unlock the F-22, F-4 (beginner plane) and the X-02. I needed to sell other planes to buy others, and that system ticks me off. Assault Horizon Legacy was a good afternoon complete but got boring. I do like how you can paint a couple paint schemes on each plane. The time-based S ranks suck sometimes due to Z.O.E. fights. I've had to use the FALKEN's TLS to get the S rank a couple times.
You’re shitting on capitalism, on the Internet, on UA-cam, about Ace Combat, a video game, about cutting edge aircraft, all of which only made possible by capitalism. Miss me with that shit.
AC5 does have multiple special weapons per plane, you just have to get X number of kills to unlock them. It's indicated by the little bar underneath the aircraft name in the list. Kinda weird, I know.
2, 4, and 5 are actual 10 out of 10s for me. Favorite video game franchise, and I've always gone between these games as my favorite but I have to rank them all together. If imma be real, the missions in 5 aren't as fun to play as 2 or 4 but the game as a whole is 👌👌👌
Great video! I'd honestly would yeet AC Adv. on Solitary, along Assault Horizon, since i despise both games beyond belief (and ACAH was my first introduction to the franchise) I'd bump JA (i think it's the most underrated and underapreciated game in the series) and X to a high A tier, next to AC7, with AC6 on S tier, since it's my personal favourite. I can't really say much on AC5, ACI and ACAHL because my PC can't really cope too well with PCSX2, and AC5 really hated running, while 04 and Zero ran ok-ish. For Legacy, i forgot it existed. I never owned a PS3, so i never played ACI
I'm not gonna lie, I will always have a soft spot for assault horizon because it's was my introduction to the Ace Combat series THANK GOD THEY ABANDONED THE DF MOD AFTER AH.
I feel that the special weapon limitation in 5 was interesting because it made me think more about the aircraft that I bought and in turn, I used a much larger variety of craft in playing and completing that game than many of the other Ace Combats after 3. I also felt that 5 was a slightly better game than Zero (from a gameplay standpoint) because the whole neutral target ace style system in Zero ended up feeling pretty pointless after completing all three styles. It felt like all I was doing was just counting the targets from mission to mission. The different enemy teams are cool, but you don't really gain much from the different character vignettes being presented in the way they are than if they were just all present in the game as one story, just "properly" ordered. To me, it seemed as something they came up with to pad out gameplay duration. I don't know if I'm making excuses for myself, but after playing each of the trilogy in order, it felt like Zero was almost a letdown after I'd heard from many folks online that Zero was the best of the trilogy. Maybe my expectations were too high, but 5 still stands for me as the best of those three games. Love the videos though!
Also, yeah, I sunk a lot of money into Infinity (ranked 6th in one tournament, no regrets lmao) and I have a bittersweet relationship with that game. I feel like, if the fuel system wasn't a factor, Infinity's multiplayer was almost on par with the AC7 single player in terms of gameplay and overall enjoyment. It was a huge let-down going from co-op and naval destruction in Infinity to 7's toxic pvp sludge, though Infinity did teach me the importance of using the MiG-21's small hitbox in pvp which carried into 7, so that wasnt too bad haha
8:16 I'd also put near the border aka the. Credits music. On ace combat fans channel, near the border got 1 mil. Views before zero. I know that means nothing. But near the border id say it's arguably better than zero or a close competitor.
The only thing I would really change is moving AC5 from A to S, even if it’s at the bottom of S. In my opinion, AC5 has the best story, and that’s why I would put it there. I always felt like each game in the “Holy Trinity” has one thing that stands out, and one thing that holds it back. Between the three, I couldn’t pick one that’s my favorite. I feel like AC5 tells an amazing story and has really nice gameplay, giving you not one, but three wingmen, and you can choose their planes. The only thing I don’t like about it is not being able to choose SP weapons.
