Ace Combat Zero Analysis (Part 2): Trust and Borders | Gitai 

Rest In Peace Second Lieutenant Patrick James Beckett 1973/1974-1995 he kept to his morals despite the hell he fought in

Good stuff. 32:29 Like someone said, in the end, Wizard 1, out of all the aces, is the one who achieves his goal. He did achieve his A World with No Boundaries, even if it is inside his cell. Such a good comment, proves how much depth and style these cut scenes have.

Thank you for taking the time to make this. These games are niche and have a lot of unqiue heart to them and I’m glad someone is finally analyzing them with the love they deserve. I do have a different interpretation of the final battle you may be interested in hearing. I saw it more as a suicide attempt by Pixy. After finding out he was Belkan it kind of changed how I saw his actions. Especially with the cut dialogue from Hoffnung, during that mission Pixy becomes the very monster that killed his parents and orphaned him. He’s bombing a civilian city, killing parents, making more war orphans like himself. The guilt of that shows imo in how he fights Cipher. He speaks like he’s not going to survive the V2. Leaving the future to others. And if he fails, well Cipher will gun him down. I saw him not ejecting as him trying to die. He even says it. He should have died that day. And I think he meant it in both senses. Also how you talked about Espada 2’s one-sided feelings for her flight lead. It reminds me of Pixy and Cipher. Pixy clearly thinks highly of Cipher and wants their companionship as shown in mission one. But you know Cipher is mute, seemingly uncaring and focused soley flying. It’s a lot like how Espada 1 is. I find that to be an interesting parallel to say the least. Anyways thank you for making me think about this game again from a new angle. I wish I could express how much this means to me.

A bit of me really wanted PJ to survive.

What a fantastic and loving review, clearly done by someone who holds this series and its message in very high regard. It really bothers me how Ace Combat either A) Has a reputation of generic anime drama trash, or B) just a mindless jet plane shooty kaboom game. It makes me genuinely happy seeing someone putting so much effort and care into presenting this game and its themes authentically and respectfully. While it can seem at a glance that Ace Combat is just a time-killer, simple minded shooter game, it's clear even after cursory inspection that there is much, much more than meets the eye with this series. Ace Combat games always have me enjoying the hell out of myself and pouring hours and hours into it like an addict in the beginning, but every single time, without fail, I'm always quiet and reflective as the end credits roll. It astounds me how effectively and deeply these games get across their messages. I remember when I was younger, I still loved this game but I never quite understood it, I always just played the missions and skipped all the cutscenes, but when I was a teenager turning into a young adult, a serious look and an honest consideration of this game's themes and messages turned into a very important lesson that I needed to learn about the importance of the responsibility I have as an adult and as a member of society to make the effort to understand the people around me, and to seek peaceful solutions to conflicts and disagreements, rather than, as you said, digging in my heels like Pixy did and stubbornly fighting for what I thought was right. This game helped teach me how crucial it is, as well, to understand my own actions and volitions as well as those of other people. For a long time the ending sequence made me feel a strange emotion that I couldn't quite categorize, but after watching your review I've come to understand now that it's something like a bittersweet closure. Pixy and Cipher grew apart, became enemies, clashed and then went their separate ways, but in doing so, Pixy grew so much more as a person than he ever could have had he continued his Mercenary lifestyle. Every single ace that Cipher shoots down had to have felt some resentment regarding being bested, but time and hindsight has allowed pretty much all of them to accept the events that took place and lay down the grudge, which allowed them to take an objective look at their own intents and actions, and truly understand them. Cipher was a fearsome pilot and a terrifying adversary, but what a truly Ace Combat-style twist of fate that such a dangerous individual should be the catalyst for so many people to grow and better themselves. Anyway, that's what I've come to believe, and I think that's enough. Thanks for reading my text wall, and I really hope to see your thoughts on other AC games in the future.

Seeing this video (plus your 04 and Part 1) makes really appreciate Ace Combat's story even more. The nuances it has, the themes that the creators put in are something else compared to any AAA game writer. I hope with the next Ace Combat game that the team will bring the same or higher quality writing.

