This Game Justified the Xbox 360's Existence 

I am absolutely overjoyed at how many people have watched this video and left comments!! PLEASE STOP TELLING ME the holy trinity of AC PS2 games had the missile follow camera. I never said they didn’t. I said, “I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere before,” which is true. Because I haven’t played those games. THANK YOU

No one ever mentions AC6s shoot mecanic. It's so so good and I was really hoping AC7 would have it. There's something infinitely more satisfying of seeing your missle intercept a target instead of chasing it.

Ace Combat 6 justified a lot. In-stage landings, “high-g” consistently giving incredible mobility, and that awful radio quality, all should’ve been returning features. On the soundtrack, Kobayashi puts out absolute bangers in every game he works on

One does not talk about an Ace combat game without highlighting its music. Every installment of the game across multiple generation has that very memorable main theme that would literally guide you on a tour to euphoria. AC0 has the zero, AC5 has the unsung war, AC6 has the Liberation of gracemeria, and the newest AC skies unknown has that leitmotif theme that evolves as you progress through the game, from charge assault to hush. basically its not an AC game without its outstanding music... and of course tunnel run....

I really appreciate how well you express one of the most important parts of Ace Combat, the dedication Project Aces puts into each game, without just directly saying it. Sure, AC6 isn't as pretty as AC7, but you take a minute to say "Okay it's not perfect" and then you basically forget it because it's so fun and it's always just good enough to keep you in the zone. Sure, the story isn't going to be studied in a high school English class, but you still want to retake Gracemeria or shoot down the V2. Sure, it's unrealistic for an F-15 to have a hundred Sidewinders, but who cares, it's perfectly fun. It's because you can feel how much passion PA put into the game at every part of it. They know when to brake and when to accelerate. The music is always top tier though, that's just undeniable. AC6 raised the bar and AC7 only took it higher.

I think this game has the best cockpit view in th series, it's another nice immersive bit when you can actually see Talisman's feet actuate the rudder pedals. The functioning terrain map is also really good, though it would've been great with the actual radar overlay

AC6, MW2, and Halo 3 are still the most important games of my gaming career. They haven't been bettered yet.

“Does it hold up?” YES. it still has the best and most sturdy gameplay of any arcade flight game I’ve ever played, and while the story isn’t exactly good I like the way the game truly makes you feel like you’re a part of such a large battle that will turn the tide of war every single mission. The music always matches the vibes, the planes are fun to fly (even if there aren’t many) and it’s just such a good game. I love this game so much😭😭

Wow, what a fucking birthday present. Ace Combat 6 is my favorite of the series, and I spent an entire summer playing the shit out of it because it was so good. I remember playing the free demo on Xbox, which was the opening mission, and holy fuck they couldn't have picked a better demo mission because it's just so iconic. I was hooked right away.

Oh hell yeah! AC6 was the peak of gameplay in the series so far. I hope AC8's development is less troubled; given the sheer quality of the AC7 DLC missions I assume the next game will be way better than 7.

My dad was an Ace Combat fan back then and he practically bought every new console just for the newest Ace Combat game

Considering the greats like Shattered Skies, The Unsung War, and The Belkan War, Ace Combat 6 will always remain special to me because it was the first Ace Combat game that I’d ever beaten. As a kid, it always felt great feeling like you were the best pilot that ever existed, not to mention the satisfaction of watching the Chandelier collapse to the ground at the end. Those are some moments I’ll never forget with this game! Great video! 😁

I absolutely miss the multiplayer co-op missions and I was heart broken when they said there will be 0 co-op missions in ace combat 7 the one thing that absolutely makes me want to play ace combat 6 on my pc

This took me back. I played this for many years growing up and still pop it in every now and then. I've gotten every possible unlock and it takes some serious dedication. You pointed out many of the small details that I did growing up and never really heard anyone talk about. It's nice to see it's still alive today. Thankfully the game play and graphics were as good as they were, otherwise the story would've probably flopped the game.