I can understand the praise for Zero above 04, but I love 04's flight physics so much more than 5's and Zero's, and as 04 was my intro to the franchise, it's a close #1 for me, followed by Zero and 5. Having played both 5 and X, I'd put X just sliiiightly behind 5, but I could see all being S-tier
Ace Combat Advance deserves the S tier RGAAAAAHHHHHH PEAK GAMING I LOVE THE MIS-30A WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (JK It sucks but it's such such a guilty pleasure for me) honestly I can accept AHL's placement, I am biased as hell due to father-dying reasons, so to me it will always be my favorite
In my opinion, Ace Combat 3 deserves the top spot or S at the very least because it was incredibly advanced for its time and even today with the only limitation being graphics. The flight physics made you feel like you were truly in control of a plane with actual mass, not just a bird with gravity plating like in Ace Combat 7. The campaign was fun, replayable, and the unique aircraft provided great variety. And the story, it's a masterpiece. If I can easily write essays about it, then you know it’s really good. I don’t disagree with you though and understand your view.
I'd probably go: S: AC04, AC5, AC2 A: AC7, ACZ, AC6 B: AC:AHL+, AC3 C: AC Haven't played the others, but I've gotten my hands on the PSP games, and AC:AH, gonna try those out at some point.
The first game I ever played was Ace 3 when I was a kid. I'm pretty much in agreement with you, though I'd have 5 in B tier because while the gameplay and music are good/great, the story and characters really let it down for me. I didn't play 5 until I was an adult, so it doesn't benefit from nostalgia in the same way 4 and Zero do. My S tier is Zero, 7, 4, and X. A tier is 6 and 3(JP). Multiplayer isn't a factor in my rankings.
Here’s my list of all I’ve played 1. Ace Combat Zero It’s just clearly the best in the series 2. Ace Combat 7 Clean gameplay, decent story, good replayability 3. Project Wingman (I’m counting PW) Good game, amazing soundtrack 4. Ace Combat 5 Good story, somewhat lackluster gameplay, but still a good one, and the first one from the holy trinity I played 5. Ace Combat 6 Mid story, alright gameplay 6. Ace Combat 04 The gameplay just feels worse than all of the others, even some of the games that came before it. There’s only really a few missions I ever feel like replaying 7. Air Combat Just outdated.
My favorite is AC2 and that's all because of my extreme biased opinion, except for one thing, that is the briefing map that hasn't been surpassed in any AC in the series, there's no AC game where it has this detailed map screen. Of course AC5 has its production value with the story based cutscenes using the map for briefing and AC7 goes even further to illustrate the operation goes even in times of crisis, which was really cool, but there's no way after that you can peruse the map yourself with rich details of every target to assess the mission details yourself like in AC2. If I could put down the rosey glasses aside I would say that objectively the best AC game in the series is AC3. AC3 did a lot for the series, it's the biggest game, it's the only game that has this much rich detail to the flying, the only one that has momentum and weight to everything, and speed that has never been reached again. (AC3 is the only game that has this detail that it shows you the target you choose, its trajectory with a simple triangle near the target you choose, so you could meditate an angle before the jet reaches you to shoot it down, which adds more depth to dog fighting). many AC games has this escalations in how global the threats are you're dealing with, AC3 has this under the surface struggle that looms over everything, this dystopian omnipotent existential threat that you feel in every ending that never been revisited again in the series. AC3 did so much for the series as if the devs get all their most deep fears and desires out, so other games that came after could thrive on making much more human stories.
I feel like I’m in the minority but the story of AC5 was life changing for me, and without that game I wouldn’t be nearly as big of an Ace Combat fan as I am today, so I’d put it above 4 and possibly above Zero despite the special weapon issue
right there wit you dawg. If it wasn't for how fantastic the story was I don't think I would have been nearly as big a fan. Used to quote the dialog as a kid in elementary school🤦♂️🤦♂️
7:36 - If you want a better version of Ace Combat gameplay on GBA, you should try Airforce Delta Storm for GBA. While it lacks luster in the plot, it is probably one of the best attempts to make an arcade combat flight game in the console. Ace Combat for GBA looks really bad gameplay wise.
Air Combat is like Gran Turismo 1 to me, but Air Combat leans into the vibe way more. Both are very nostalgic to those who were around to play it and are the foundation of what would go on to be legendary game franchises buuuut they do not age well and you have to reset your brain and expectations if you want to enjoy them now. Edit: I'd have to move AC5 up to S, but only because I don't hate being locked to certain aircraft in specfic missions. Flying the F-5E early on is a bit of a drag but it does give the story more emphasis even on future playthroughs. A story I frankly haven't tired of even to this day. But, that's some nostalgia points. AC7's multiplayer isn't docking so many points for me as much as the first seven missions do. For a first time player I feel bad for anyone who experienced those first 7 missions without help. Saying "Yinshi Valley" is going to give many newer aces PTSD. I don't remember a more unfriendly first 7 missions in any game. Not even all 7 of them but specifically the 7th mission. There's enough layers of BS to make it a bit of a pain point even as someone who is on NG++++++ and can handle its elements.
