Before the release of “Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve,” Bandai Namco Entertainment has launched a four-episode live-action prequel titled “Hour Zero.” The series, debuting Tuesday, provides backstory for the upcoming game and stars Josh Holloway, Brandon Routh, and Tamlyn Tomita.
“Hour Zero” follows three characters in the early days of the Republic of Sotoa’s invasion of the Federation of Central Usea: a pilot with nowhere to land (Holloway), a doctor who saved his enemy (Routh), and a news anchor silenced for reporting the truth (Tomita). The story is told in reverse, revealing how their lives were disrupted by the outbreak of war. Bandai Namco Entertainment America describes the series as setting the stage for the narrative players will experience in the Campaign Mode of “Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve.”
Holloway, whose previous video game experience was limited to voice work in “Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars,” initially had reservations about taking on the role. “At first I had a little reservation,” Holloway told Variety. “I was like, a video game? I’m not sure…it was kind of on the cheesy side a little bit because it was just an internet game. It wasn’t a big thing.” However, his fondness for the original “Ace Combat” games and a recent viewing of “Top Gun: Maverick” piqued his interest.
Holloway was reassured by the production value and preparation Bandai Namco demonstrated. “I was like, ‘What’s the production value? I need to see a script. Do they have me sitting on an apple box with a toothpick in my hand, or is it an actual fuselage?’” he said. “And when I got into it and found out how really well done and well prepared they were to do this, I was like, OK, this sounds like fun, and I can have my fighter pilot moment.”
“Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve” is scheduled for release October 2 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy