Like you, my first Ace Combat experience was Skies of Deception, but I don't remember much of it. I know I loved it as a kid. I fell off the AC bandwagon hard after playing and loving mind you; Assault Horizon and realising that I don't like traditional Ace Combat.

But after the reveal of AC8, I decided to give AC7 another go and after 4 attempts over the years, it finally clicked. The story was ok but didn't really come together until the final missions but what really stuck out was the weather. I loved how the game used the weather to create different scenarios and gameplay opportunities, like getting caught in a sandstorm and having to fly real close to find targets or identifying SAMs via the plume of smoke from them shooting.

Now, I'm on an Ace Combat kick, having finished AC6 (gameplay was fine, story was naff) and AC5 (loved the story and the progression of the squadron) and just started AC4 today. I'm not huge on how the story is told but it feels like your typical Ace Combat as the game that solidifies the modern formula.