The PS2 AC games actually support widescreen right in the options menu. I wouldn't be surprised if what we're looking at is PCSX2 with hardware rendering and deinterlacing enabled. Make sure to use PCSX2 nightly, not the old 1.6 stable, that one has trouble with AC04.
Man if you love all ace combat and all you should give DCS a try one day, while it is a lot more on the realistic side the thrill of the dogfights in that is a blast.
I only ever played like 3 or 4 missions of AC3 PAL version... I thought the music sucked and it put me to sleep. It was apparent even then there was just no story. Ever since, I saw it as just a mission pack. Shoot targets, win, move on.
Infinity is S for me.The game has the best multi player of any ace combat (pvp and pve) and oh man the gamemode with 4v4 fleet against fleet was amazing.I’ll also add that this is the only ace combat where you can play bomber as long as you want and finally the only game where you still spend Time on it because of updates.While the other ace combat is literally finish the campaign,start again in ace difficulty mode,try pvp (1h of gameplay) then finish the game in 1 week and delete it and procede to wait 8 years for the next game.
Correction at 19:23: Meant to say "Infinity was a multiplayer focused title", not 7
i could smell ace combat zero getting put in s tier before even clicking on this video lmao
Where else could it go?
@@rosanero5250Z(ero) Tier
I'm Glad ACX was put so high. I genuinely think some of the things it added, like the dynamic campaign, were really interesting. I reckon if it had gotten the same love to it's story like Zero, it would have been really interesting. I'm annoyed now though the the Special Aircraft (Aside form the XFA-27) were never added to AC7, because it would have been sick seeing the Apalis in full glory
There actually is a mod for AC7 that adds the XFA-24A, XR-45, etc (End of Deception mod). There is another one that for right now replaces the SU-30SM with the Fenrir
@Ofnir_1 Thank you. I installed them, messed around with them, and loved them
The only thing I really enjoyed about Assault Horizon is the use of USAF markings that reflected bases I was stationed at or lived near.
as a newgen fan: ac infinity looks like it's just in that Armored Core 4 hot spot of horrifying megalophobia-inducing bosses and pilot-to-pilot duels. sad that it's been taken offline
Born in the early 90s, & grew up with this series. Ace Combat was my introduction to not only my love of the games, but also my love for airplanes/aviation & military equipment(s).
Still have my original copies of: Air Combat, AC4, AC5, ACZ, ACAH, & AC7. Sold off AC6 & ACX sadly.
The "Holy Trinity" in my own opionion, I'd put AC4 higher than AC5 or ACZ because of 2 major things: Storytelling & it's groundbreaking gameplay. I loved the way each type of aircraft, had a unique heavy or light weight feeling to them. None of AC4s missions were ever boring to me. They all had such a wonderful atmosphere to them, even if the "score attack missions" did draw out for at least 15 to 20 mins long.
AC5 is a mixed bag in my own opinion. Granted being one of the longer games in the series, what falls short for me is of course not being able to choose a special weapon for your aircraft. The story is good, but not great compared to AC4. Some missions were too drawn out, or just not very imaginative. Example: Ancient Walls. That mission to rescue President Vincent Harling, I just wanted it to end. Granted the song in that mission was a real banger! Also the scale of battles in AC5 compared to AC4, isn't as large like "Tango Line" or "Whiskey Corridor". Such examples: "Powder Keg" or "Desert Blitz", were kinda remeniscent of said missions, just not enough deal with & blow up at times. Heck what was missing BIG TIME in AC5, was an "RTB line" to repair & rearm your plane!
