{"id":44607,"date":"2026-04-15T11:29:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T03:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=44607"},"modified":"2026-04-15T11:29:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T03:29:34","slug":"ace-combat-7-influenced-sentenced-to-be-a-hero-heres-why-its-a-must-play-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=44607","title":{"rendered":"Ace Combat 7 influenced Sentenced to Be a Hero \u2014 here’s why it’s a must-play game"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The very last thing you\u2019d consider influencing a fantasy series that\u2019s all about characters being forced into heroism is a militaristic flight simulator. However, once you read between the lines, the fact that Ace Combat 7<\/em> inspired Sentenced to be a Hero<\/em> isn’t too surprising.<\/p>\n

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In a recent interview with Anime News Network, Sentenced to Be a Hero <\/em>writer Rocket Shokai explores this very connection, highlighting what made both the original light novel series and its anime adaptation by Studio KAI so appealing. They note the penal unit episodes in Ace Combat 7 <\/em>as directly influencing the concept of \u201chero sentencing,\u201d which makes a lot of sense in retrospect.<\/p>\n

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\"Still\n <\/picture>Image: Bandai Namco<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Although odd on the surface, this revelation should come as no surprise to Ace Combat<\/em> fans. The flight simulator, which was originally released in 2019, still offers some of the most cinematic dogfights and aerial action you\u2019ll get in a modern video game. All the while, it\u2019s oozing with very similar themes presented in Sentenced to be a Hero<\/em>, nailing that moral gray zone and the transactional essence of war with expert precision. Microsoft Flight Simulator<\/em> simply can\u2019t match.<\/p>\n

Even the main character in Ace Combat 7<\/em>, Trigger, bears many resemblances to the anime\u2019s Xylo Forbartz. Both are wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to fight in a war they have no real stake in. This is the crux of what makes Ace Combat 7<\/em>, as much as Sentenced to Be a Hero<\/em>, such a darkly rich experience \u2014 even when it’s mere jets streaking across the sky.<\/p>\n

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\"Still\n <\/picture>Image: Bandai Namco<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

But that\u2019s just the thing. While you\u2019re rarely ever given true freedom in Ace Combat 7<\/em>, it\u2019s in those meditative moments where it\u2019s just you alone in the cockpit and the radio chatter fades into the background as you slice through the clouds, chasing contrails with the troposphere streaking above you, where you find true bliss. There\u2019s no other game that offers you such freedom, while still painting the harsh costs of war in its subtle narrative cues.<\/p>\n

A particular highlight for me in Ace Combat 7<\/em> is Mission 11, Fleet Destruction. As the name implies, you\u2019re tasked with wiping out an entire fleet of faceless \u201cbad guys\u201d scattered across support vessels, warships, and carriers in the waters near Snider\u2019s Top, Northern Usea. The mission structure is simple: mass destruction. Kill every target and don\u2019t ask any questions.<\/p>\n

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\"Still\n <\/picture>Image: Bandai Namco<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

However, when you zoom out, things get a bit more complex. Mission 11 is set in a particularly large operational area over open ocean, allowing you the freedom to tackle the assignment in a wide variety of ways. The outcome is always the same, though. You might have the freedom to move about practically anywhere, but never true freedom of purpose<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It might be nearing seven years in age, but Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown<\/em> still feels like a breath of fresh air. Whether you\u2019re coming from Sentenced to be a Hero<\/em> or just chasing that Top Gun <\/em>high, it\u2019s a rare experience that lets you feel completely untethered \u2014 even as it reminds you that you never really are.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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