Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has revealed the contents of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Collector’s Edition for gamers in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, etc.) Just like the European Collector’s Edition, we will be receiving the Strangereal Edition for the PS4 version of Ace Combat 7.

The Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Strangereal Edition will contain the following:

• A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
• Season Pass: including three aircraft, three additional missions, and a music player mode
• Exclusive diecast metal figurine of the Arsenal Bird (40cm:500g)
• A4 Art Book – 150 pages ACES at WAR: A HISTORY 2019 (including exclusive illustrations, interviews, and 4 short novels written by writer-director Sunao Katabuchi)
• 3cm metal pin
• 2 embroidered patches of Erusea and Usea crests

Ace Combat 7 will be the first numbered entry in the long-running arcade flight simulation franchise in well over a decade. 2007’s Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation launched exclusively on the Xbox 360, which might also have been why many fans missed it. Past titles have always been released on PlayStation consoles.

Bandai Namco tried to experiment with new gameplay features and elements in spinoff Ace Combat games like 2011’s Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. It was a poorly-received by fans of the franchise as it deviated too much from the traditional Ace Combat core gameplay by incorporating controversial mechanics like the maligned Dogfight Mode (DFM) and even ridiculous QTE sections (like the one in the video below).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY9NO4GQJRk&w=560&h=315]

Despite the alarming number of delays to date (AC7 was originally slated to release in 2017), gameplay footage from Ace Combat 7 has indicated a much-welcome return to the core Ace Combat gameplay we know and love. In fact, I’m sure many fans appreciate that the developer has decided to retain the classic Ace Combat UI in AC7, instead of trying to needlessly modernize it. It’s like they say, the classics never go out of style.

I believe I speak on behalf of many veteran Ace Combat fans when I say that a great Ace Combat game has been long overdue. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will arrive for the PS4 and Xbox One on January 18, 2019, with the PC version slated for February 1, 2019. In the meantime, check out the sneak preview of a mission from the upcoming game below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooN4CsmNF2w&w=560&h=315]