ACZ is definitely a step up from AC5. The soundtrack in this game especially: PURE GOLD ✨️✨️✨️ "Zero" is & always will be THE GOAT of Ace Combats theme songs!! Glad that choosing your aircrafts special weapons, makes a return in this game. But getting to choose your wingmans aircraft, has been removed to sticking to their story cannon plane. Loved the edition of the "Assault Records", getting to know each & every enemy Aces backstory & epilogue. Some of them even reading with: Details reguarding with this pilots information is unknown. "Eric Klinsmann" for example, flying "Yellow 013s" color scheme, looked very suspecious but of course had to be a funny easter egg & non-canon.
If I were to place each & every Ace Combat game on my tier list that I've played: S rank being AC4 & ACZ. A rank being AC5, AC7, & ACX. B rank being AC6. C rank being Air Combat. D rank being ACAH.
The other games "AC2, AC3, Joint Assault, Infinity, Assault Horizon Legacy, & Advance" I've not played myself. Never got the chance to either purchase them, or they just weren't on my gaming radar list at the time. But I did managed to try out a demo of AC2, back when PS1 demo discs were a thing in the 90s.
Overall Ace Combat really holds a special place in my heart, just like "Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Spyro PS1 Trilogy, & Killzone" series combined. I'm really hoping that AC8 whenever it is revealed, to be a fantastic package awaiting to be discovered!
I agree with you 100% on everything Especially with the need of an "Infinity" Style Ace Combat to come back someday, I loved grinding those events and get MVP emblems alot, Hopefully they revisit that idea someday.
So hyped for ace combat 8 being announced this year
I feel like Ace Combat: Assault Horizon should be bumped up at least a tier or two for the variety and new things it tried, and it's multiplayer. Of course DFM and all associated mechanics are a major stain, but the bomber and helicopter missions were fun new additions, and the multiplayer had some fantastic game modes where you could actually take out helicopters and bombers to complete objectives, requiring your fast jet teammates to cover you while you began a carrier assault or worked to clear a control zone.
If we only can see a Remastered ACX in a home console in a next title. Seriously, it's one of the most badass Ace Combat games out there, and it really lived up to it's name on it's Ace difficulty, boy, I was so exhausted when I finished ace diff and unlocked Fenrir along with it still grinding on me alot. I still play it today on emulator in my phone with skin and graphics mod.
I clicked on this half expecting to rage in the comments that ace combat 4 wasn't s tier. I am pleasantly surprised lol
It's called the holy trinity for a reason. All 3 of those games are the best, but no one can agree which is the most best lol.
Havent even watched, let me guess, Ace Zero S tier, ACAH Negative F tier Give or take some fodder games like Xi. Saved everyone some ACS levels of Reddit tier listing
Every time I see ace combat infinity a tear runs down my face I miss this game so much
ACX in S tier, my dawg 🤝
Personally I'd rank AC6 higher than 5, due to it's higher replay value and (unfortunately now defunct) DLC system personally being more interesting than AC5's story to me, but I'm also very biased for the 360 era of games, so grain of salt and all that
but overall, pretty respectable tier list.
Ace Combat 04 is the GOAT!!
awesome video Folf! I was gifted ace combat 4 when I got my first ps2 at 7yo, still one of my favorite games of all time and appreciate it even more going back to it from an adult lens, been slowly getting though the other games starting with electrosphere to get the full strangereal experience
In my personal opinion, as it was the game I did start out with; Ace Combat: Infinity was probably my favorite game to play after getting home from middle and high school, so it would be high A tier. I'd finish up homework and boot up the game to play the absolutely revolutionary Multiplayer. Seriously, I loved that competitive co-op system so much as it was so new at the time. As for Ace Combat 3 (Japanese), I'd say its an S tier game. Considering the factors it had to deal with after it sold poorly, the fan translation being amazing and the game being the first real story driven game that we are STILL building up to (Ace Combat X is the last game in the modern timeline, remember) has me hyped for what happens with Ace Combat 8.
honestly very good list imo glad you give ace combat 7 the respect it need it actually my favorite game in term of gameplay compared to the rest of the series if they have like zero and 6 missions design and better a story I would like to give it a s rank
I'd place AC5 on S tier, because of the variety of aircrafts you get to fly, as well as the story. switching sides, espionage, super weapons, and the mission variety, you get fleet battles, escort, recon, close air support, betrayal, escape, switching sides, search and rescue, counter terror, etc. It was just an all amazing package.