The observation about Ace Combat games lacking an in-depth tutorial beyond letting you loose in a few low-difficulty starting missions is interesting. Part of the player demographic of the series is certainly aviation nerds who would want to enact famous techniques in gameplay to outmaneuver the enemy. The developers themselves absolutely are those types of people themselves; Ace Combat 7's various pre-release materials like trailers and shorter Twitter clips made explicit mention of and showed off the real-world-inspired things you could pull off with ease in Ace Combat's arcade-y flight physics. And yet, the game itself doesn't really attempt to teach you to do any of it. But over the course of playing an AC game, even a total beginner should still discover one or more effective tactics for dealing with the various ground and air targets in the game, even if it's simply just flying loops, and thus maybe develop a style of flying all their own. And what more could you ask from an action game but a fair challenge with enough gameplay depth to express yourself?

Your analysis on the duel between Cipher and Pixy, the story and it's inspirations, the music and it's composition is fucking peak Ace Combat Zero analysis. I don't think it can get better than this. I've always wanted a remake/director's cut of Ace Combat Zero with better translations of the text and external story material added into it. I've always felt it needed it the most. Your videos make me want it more. I keep watching them. Criminal that I'm unable to give them a like a second time. Godspeed Gizou!

To me one of the most fascinating aspects of Zero is that Pixys interview takes place a few months after the end of the Continental War in Ace Combat 4. This indicates that while Erusea was defeated, the violence continued in Usea, possibly due to previous grudges between different ISAF states or through an attempt to take more land from the defeated Erusians. Possibly it could be that because of the power vacuum left behind Erusea’s defeat the ISAF states began to squabble over the resources amongst themselves. I believe this is one of the most interesting aspects because it shows that even after all of the exploits of Mobius 1 and the supposedly righteous cause ISAF had, they were reduced to potential infighting over previous disputed borders. The fact that no other games in the franchise comment on this bugs me to no end.

This is an amazing review and I'm glad I found it. Something I noticed while watching is that its not just the wings of Cipher's F15 that are colored, but the vertical and horizontal stabilizers on the back are too. This means if Pixy's colored wing is the one wing Pixy lost; then Cipher has, literally or metaphysically, lost every wing and was grounded himself. This changes the context of Pixy getting shot down by Cipher not because Cipher is a better pilot and Ciphers beliefs and motivations were "correct", but because Cipher maybe also got lost pursuing an ideology, got grounded himself, and saw the error of his ways. If you think the unpainted wing is the one Pixy lost, then is repositions Cipher as the pilot who never lost and always proved his ideals were stronger than other's ideal, meaning Pixy and A World Without Boundaries never really stood a chance against Cipher, showing that their logic and methods were flawed from the start

As expected another great analysis. I have less to add here than I did with your video on 04, but I will say that I disagree with your characterization in Part 1 of the second Soldier ace (Schnee 1) as seeking revenge against Cipher. My interpretation of him is a less aloof, more amoral version of Yellow 13: that is, somebody who lives entirely for flying (There's even supplementary lore about him repeatedly turning down promotion so he could stay in a cockpit.) Note that he never says he wants to shoot Cipher down, just that he wishes he could fight him again. In this sense, his view of the player character is of an exciting opponent to duel rather than the target of personal animosity that the word "revenge" implies. That aside, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Ace Combat 3. It's my favorite entry in the series, especially with its commentary on player agency within video games.

Oh this takes me back. You should continue on with the series with AC6/7 or even Project Wingman. But I don't think there is another AC game with as much moral and philosophical aspects than Zero.

