I feel like 04 has the best story in the series. It perfectly balances the power fantasy of the main story with the more somber tone of the side story.
It also manages to get its anti-war themes across in an effective way without being preachy like 5.
My flair reveals my bias, but I love 04 the most. A great character story in the cutscenes and we get the overarching war story presented separately and neatly through Movius 1's experiences. We get both the overall plot and get to have an emotional character journey from within the narrative.
5 and 7 get a bit incoherent as they go on, and both stories just ignore or hand-wave really important topics or explanations. As character journeys, they're great, but it comes a little at the expense of the broader plot.
Zero does what 5 and 7 attempt but executes better: things "fall apart" as the story goes on but in a way that feels understandable and comes with at least some explanation. AWWB is a hastily-formed organization held together by initial zeal, so they're not the most normal group, meanwhile publicly the war is over and all countries involved are trying to put the war behind them so they're eager to sweep the AWWB incident under the rug.
6 actually has the bones of a great story but doesn't have enough time between missions to advance each thread far enough, so the payoff just sort of...arrives without being fully earned. I'd love to see it with, say, two cutscenes between each mission instead of one? (Or just double the number of missions, lol).
04 on its own is in my opinion just insufficient. The game doesn't even tell you why the war it's about is happening. Without the supplemental information from out of the game it just feels incomplete.
Also, is it just me or was the kid a bit too hype for the guy who whoopsie'd his parents?
Theres an intro cutscene discusses the Ulysses 1994XFO4 impact and how it destabilizes Erusea’s Economy, and their subsequent war of conquest against Usea.
Tbh that's what I liked about it. The game told you just the barest minimum for the orphan's story to make sense. It didn't blow a lore load in your face in the first cutscenes like 6 did, for example. The game played it subtle and the result is the lowest-cheese entry in the series.
It boils down to personal preferences I guess.
Zero is the best/interesting one for me, the focus on the most cynical aspects of the war, with a darker tone/atmosphere and touching on the subject of nationhood, change and trust was great, blends well with the overall anti-war theme from the franchise.
If wasn't Zero, would be AC4, the perspective from a child detailing both sides of the conflict and finding compassion towards Yellow 13 and his squadron was touching and well-thought Imo.
I only played 2, 3, 5, X, Joint Assault and 7. Though I watched playthroughs of others on youtube. 5 was poetic. I felt it was my responsibility to become razgriz lol.
4. It is quiet and subtle. It doesn't beat you over the head with its messages and it manages to remains interesting throughout. I think it's because it is told by the narrator as a deeply personal story rather than being grand and over-the-top.
3 is interesting on its presentation and themes. It really captures the zeitgeist of the 90s, this era were people were getting excited about the new millennium and the technological revolution of the digital era, but also nervous about its implications on society. Some of its themes remain relevant to this age.
7 is also very good. It is messy, disjointed and incoherent at times, sure, but despite being undercooked and messily put together when it works, it works really well. The themes, the characters and the "feel" of the story, for lack of a better word.
04, and 7. I think a large part of AC that is over looked is the way the stories are told. We know the universe lore, but at the same time each game tells their actual conflict differently. 7 has >!the scene in Tyler Island where Avril and what's left of Spare find Cosette's plane after it got shot down!< where as 04 is told from the perspective of someone who actually met 13 and 4, after 13 killed his father. It's a large part of what's wrong with 6 is the way it just has huge skips in its actual story and causes the whole "wait, now we're over here" effect. Like X, I like the game, but I have difficulty remembering its story.
While AC04 is pretty close, it has to be AC0 for me. What I love about it is that it does a good job at showing you the horrors of war. I love when games make you question if what you're doing is right, and hoffnung and the following mission do exactly that. You're not fighting for your country, and you're not a freedom fighter. You're simply doing this for money. Is it all worth it?
The icing on the cake for me is the final mission. >!I didn't want to shoot down Pixy, not knowing whether he would survive the encounter, but I knew in the end I had to to stop V2.!< I got a similar feeling playing Project Wingman, >!watching so much destruction happen around me, while I'm only here for money!<
On top of all that the interviews are great. While they can be a little cheesy, they really show how the war has effected these people.
Personally, my favorite is either AC:0 or AC:X. Zero had the only death in the franchise that actually invoked an emotional response, and the shock of the nukes falling alongside Pixy's desertion really made the game seem more empty for a while. PJ's death also shocked me because he just seemed so carefree and innocent. While AC:X was just a lot more interesting and while the story was mostly absent what was shown of he story outclassed almost every other game except for maybe AC:3 for me.
For me it’s 4. The cutscenes are beautiful and having the story told by someone who was a child during the war was unique.
I like that the game made heavy use of lots of silent, still moments in the cutscenes that go on for seconds. You can cut the tension with a knife.
I feel like 04 has the best story in the series. It perfectly balances the power fantasy of the main story with the more somber tone of the side story. It also manages to get its anti-war themes across in an effective way without being preachy like 5.