I saw the ads for this at an airshow back in the day and the lines to play it on the flight simulation gear that was brought in was around the tent and out to the parking lot! Didn't end up getting AC6, but DID pick up Chrome Hounds which is now almost lost media in 2022. Thanks for sharing!

I’m so glad people still talk about and play this game after all this time😭

IMO "Over G Fighters" is the unsung hero. It had the perfect blend of realism & arcade.

The fact the game still holds up since 2007 is a testament. Thanks for covering one of the few games I ever truly maxed out. Trip down memory lane!

While AC6's story and voice acting could've been better, I won't deny this is one of the best looking Ace Combat games with the best gameplay, if only if it wasn't stuck as a Xbox 360 exclusive but it makes sense considering the PS2 and PS3 were very complicated consoles to develop games.

I started the series at 7, so I had to break out my 360 and hit up Disc Replay for a copy of 6 when I got done. What an incredible game, especially for its era. 2007 will forever be unmatched the the quality of releases that year. There's so much I wish had stayed around from 6 to 7, like the operations and the mission length, but I also understand why they made most missions shorter in 7, because that game operates at the very edge of what the One's processor can handle. The "Shoot" mechanic made bits of the game infuriating, though, especially since Strigon can still dodge them. Whatever formula they had for target cycling also drove me up a wall. In 7 it felt like it was reading my mind, in 6 it seemed to purposefully pick targets on the other end of the AO from where I was aiming. I wish in the radar console that you could select just "TGT" marked targets in addition to selecting operation areas. I definitely made the game a little harder than it needed to be because I was still in the time trial mindset of AC7's S ranks, while I believe all of AC6's S ranks are based on just score and generally keeping on top of objectives. The game was genuinely challenging though, which I appreciate. Not enough games lean into fair difficulty, instead going too far to either pole. Also, I agree that the theme is entirely too good. The franchise in general has music of the same caliber as Halo and really just outdoes itself. This was really long winded but I appreciate your channel and the games you've been taking a look at lately!

The story of this game might be "bad," but did you know it's tied directly with AC2, AC4, AC5 and even AC7? Literally, AC6 happens because of shit that happened because of shit that happened on AC2, AC4 is a direct result of the same shit, so you could say they're twin games, AC5 happened in the worst possible moment for that world, and it's result, made for things in the Anean continent worse, because the two warring parties were the main relief senders for them, so that worsened the situation on Anea, and 7, well, the weapon that could've prevented the destruction of Anea was the Stonehenge, and you use it's last shot on that game. Seriously, AC games, on itself, probably have small stories that aren't that much to look at, but if you take the entire series on, now you see how good it is, I seriously place it above Star Wars in quality, and very few others manage to beat it.

This is my favorite Ace Combat. I downloaded the soundtrack online a decade ago and still listen to it while reading, driving, or just chlling. Your review seemed like hearing myself talk. What a wonderful review.

I played the Multiplayer more than the campaign on this game and made friends that I still keep in touch with today. Huge amounts of nostalgia watching this. Had a physical reaction to the shoot noise cuz hearing that in multiplayer was blissful lol

The contrails (11:26) in AC6 during dogfights was an amazing sight. Wish they brought that back to AC7.

Bro thank you for covering AC6. I remember spending hours on the demo as a kid replaying the first mission over and over again. Like you said the cut scenes seemed so real and just listening to the music brings me back such unwavering nostalgia.

2:20 missile follow cam was in since Shattered Skies, other combat flight games like Heatseeker had it too

Ace Combat is the game that inspired me to become a pilot, I’m too tall for the Air Force so I’ve turned to conducting flights for aeromedical and emergency services. I listen to the soundtracks for ace combat every time I get airborne and I love every moment of it.

