PS1 [SPOILERS] Another appreciation post for the themes of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere

[Razordoom]

Ace Combat 3 is the only other game to give me that exact feeling I got during the Arsenal Gear sequence of Metal Gear Solid 2, just a left field sense of existential dread and confusion over how much of what you experienced would be considered a genuine event in the story and how much was something manufactured (though in AC3's case, it's only a select few scenes and conversations, and some of the interviews). While I think AC3's story can be a little undercut by it's twist, I do think it's a great study on the way someone can view the world and other people when they've gone over the deep-end, and how odd that can be being a third party to that madness. That feeling of being in the room when someone you know starts saying alarming things or starts acting a little unhinged and you suddenly feel like you're not supposed to be there. The thing I think is so cool about it is that it's sort of peppered over a few of the story paths as well, not just given all at once, Simon just sort of randomly appearing with no preempt for it in various places in a way that almost feels forced, too convenient, like you are an ant performing actions for a queen in an ant farm, but suddenly a giant hand points you at a specific beetle they want you to kill. You don't know why this beetle in particular, it doesn't even seem that pertinent to your goals, but now you must throw away whatever tasks you were previously performing, because the big hand in the sky said you must kill this beetle. And once you kill that beetle, the thing that was you ceases to exist, to the bewilderment of everyone around you, disposed of like a napkin. It's not the most satisfying way to tell a story, but it is quite unique, to the point that I think it could only be achieved effectively in an interactive medium, and few pieces of fiction I feel have pulled this off as well as Electrosphere.

Oh and Simon is voiced by Ryusei Nakao and he absolutely nails that cold, "a few screws loose" delivery which adds so much to his brief appearances