I really wish you do an analysis on the rest of the Ace Combat series, there’s basically zero long form content on this franchise and I find it really sad that a game with a lot to say about war doesn’t have many people talking about it

I have a couple of theories about the encounters of certain squadrons, particularly the Gelb, Espada, and the three AWWNB squadrons. We know that the round table fights are meant to represent the three paths/playstyles that Cipher takes in the Belkan War. But as for Gelb and Espada, I believe that those two are meant to represent the dynamic between you and your wingman, pixy/pj For Gelb, they are meant to represent the dynamic between Cipher and Pixy. Both Gelb members field the same aircraft, the Su-37, in a similar way to how Galm fields the F-15C, and their flying styles and backstory behind the fight indicate that they were supposed to be the most dominant duo in the Belkan war, if not for both Galm team and lack of rest. Most importantly, all of that implies that Gelb 1 and 2 see each other as equal comrades that work together to become unstoppable, very much like Galm team, narratively speaking. As for Espada, we see a very different dynamic; one in which involves a lobsided relationship in which one partner clearly admires the other more or something like that. This definitely describes Espada 1 and 2 well, but in a way, this describes Cipher and PJ. Although not in the same way, its clear that PJ looked up to Galm, and ig wanted to follow in their footsteps to some extent. I believe that PJ sees Cipher as some to look up to, someone to follow to the end, and thus trust that he will bring peace. Although for different reasons, both wingman clearly looked up to their wingman. Further shown how this time, both duos had mismatch aircraft (J-35J and Rafale, F-15C and F-16C), and if you are right, both were probably still "lost" given the context. This is kind of the IB fan in me speaking, but considering how symbolic they try to be in many aspects of the game, this does feel a little intentional. They can't just leave those two fights up in the air for reason after all.

The last few minutes of this video made me tear up a little. I love this game and this video to death, you did an incredible job with this analysis.

thank you for making these. i love these deep dives into the story of these games and it's hard to find them. you really nailed it, good job! it's a crime that this doesn't have more views. I really enjoyed both of these

Fantastic video. I've been looking for a video essay like this and I appreciate the hard work you put into it. I really do think Zero is the best of the series.

From what I can remember, Ive seen the final quote before It may be a quote from a Native American saying of Infinite/Infinity but since its been a long time since I've seen it, I dont know where to start looking

The way you can mix gameplay and story analysis is remarkable.

i can feel the seething rage you have towards pj. I wholly agree with you.

U gonna cover AC5 at some point?

Wonderful video. Do you think uou will produce a video on Ace Combat 5?

good content

I used to hate PJ but as soon as you try to understand him he becomes someone with my ideals and beliefs it’s a shame he didn’t survive the belkan war but as Larry would say “There’s no mercy in war. People live and people die. That’s all there is to it”

> Picking F-15 like an idiot EXCUSE ME?!?! I flown the F/A-18C On Gault on ACE DIFFICULTY. Picking low-mid tier planes shows skill compared to F-22 Easy Modo. In all seriousness though, nice review.

I got an extra perspective (admittedly from another great video that also analyze this game) on the morality system, the Ace styles. There's not much to say about Soldier as you've already presented it perfectly, however the game has extra thematic hints towards the other 2. Despite on a surface level Knight is most commonly seen as the "good" morality, the game heavily criticize it not just for nationalism but also on "honor and pride". These Belkan aces you've been fighting against mostly held the Belkan Knights code of honor highly, and what that does is just prolonging the war. As Pixy said *

Again, what an excellent analysis of this game. Just binge watched part 1 and 2 and I'm gonna watch the analysis of 4. Considering how thoughtful your analysis is, I'm looking forward to your Zone of the Enders videos once I beat Z.O.E 1 and 2 first. One neat little thing (that I'm probably reading into too much) are how the super weapons of Excalibur and XB-0 reflect the Belkan's and World With No Boundries attitudes. Excalibur is firmly rooted into the ground and reaches outwards, stretching to the edge of that country's borders. Laser technology was pioneered by the Belkans and acts as a monument to their strenght and technological prowess, which will influence future games. On the other hand, XB-0 isn't restrained by borders or geography since it can fly. Fitting for a faction wanting to abolish all borders. I agree with your point that XB-0 barely had any setup. All we got was a massive hanger which was present in the first mission with PJ as you wingman once Pixy defects. I think it's only mentioned once or twice in briefings and debriefings. Also, while I despised the back-to-back missions which didn't let you go back to the hanger in 5, it works to add more difficulty to the final stretch with missions 16, 17, and 18. You can kit your plane with XLAA for multiple aircraft for the Ace boss, Air-to-Ground bombs to make the assault on Avalon Dam and the tunnel run easier, or powerful single missile like QUAMs for the Pixy joust. One special weapon you pick will have the trade off of being less well suited for another mission, adding to the challenge within the established framework of the game.

