I've been a more recent AC fan that started with 7, then went on to the Big 3 (4, 5, and Zero) when I found copies of them at a local retro reseller and played on the original hardware. Now I love the absolutely insane stories from this series, with Zero as my favorite that I've played legit, and this one as my favorite story overall.
I didn't experience this game until I specifically played the fan translated version, and it's very worth making this game more accessible. AC3E has my favorite aesthetic, taking place in the near-future with retro-futuristic sci-fi themes, characters, and technology. I believe this is also the game that really sparked Project Ace's penchant for adding in some of their fictional jets to add flavor beyond the average Phantom or Eagle, and the specifically oceanic themed crafts from AC3E (for example, the craft on the cover is called the "Delphinus" meaning dolphin) have only ever been re-released on their now defunct MMO, AC Infinity. There should really be a better, easier way to experience the OG Ace Combat games. By better I mean legal, and by easier I mean a PC port, not the complex headache of having to patch a rom with the fan translation and stumbling around getting to run it correctly on an emulator.