I feel like the anime styled cut scenes delivered a more nuanced story than the other games. The story is told through the eyes of a boy who lost his family to war. Your silent protagonist slowly achieves fame. By the end, it's revealed that his story is a letter to you, the pilot. There's more plot, so any retro gamers reading this, it's super recommended for story and music. I love the gameplay, but obscure childhood game symptom.