A few features from other games could have made it into this game such as the return line system and the multiple special weapons per plane. But given the amount of aircrafts available it is understandable, since for a lot of the aircraft despite having multiple special weapons in other games, you're usually using the one that's iconic with the aircraft anyways, such as the XLAA with the F-14, XMAA with the F-22, etc, since there are other planes with other weapons that does the job better.
X was my first Ace Combat game and is still one of my favorites alongside Ace Combat 3/ The Holy Trinity. So happy to see it get S tier
In all seriousness, removing the Handheld entries as I had never touched them, I agree 100% on how this rankijg tree shaped up.
I'd argue that AC2 deserves minimal S tier because of the incredible soundtrack.
Joint Assault also has way too high costs for aircraft and parts - the fact that you lose money for damage + weapons (a system that makes sense as a mercenary), it makes it so much harder. I've played the game for a year at this point, and I've only managed to unlock the F-22, F-4 (beginner plane) and the X-02. I needed to sell other planes to buy others, and that system ticks me off.
Assault Horizon Legacy was a good afternoon complete but got boring. I do like how you can paint a couple paint schemes on each plane. The time-based S ranks suck sometimes due to Z.O.E. fights. I've had to use the FALKEN's TLS to get the S rank a couple times.
You’re shitting on capitalism, on the Internet, on UA-cam, about Ace Combat, a video game, about cutting edge aircraft, all of which only made possible by capitalism.
Miss me with that shit.
AC5 does have multiple special weapons per plane, you just have to get X number of kills to unlock them. It's indicated by the little bar underneath the aircraft name in the list. Kinda weird, I know.
2, 4, and 5 are actual 10 out of 10s for me. Favorite video game franchise, and I've always gone between these games as my favorite but I have to rank them all together.
If imma be real, the missions in 5 aren't as fun to play as 2 or 4 but the game as a whole is 👌👌👌
Great video! I'd honestly would yeet AC Adv. on Solitary, along Assault Horizon, since i despise both games beyond belief (and ACAH was my first introduction to the franchise)
I'd bump JA (i think it's the most underrated and underapreciated game in the series) and X to a high A tier, next to AC7, with AC6 on S tier, since it's my personal favourite.
I can't really say much on AC5, ACI and ACAHL because my PC can't really cope too well with PCSX2, and AC5 really hated running, while 04 and Zero ran ok-ish. For Legacy, i forgot it existed. I never owned a PS3, so i never played ACI
I'm not gonna lie, I will always have a soft spot for assault horizon because it's was my introduction to the Ace Combat series
THANK GOD THEY ABANDONED THE DF MOD AFTER AH.
I feel that the special weapon limitation in 5 was interesting because it made me think more about the aircraft that I bought and in turn, I used a much larger variety of craft in playing and completing that game than many of the other Ace Combats after 3.
I also felt that 5 was a slightly better game than Zero (from a gameplay standpoint) because the whole neutral target ace style system in Zero ended up feeling pretty pointless after completing all three styles. It felt like all I was doing was just counting the targets from mission to mission. The different enemy teams are cool, but you don't really gain much from the different character vignettes being presented in the way they are than if they were just all present in the game as one story, just "properly" ordered. To me, it seemed as something they came up with to pad out gameplay duration.
I don't know if I'm making excuses for myself, but after playing each of the trilogy in order, it felt like Zero was almost a letdown after I'd heard from many folks online that Zero was the best of the trilogy. Maybe my expectations were too high, but 5 still stands for me as the best of those three games. Love the videos though!
Also, yeah, I sunk a lot of money into Infinity (ranked 6th in one tournament, no regrets lmao) and I have a bittersweet relationship with that game. I feel like, if the fuel system wasn't a factor, Infinity's multiplayer was almost on par with the AC7 single player in terms of gameplay and overall enjoyment. It was a huge let-down going from co-op and naval destruction in Infinity to 7's toxic pvp sludge, though Infinity did teach me the importance of using the MiG-21's small hitbox in pvp which carried into 7, so that wasnt too bad haha
8:16 I'd also put near the border aka the. Credits music. On ace combat fans channel, near the border got 1 mil. Views before zero. I know that means nothing. But near the border id say it's arguably better than zero or a close competitor.
