Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, the newest entry of the long-running flight simulation fight collection from Bandai Namco, is hitting PCs and consoles subsequent month. However earlier than gamers get their palms on the sport, IGN can solely reveal {that a} live-action prequel miniseries starring Misplaced’s Josh Holloway and Superman Returns’ Brandon Routh will likely be obtainable to stream later this month.
The present, titled Hour Zero, will likely be launched in 4 6 to 11-minute installments forward of Ace Fight 8’s launch on October 2. Episodes will likely be obtainable first on IGN.com and IGN’s YouTube channel and can debut each few days at 6am PT / 9am ET previous to the sport’s launch.
Ace Fight 8: Wings of Theve Hour Zero Episode Schedule:
- Tuesday, September 15: Act 1
- Thursday, September 17: Act 2
- Wednesday, September 23: Act 3
- Tuesday, September 29: Epilogue
The trailer for Hour Zero, which you’ll see within the participant above, exhibits Holloway, Routh, and Cobra Kai’s Tamlyn Tomita as “three strangers who survive the opening days of the Republic of Sotoa’s invasion of the Federation of Central Usea,” based on the collection’ official description.
Holloway stars as “a pilot with nowhere to land,” Routh performs a “physician who saved his enemy,” and Tomita portrays a “information anchor silenced for telling the reality.” Bandai Namco says the characters’ tales “set the stage for the narrative gamers will expertise within the deep, partaking Marketing campaign Mode in Ace Fight 8: Wings of Theve.”
I spoke to Holloway forward of the present’s launch about leaping into the cockpit and becoming a member of the Ace Fight universe. Holloway says that performing within the collection reignited his love of gaming.
“Once I was youthful, I used to be a gamer,” Holloway says. “Ms. Pac-Man, Centipede, Galaga. I went away from gaming for a lot of, a few years, and this has gotten me addicted. It is so actual and so visceral. Layering a narrative onto this sport actually raises the stakes. After enjoying the sport, I may really feel myself in that cockpit as a result of I obtained to do it within the studio. So now I’ve that sense reminiscence whereas I am enjoying the sport, which is a blast.”
Holloway says that attending to take part within the motion scenes of Hour Zero fulfilled one in every of his lifelong desires, courting all the way in which again to earlier than Prime Gun was on the massive display screen.
“God, my first fantasy about being a fighter pilot was [the 1970s World War II fighter pilot TV series] Baa Baa Black Sheep. Do not forget that? That simply tore my creativeness up. Once I was in highschool, I regarded into how I may grow to be a fighter pilot. [But] it’s important to be a fricking math genius for them to allow you to within the hundred million greenback airplane. That dashed my desires of really being a fighter pilot. [But I thought,] Aha, I can nonetheless be an actor. For me, being a fighter pilot is correct up there with being a cowboy.”
Holloway, who appeared within the 2007 sport Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, says that he’s not significantly eager on revisiting efficiency seize in one other online game, however is up for adapting extra video games for the massive display screen.
“I am much less serious about being part of the online game world. [Instead,] I might like to show a kind of right into a film. I really feel like there’s room within the Ace Fight world to probably make a characteristic. Identical factor with cowboy[s]. I do wish to try this. I’ve checked out Crimson Lifeless Redemption. It isn’t only a sport anymore. They’re like actual simulators with actual tales.”
Holloway, who’s had the prospect to play by way of Ace Fight 8: Wings of Theve forward of the sport’s public launch, says there’s one main tip he has for anybody who decides to dive in on October 2.
“Be aggressive,” Holloway says. “If I begin to relax, I obtained anyone locked on my tail already. So that you’ve obtained to be like, ‘Oh my God, I am going for it,’ and simply hammer down.”
Ace Fight 8: Wings of Theve will likely be obtainable in early entry for Deluxe Version holders on September 29 and launch for all gamers on October 2. The sport is out there now for preorder on PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X|S, and PC by way of Steam.
Michael Peyton
Senior Editorial Director of Occasions & Leisure
Michael Peyton is the Senior Editorial Director of Occasions & Leisure at IGN, main leisure content material and protection of tentpole occasions together with IGN Reside, San Diego Comedian Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He is spent 20 years working within the video games and leisure business, and his adventures have taken him all over the place from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Observe him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton