By the time you read this, Microsoft's big pre-E3 media spiel will be over. One of the highlights of said speech, we're told, will be a huge chunk of in-game action from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. Assuming you weren't there (considering the state of this year's E3, you weren't), there's no way to glimpse the smoke-choked footage save for some blogger's grainy shaky-cam. Or, you could watch it here first, a good 12 hours before anyone else has it.

We've also got a grip of new images for eagle-eyed Ace fans to devour - 11 in all. Check 'em out by hitting the images tab up above. Among said screens are the very first images of the multiplayer battles, though to be honest they don't look a whole lot different from the standard screens. Will you even be able to tell the difference?

But it's not screens of Ace's online multiplayer that we're picky about - no, we're stoked about finally getting some hands-on time with its many Live setups. We know for sure there will a Battle Royal mode, with everyone gunning for everyone else's exhaust as anti-aircraft fire peppers the sky. Also on deck is a team mode that pits player squads against each other. Will E3 2007 deliver more? Check back for updates.

If you're new to this whole Ace Combat thing, be sure to pour over our extensive coverage from earlier in the year, including the first hands-on, developer interviews and a strike-by-strike account of the game's first mission.

July 10, 2007