The only thing I would really change is moving AC5 from A to S, even if it’s at the bottom of S. In my opinion, AC5 has the best story, and that’s why I would put it there.
I always felt like each game in the “Holy Trinity” has one thing that stands out, and one thing that holds it back. Between the three, I couldn’t pick one that’s my favorite. I feel like AC5 tells an amazing story and has really nice gameplay, giving you not one, but three wingmen, and you can choose their planes. The only thing I don’t like about it is not being able to choose SP weapons.
I can understand the praise for Zero above 04, but I love 04's flight physics so much more than 5's and Zero's, and as 04 was my intro to the franchise, it's a close #1 for me, followed by Zero and 5. Having played both 5 and X, I'd put X just sliiiightly behind 5, but I could see all being S-tier
Ace Combat Advance deserves the S tier RGAAAAAHHHHHH PEAK GAMING I LOVE THE MIS-30A WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (JK It sucks but it's such such a guilty pleasure for me)
honestly I can accept AHL's placement, I am biased as hell due to father-dying reasons, so to me it will always be my favorite
Pixy
i could hear that echoing through the video in my mind.
you just earned yourself a sub
I would definitely put all of the ps2 trilogy in s tier since they were some of the first games I've ever played in my life. Great list, though!
In my opinion, Ace Combat 3 deserves the top spot or S at the very least because it was incredibly advanced for its time and even today with the only limitation being graphics. The flight physics made you feel like you were truly in control of a plane with actual mass, not just a bird with gravity plating like in Ace Combat 7. The campaign was fun, replayable, and the unique aircraft provided great variety. And the story, it's a masterpiece. If I can easily write essays about it, then you know it’s really good. I don’t disagree with you though and understand your view.
>AC2 not in S
literally unwatchable
unfathomabley based take
S-tier: AC2, AC7.
The rest is history.
AC2 PEAK PREACH BROTHER
We all knew what was S-tier before this video started lol
Interesting video nonetheless!
I'd probably go:
S: AC04, AC5, AC2
A: AC7, ACZ, AC6
B: AC:AHL+, AC3
C: AC
Haven't played the others, but I've gotten my hands on the PSP games, and AC:AH, gonna try those out at some point.
The first game I ever played was Ace 3 when I was a kid. I'm pretty much in agreement with you, though I'd have 5 in B tier because while the gameplay and music are good/great, the story and characters really let it down for me. I didn't play 5 until I was an adult, so it doesn't benefit from nostalgia in the same way 4 and Zero do.
My S tier is Zero, 7, 4, and X.
A tier is 6 and 3(JP).
Multiplayer isn't a factor in my rankings.
Here’s my list of all I’ve played
1. Ace Combat Zero
It’s just clearly the best in the series
2. Ace Combat 7
Clean gameplay, decent story, good replayability
3. Project Wingman (I’m counting PW)
Good game, amazing soundtrack
4. Ace Combat 5
Good story, somewhat lackluster gameplay, but still a good one, and the first one from the holy trinity I played
5. Ace Combat 6
Mid story, alright gameplay
6. Ace Combat 04
The gameplay just feels worse than all of the others, even some of the games that came before it. There’s only really a few missions I ever feel like replaying
7. Air Combat
Just outdated.
I agree with almost everything you said. I think AC5 is in fact an S tier game, 2nd only to AC Zero.
My favorite is AC2 and that's all because of my extreme biased opinion, except for one thing, that is the briefing map that hasn't been surpassed in any AC in the series, there's no AC game where it has this detailed map screen. Of course AC5 has its production value with the story based cutscenes using the map for briefing and AC7 goes even further to illustrate the operation goes even in times of crisis, which was really cool, but there's no way after that you can peruse the map yourself with rich details of every target to assess the mission details yourself like in AC2.
If I could put down the rosey glasses aside I would say that objectively the best AC game in the series is AC3.
AC3 did a lot for the series, it's the biggest game, it's the only game that has this much rich detail to the flying, the only one that has momentum and weight to everything, and speed that has never been reached again. (AC3 is the only game that has this detail that it shows you the target you choose, its trajectory with a simple triangle near the target you choose, so you could meditate an angle before the jet reaches you to shoot it down, which adds more depth to dog fighting).
many AC games has this escalations in how global the threats are you're dealing with, AC3 has this under the surface struggle that looms over everything, this dystopian omnipotent existential threat that you feel in every ending that never been revisited again in the series.
