Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Will Have About 30 Playable Aircraft; More Info Shared

Giuseppe Nelva June 30, 2017 7:30 PM EST

Ace Combat Series Director Kazutoki Kono shares some information about Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

Today Bandai Namco briefly released a video about its upcoming flight combat game Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.

The video featured Franchise Director Kazutoki Kono as he responded to a series of questions about the game. It was almost immediately removed, but we still had time to listen to the answers, and you can read a summary below. You’ll also find the embed at the bottom of the post. While it’s unavailable now, it’ll probably pop back up soon.

Interestingly, Kono-san disclosed that the game will include about 30 playable aircraft, with all the assets developed from scratch, given that the game had to be created for a new generation of consoles.

We also hear that since the series has been around for about twenty years, Kono-san feels like there is always the need to challenge the status quo. It’s been ten years since the release of the last numbered game, and the team felt that it was time to revisit the legacy of the franchise.

Thanks to the return of Ace Combat 4 and 5 writer Sunao Katabuchi, the team wants the player to feel a sense of growth through the narrative art of the game.

Kono-san also mentions that while the story is self-contained, so everyone can enjoy it, those who played the previous games of the series will find Easter eggs that will help them enjoy the game “on a whole different level.”

Interestingly, Kono-san explains that the balance between realism and sci-fi is always a subject of discussion within the development team. They always try to keep in mind how realistic a weapon or craft like the Arsenal Bird could be, trying to make sure that it doesn’t deviate too far from reality.

If you want to see more about the game, you can enjoy some lovely campaign gameplay, a recent batch of screenshots, and the latest story trailer.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will release in 2018 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.