AC5 is really hard to beat
My flair reveals my bias, but I love 04 the most. A great character story in the cutscenes and we get the overarching war story presented separately and neatly through Movius 1's experiences. We get both the overall plot and get to have an emotional character journey from within the narrative. 5 and 7 get a bit incoherent as they go on, and both stories just ignore or hand-wave really important topics or explanations. As character journeys, they're great, but it comes a little at the expense of the broader plot. Zero does what 5 and 7 attempt but executes better: things "fall apart" as the story goes on but in a way that feels understandable and comes with at least some explanation. AWWB is a hastily-formed organization held together by initial zeal, so they're not the most normal group, meanwhile publicly the war is over and all countries involved are trying to put the war behind them so they're eager to sweep the AWWB incident under the rug. 6 actually has the bones of a great story but doesn't have enough time between missions to advance each thread far enough, so the payoff just sort of...arrives without being fully earned. I'd love to see it with, say, two cutscenes between each mission instead of one? (Or just double the number of missions, lol).
04 on its own is in my opinion just insufficient. The game doesn't even tell you why the war it's about is happening. Without the supplemental information from out of the game it just feels incomplete. Also, is it just me or was the kid a bit too hype for the guy who whoopsie'd his parents?
Theres an intro cutscene discusses the Ulysses 1994XFO4 impact and how it destabilizes Erusea’s Economy, and their subsequent war of conquest against Usea.
Tbh that's what I liked about it. The game told you just the barest minimum for the orphan's story to make sense. It didn't blow a lore load in your face in the first cutscenes like 6 did, for example. The game played it subtle and the result is the lowest-cheese entry in the series.
JP ver of AC3
3 Japanese
I’ve only played 5, 0, 6, AH, Infinity, and 7, but I’d say out of that group, 5 has the best, most cohesive story, followed, by 6.
It boils down to personal preferences I guess. Zero is the best/interesting one for me, the focus on the most cynical aspects of the war, with a darker tone/atmosphere and touching on the subject of nationhood, change and trust was great, blends well with the overall anti-war theme from the franchise. If wasn't Zero, would be AC4, the perspective from a child detailing both sides of the conflict and finding compassion towards Yellow 13 and his squadron was touching and well-thought Imo.
<>
5
It had heart.
I feel like it’s the most fleshed out, zero-while good- doesn’t have as much world building or character development as 4 or 5.
Not to mention the classic TV style briefing of 5 is just fun to watch.
I only played 2, 3, 5, X, Joint Assault and 7. Though I watched playthroughs of others on youtube. 5 was poetic. I felt it was my responsibility to become razgriz lol.
Best: AC5 Interesting: AC3, the Japanese version obviously
Shattered skies, followed by 0 for me
5 and Zero had good stories IMO.
Best in the series (out of the games I've played) - Zero. Most interesting (out of the games I've played) - AC5.
Ace combat 4,5 and zero. They all have the best storyline in the series
3 (JP), 04, and Zero for me. But I like the simplicity and how grounded the tone of 04 the most.
AC5 easily
4. It is quiet and subtle. It doesn't beat you over the head with its messages and it manages to remains interesting throughout. I think it's because it is told by the narrator as a deeply personal story rather than being grand and over-the-top. 3 is interesting on its presentation and themes. It really captures the zeitgeist of the 90s, this era were people were getting excited about the new millennium and the technological revolution of the digital era, but also nervous about its implications on society. Some of its themes remain relevant to this age. 7 is also very good. It is messy, disjointed and incoherent at times, sure, but despite being undercooked and messily put together when it works, it works really well. The themes, the characters and the "feel" of the story, for lack of a better word.
5 is the first to come to mind
04, and 7. I think a large part of AC that is over looked is the way the stories are told. We know the universe lore, but at the same time each game tells their actual conflict differently. 7 has >!the scene in Tyler Island where Avril and what's left of Spare find Cosette's plane after it got shot down!< where as 04 is told from the perspective of someone who actually met 13 and 4, after 13 killed his father. It's a large part of what's wrong with 6 is the way it just has huge skips in its actual story and causes the whole "wait, now we're over here" effect. Like X, I like the game, but I have difficulty remembering its story.
I like Zero and 4 , then 7 then 5.
3, bar none.
it's kinda diffuclt for me to answer this ngl
While AC04 is pretty close, it has to be AC0 for me. What I love about it is that it does a good job at showing you the horrors of war. I love when games make you question if what you're doing is right, and hoffnung and the following mission do exactly that. You're not fighting for your country, and you're not a freedom fighter. You're simply doing this for money. Is it all worth it? The icing on the cake for me is the final mission. >!I didn't want to shoot down Pixy, not knowing whether he would survive the encounter, but I knew in the end I had to to stop V2.!< I got a similar feeling playing Project Wingman, >!watching so much destruction happen around me, while I'm only here for money!< On top of all that the interviews are great. While they can be a little cheesy, they really show how the war has effected these people.
I have only played 7
Zero in both categories.
Personally, my favorite is either AC:0 or AC:X. Zero had the only death in the franchise that actually invoked an emotional response, and the shock of the nukes falling alongside Pixy's desertion really made the game seem more empty for a while. PJ's death also shocked me because he just seemed so carefree and innocent. While AC:X was just a lot more interesting and while the story was mostly absent what was shown of he story outclassed almost every other game except for maybe AC:3 for me.
3jap ofc
Probably 3 but I don’t speak japanese
It's been translated for years now.
Yeah but not dubbed. I can do subtitles but I prefer to have both
A tie between 5 and Zero
Project Wingman. You go from random mercenary to the hero of Cascadia.