Hope you upload video about AC7 and Project Wngman too. The former still pretty much follows AC6's formula like great missions, great soundtracks , meh story etc, so it wouldnt be a pretty much content for you I guess. But Project Wingman will surprise you espescially its an indie game inspired by Ace Combat series. Of course it has its downs but Ace Combat community still has a good impression in this indie game. Great video

7:24, end of an Ace Combat game? Ask yourself a simple question, has there been any tunnel flying mission? If the answer is yes, you're pretty close to the end, 2 missions at most.

AC6 had best gameplay, operations mechanic, allied support, wingmen commands, useful NPC allies in general, MASSIVE battles every single mission AC7 was such a step backwards, smaller scale battles for the most part, no operations, no allied support, no wingman command, useless NPC allies, etc

5:40 honestly this is one of 6's shortcoming as it is the game that started the "Boss AI doing obvious BS all the time" trend, in the previous games bosses or some strong enemies have one or 2 gimmicks but otherwise they are more or less on the same playing field as the player. AC6 pushed this aspect up to eleven and they haven't tone it down since. One could argue Zero started this trend with the last boss, but in that one the game doesn't make pretenses that it'll be a fair fight and clearly telling you to follow the script (which I can't say to 7's bosses). Anyway, good video! I really wish I could play this game, my potato can't run Xenia at full speed, and it's not perfect on it either.

I had really luck to get this game Digitally by Release of the Ace Combat 7 Launch Edition - I wasn't able to Preorder the Game before and got my money after AC7 came out. Sad that I don't have the Precious Idolmaster Skins for the Planes - imagine getting Shot down by a Pink Colored enemy with an Anime Girl on the Right Wing...

Ace Combat Games never disappoint imo. Also Project Wingman is a good secondary option.

This game got me into AC series. I made the mistake of playing it with the flightstick it came with. And now I can't play any other AC game without one.

AC6 Radio chatter/battle size is unmatched. And the music. Liberation of Gracemeria >>>>>>

Even owning an xbox series x i still bought this game (CD) and it was worth it if you like any Ace Combat game

Finished all the ac games in a pretty much reverse order and honestly i have to say jumping from 7 on the ps4 to 6 on the xbox 360 felt surprisingly natural, almost if it wasn't 8 years of hardware. Definitely was amazed by the graphics. And yes,i started this series in late 2021

i love ace combat6 sound track it always gives me goosebumps

the missile follow function was in, in earlier games too, and the shoot mechanic is still in AC7 iirc but six was the first AC with high-g turns which was AWESOME!

This was my first Xbox 360 game and first xbox game i owned, and i played the hell out of it, and even now still replay it often. It got me into the Ace Combat franchise and further fueld my love for aviation.

Aigaion or Arsenal Bird, both games made us ragequit at least one time while trying to defeat them.

Siege on Silvat will for be one of my favorites. Something about the atmosphere of the level where it's just raining and you feel the urgency of each sub-mission

I keep my PS2 just for AC4! These games are iconic. I love them. I'll be looking to see if I can load up AC6 , on PC. I remember the missile follow feature on Secret Weapons Over Normandy, circa 2003. Loved watching the experimental German aircraft explode with it. (Highly recommend game) Also, couldn't agree more about the music. They really know how to build a climax in these games!! Awesome review of the game. I'll be checking it out!

Favorite game growing up... Only game I have finished more than once on all difficulty levels to unlock things.

I literally bought the Xbox Series X just to play Ace Combat 6, and I have zero regrets

I played this from 0 to 100 all night at a sleepover since I didn't own an xbox 360 but played 4 and 5 on the ps2. Had like 600 hours across the 2 games, breezed thru 6 on "normal" (since my friend hadnt beaten the game yet the harder difficulties weren't unlocked) but it was still a joy to play

I'm reminded of an ad for AC6 I seen in Game Informer. There were 3 pictures and the caption said 1 of these is real and 2 are from the game.

