Ace Combat director says 'I've been doing this for 30 years, so I know exactly how hard we're going'—and after playing it, I can confirm Ace Combat 8 goes extremely hard

Ace Combat 8 pilots.

Remember the first five minutes of Top Gun: Maverick where Tom Cruise dies in a tragic crash, but not before magically passing his pilot's spirit and innate talent to the young hotshot who becomes the new Maverick? No? You're telling me that I just made that up? Well, look: That might be true. But I want you to imagine, for a moment, a world in which Top Gun: Maverick was an anime, and ghost Cruise stuck around the rest of the movie whispering stick jockey wisdom in his unnamed protege's ear.

Welcome to Ace Combat.