Wow... I kinda figured there was some deep meanings the first time played zero but i had no idea that it is even deeper

Here inb4 this video blows up

I had just finally played and beat the game about a week ago and by god it's worth the play time. The music is by far my favorite of the series and the story is also amazing. The interviews for me are what make it more grounded to understand the themes of the game. I honestly hope they make a remaster of it so that more people play this gem of a game. Your analysis of it is still the best of it I have see on youtube and your AC4 video too. Thanks again for making a great video of this great game.

The way you said, "It has to be this way." really fits Standing Here I Realize from MGR:R. There was actually a video where the song was actually playing during the final battle and the comments were saying how the lyrics fit so well with the context. I think it also make sense that the song would fit since Ace Combat since is the Metal Gear of fighter jet games.

Excellent inclusion and excellent analytical take on what is hands-down my favourite video game of all time. Would love to see you have a run through AC7. After AC6 being not great and not terrible, and then the sorry state of affairs that was AC Assault Horizon, I truly think AC7 represents a stunning return to form and I really hope it signals the start of the series’ revival. Would love to hear your take on it, though. Top work and top vid, well done!

I asume then both of metal gear revengence and ace combat zero have same theme, "the key is not to force believe in others but is to accept the diference betwen what you believe on". Also one of that game soundtrack really emphasis on the theme of " it was to be this way" as the tittle and lyric of that song was

A beautiful video I can’t believe I’m seeing this for the first time. I’m subscribing!

I don't know if you still read the comments here but I think I found an explanation for the fictional loading quotes at the end. It also ties a lot into the lyrics and motifs of Zero (the song), and some elements from AC5 that it borrows. Basically, both Pixy and Cipher are Razgriz, that's why they are opposite sides of the same coin. They can never face each other, and must fight. The story of ACZ for both of them also fit the story of Razgriz (as the time of Cipher returning to fight A World With No Boundaries mirrors the Blue Dove story from AC5... And Cipher has blue wings on his livery). Pixy also returns after "dying" at the Stage of the Apocalypse alongside Cipher, as the war died down. When Pixy returns, you are right at the cusp of peace. PJ, someone who would only wish for peace and trust is destroyed by Pixy who too says he only pursues it... Why? Because he tried to destroy V2 alongside Cipher. In short: Pixy kills PJ because he hypocritically thinks him and Cipher fight against peace for no good reason, but in turn he forces Cipher to take revenge on Pixy. The reason the loading screen beforehand talks about a circle as such is because it's a cycle of violence. And technically, that's what the whole game is about. Pixy faces himself in Cipher, both now their own "Heroes of Razgriz" after engaging in the politically created Belkan War as "Demons of Razgriz" (hence Demon Lord, 666th squadron), and to realize that the pursuit of violence and extremism is wrong. When the Morgan is destroyed by his own hubris in facing Cipher, he is forced to reflect 15 years later. And he symbolically embraces a pursuit of peace by joining the ISAF or its successor organizations. Yet so, he admits that world peace may never happen, no matter how hard you pursue it... But still, he wants to try. In the song, Zero, this is reflected as the motif for Unsung War (played slightly differently) kick in triumphantly when facing the somber motif of Zero that's been heard throughout the game. Both sing of Razgriz returning as a hero in different tones. One is the extremist world view of Pixy, while one is the hopeful one he'd adopt after facing you. Maybe that's just my conjecture but I feel that makes sense. Also Pixy is Solo-Wing because he represents Tyr. Cipher taking his wings at the end is not just Arthurian or Razgriz, but also Germanic/Norse insofar that Cipher is Garmr.

Amazing video. I really love your perspective on this game.