3:30 this right here. you're all shooting Aim-9s so missiles following the hottest locked signal is very realistic here

2:21 I can say with utmost certainty that this has been in the series since AC4. Anyone who has played the PS1 games please let me know if it's there too

AC6 is what pulled me into the series. After playing all of the games 6 is still top dog for me. The combat mechanics and the way missiles work, both basic and special just feels a lot more satisfying to me.

Amazing video! This game is as old as me and I’ve been playing it since I was six. It has always had a special place in my heart in terms of gaming. I’ve been playing through it a lot more since I’ve had the time and there’s so much stuff I’ve missed since my last play through.

Not done watching the video yet but I thought the missle* follow (Holding launch button) has been around for a long time? Like since 4?

The missile camera is in ac 4 and that game came out 21 years ago

TO be fair, AC6's cutscene story after Ragno Fortress while the Pilot Story carries it through. Even with Pasternak's Arc and The Chandelier.

Top Gun: Fire At Will had a missile cam too, and that game dropped in the 90's

AC6 still holds up to this date. I loved the guns in that game.

Id say the Dead Sea airship battle inspired much of Project Wingman’s Airship design and combat mechanics

My fav game in the series that I still play today is Ace Combat 5 The Unsung War.

it was about time someone made a vid about AC6

War thunder has a follow cam for it's aerial vehicles whenever you drop bombs or fire a rocket/missile

I feel like if the mom and kid had belonged to your character instead if just being some random folks, that would have dramatically improved the story. The writing would still be bad, but at least then you'd have a connection.

Ace Combat 6 was my first Ace Combat game, ir has a place in my heart

It’d be cool to do a breakdown of all the different aircraft in the ace combat universe

I had been playing Ace Combat for a long time by then. I figured that it wasn't the end. Taking down the superweapon never is. I liked the story. I liked it's focus on the background characters. But that's just me I guess.

I was unaware of this game's existence until 2015 and it is still on my shopping list of games

Hell yeah, Ace Combat 6 love. I played the hell out of this game.

The final mission chandelier was known to either crash or max the game lag so hard on older xbox consoles

AC 6 did become the primary reason I would own an Xbox 360. That and Halo Wars

See at a glance I thought this game looked pretty alright for a 360 game, but then you mentioned this came out in 07, and now I see how impressive it is.

I am being 100% honest here if it wasn't for ace combat 6 that was just on the 360 only I would still be a PlayStation fan boy and after that never looked back to a PlayStation now I always played on my xbox and the store is so much better and easy to use too. Oh ace combat is even now is such a underrated game shame as it was out since ps1 days and still going strong with it 17 games yes 17 not many pass 5 these days and number 18 it coming out 2025.

I can't be the only guy that tried to actually follow orders when Shamrock was having his hissy fit. "I'm not like him, I'm a good little pilot! 😅"

Weapon tracking camera began in Shattered Skies, which was the fourth. Personally, shattered skies is the best in the franchise.

Some parts of the opening scene of armored core 4 answer looked pretty realistic too where they are testing the big guns and stuff

AC6, my beloved.

AC6 is my favorite Ace Combat game

Ace Combat Series... Best games I've played so far... I really liked Ace 7's story, but I'm just a sucker for good deep stories. Music? My god... chef's kiss. Terrain and Vehicles? Detailed and interesting.

I've played 6 many times now that I have 7, played it also many times

My first and still my favorite Ace Combat game. Still waiting for 360 emulation to be fully compatible.

"Garuda Team, time to take off"

I've seen people absolutely dunk on this game for the story not being the greatest thing in the world. BUT, seeing gameplay in hindsight for me, as a guy who never played AC6 because I was a fanboy of HAWX 1 and 2 at the time, it looks incredible to play. My first Ace Combat game was 7 on my xbox one s, because I never owned a playstation or AC6 on my 360. Even with that, I'm sure I'd find a lot to love on AC6. It's just a shame that the DLC for the game is most likely no longer live due to the servers for it being long dead. And I bet it's pretty hard to find a copy used or in thrift stores. My only regret as an arcade flight game fan is not getting into Ace Combat as a series when I was younger. Then I could truly appreciate the series as a whole. I respect the previous entries a bunch, but because of my experience, I never got to see them in their full glory when I was a kid.