AC3 did so much for the series as if the devs get all their most deep fears and desires out, so other games that came after could thrive on making much more human stories.
I feel like I’m in the minority but the story of AC5 was life changing for me, and without that game I wouldn’t be nearly as big of an Ace Combat fan as I am today, so I’d put it above 4 and possibly above Zero despite the special weapon issue
right there wit you dawg. If it wasn't for how fantastic the story was I don't think I would have been nearly as big a fan. Used to quote the dialog as a kid in elementary school🤦♂️🤦♂️
Loved the video, the only thing I would do is give the Ace Combat 3ds into the A tier.
7:36 - If you want a better version of Ace Combat gameplay on GBA, you should try Airforce Delta Storm for GBA. While it lacks luster in the plot, it is probably one of the best attempts to make an arcade combat flight game in the console. Ace Combat for GBA looks really bad gameplay wise.
Zero at the top of the list where it belongs 👌
You forgot One game.
And that is Battlefield 3 - F18 Hornet Jet Mission.
at age 6, AC 4 was my first video game ever - didn’t know it would be all downhill from there 😂.
how come you put this video out right when i want a new one... drone piloting my neighborhood is getting old and i can't shoot back... yet
Air Combat is like Gran Turismo 1 to me, but Air Combat leans into the vibe way more. Both are very nostalgic to those who were around to play it and are the foundation of what would go on to be legendary game franchises buuuut they do not age well and you have to reset your brain and expectations if you want to enjoy them now.
Edit: I'd have to move AC5 up to S, but only because I don't hate being locked to certain aircraft in specfic missions. Flying the F-5E early on is a bit of a drag but it does give the story more emphasis even on future playthroughs. A story I frankly haven't tired of even to this day. But, that's some nostalgia points. AC7's multiplayer isn't docking so many points for me as much as the first seven missions do. For a first time player I feel bad for anyone who experienced those first 7 missions without help. Saying "Yinshi Valley" is going to give many newer aces PTSD. I don't remember a more unfriendly first 7 missions in any game. Not even all 7 of them but specifically the 7th mission. There's enough layers of BS to make it a bit of a pain point even as someone who is on NG++++++ and can handle its elements.
hey! i noticed you have some graphic setup for playing the ps2 games, which settings did you use to make the games look that pretty?
HOW ARE YOU RUNING AC4, 5 and ZERO so smothly and on wide screen support?! What emulator and mods were you using?
The PS2 AC games actually support widescreen right in the options menu. I wouldn't be surprised if what we're looking at is PCSX2 with hardware rendering and deinterlacing enabled. Make sure to use PCSX2 nightly, not the old 1.6 stable, that one has trouble with AC04.
Man if you love all ace combat and all you should give DCS a try one day, while it is a lot more on the realistic side the thrill of the dogfights in that is a blast.
AC7 > AC 5 and 6 bruh...
AC7 is barebones in almost everything
Should be at best 2nd to AC:I
I could smell rule 34 littery rule 34ing everything ans what did ace combat do to rule 34 bro😭 rule 34 shouldn't have exist
Dude final option is one of the best missions take it back
Not really. Its not a challenge to follow Pops, and flying is easy enough in it that it doesn't make sense the enemies lose you.
so 7 is an S basically honestly they should of forgot about multiplayer and focused on the vr stuff.
Ace combat 7 is bullshit honestly... it took everything bad about the ps2 Era games and refined all the worse parts of it...
I only ever played like 3 or 4 missions of AC3 PAL version... I thought the music sucked and it put me to sleep. It was apparent even then there was just no story. Ever since, I saw it as just a mission pack. Shoot targets, win, move on.
Infinity is S for me.The game has the best multi player of any ace combat (pvp and pve) and oh man the gamemode with 4v4 fleet against fleet was amazing.I’ll also add that this is the only ace combat where you can play bomber as long as you want and finally the only game where you still spend Time on it because of updates.While the other ace combat is literally finish the campaign,start again in ace difficulty mode,try pvp (1h of gameplay) then finish the game in 1 week and delete it and procede to wait 8 years for the next game.