Personally, I think the other games have slightly better music (though Liberation of Gracemeria is freaking incredible) and the lack of diversity of planes hurts 6 a little, but it's still an impeccable game.

Gosh I've missed the game. I don't have a 360 anymore, and AC6 isn't even my favourite AC game as AC5 has that spot. However AC6 is probably the one I've played the most out of all of em. I'll never forget Boiling Point, flying in through that canyon, destroying the target and then being swarmed by what feels like thousands of enemies with no support and a constant missle warning sound untill that last moment. I don't know how it does it, but AC makes you feel like a hero, but you also see yourself as the villain through the enemy comms, Makes you feel like a protector and a savage Makes you feel like a badass and a legend Gosh how much i want Project Aces just to do a HD Remake, hell even just port the old games onto PC/Nextgen consoles. Gosh what I'd do to have a 2 or 3 hours of playing these games again, like i was 15 without a care in the world. AC7 is good, but its just not like AC5, Zero and AC6. On a final note, real nice video you made here! Been stumbling onto new channels recently and yours has caught me attention, keep up the good work! 😊

Over-G is the only reason I still have a Xbox 360. Graphics are a little dated but the realism is nuts for it's time. Ace Combat is Call of Duty in the sky.

Look, I LOVED this game, but it didn't justify the Xbox 360's existence. Halo, Call of Duty, and Gears of War did.

The one that got away... All PlayStation

This is favorite ace combat

liberation music intensifies

The only sad thing is, ace combat 6 can no longer be bought in the in game store, there was a time it was put up for a limited time. however, many people had issues with trying to play it, mostly in the form of "please insert game cd" messages. The only way now to actually experience ace combat 6 is to, by chance find a physical copy of the game. Even if you did. However, the next problem is, all its original DLC is gone, so some modes like Ace of Aces, which have more in game missions within the game and harder enemies, can no longer be downloaded. Only those who were lucky enough to get the DLC before hand can still re-download it on newer gen systems.

Fires of liberation and assault horizon were some of the best jet fighter games out there next to the original rogue squadron (n64, gamecube)

I ordered a used AC6 disk for my Series X - and a few hours later I got this vid recommended to me.....

Have you tried Project Wingman? It completed some time ago, some old ace combat pc project (?) for xbox and windows xbox game pass, "indie" style. It is the some of the original programmers of Ace Combat if I remember right. It is pretty much same "but cheaper", but flying in it is more realistic (no ace combat stunts, which are fine also ofc, but Project wingman makes you do more flying skills / even some tactical manouvers and you have to think where you fly, and when, not as "full on to every enemy furrball" as ace combat) But if you liked Ace Combat, I honestly recommend to give Project Wingman a try! Dont get me wrong, I also really loved ace combat, though I normally play DCS and other more realistic sims..

AC6 isn't my favorite Ace Combat game, but it had a lot of elements that I hope to see again one day.

When most people mention game Soundtracks, the usual suspects comes in. But never I've seen a game that is MADE by the music, all Ace Combats (even the Call of Duty-esque one) come alive with their music, and ranks as my all time favorites.

My introduction to the Ace Combat series. Certainly not everybody's game, but certainly mine.

Missile Follow is present in the PS2 games, if I'm not mistaken.

The only reason why I choose xbox360 during the PS3/xbox360 era

AC0 was the first AC game to introduce the operation missions

all started with AC3 electrosphere and its music

I wish there was a PC version we could play, instead of just the 360 (my 360 died years ago)

We just gonna gloss over the missile he so narrowly dodged at 4:58?