Ace Combat 7 Review: The Undisputed King of Aerial Combat

Introduction

Following experimental diversions like Assault Horizon and a protracted development cycle that tested the patience of flight enthusiasts, Bandai Namco and Project Aces returned to their roots in 2019 with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Returning to the fictional geopolitical universe of Strangereal meant bringing back everything that defined the franchise at its peak: geopolitical melodrama, outlandish superweapons, and pure arcade combat delivered at Mach 2.

Set during the Second Usean Continental War (better known as the "Lighthouse War"), the conflict ignites when the Kingdom of Erusea launches a surprise drone assault against the Osean Federation to seize the towering International Space Elevator. You step into the flight suit of Trigger, an Osean aviator framed for high treason following the assassination of former President Vincent Harling. Stripped of rank and exiled to the 444th "Spare Squadron"—a penal military unit tasked with expendable suicide sorties—Trigger must fight his way toward redemption across a bloodstained sky.

Flight Physics and Gameplay: The Sky as a Living Battlefield

Skies Unknown strikes the genre's sweet spot between approachable arcade handling and technical dogfighting finesse:

• Expert Flight Controls: The game provides full pitch, roll, and yaw authority. Skilled pilots can execute high-G turns and advanced Post-Stall Maneuvers (PSM) like Kulbit loops and Cobras to out-turn tailing bogeys and reverse firing angles in seconds.
• Volumetric Clouds as Tactical Terrain: Clouds are no longer flat skybox textures; they are tangible cover. Diving into cloud cover breaks incoming missile locks and radar tracking, but staying inside carries severe risks: violent turbulence rattles the airframe, moisture causes windshield icing that degrades stall speed, and sudden lightning strikes temporarily fry the electronic HUD and fire-control computers.
• Dynamic Mission Design: sorties force players out of their comfort zone with low-altitude radar-avoidance canyon runs, blinding desert sandstorms, and treacherous naval strikes through tight rocky archipelagos.

The Aircraft Tree and Customization

Progression revolves around the sprawling Aircraft Tree, where Military Result Points (MRP) earned from sorties unlock a massive hangar of authentic modern jets and experimental prototypes:

• Extensive Roster: Over 30 flyable airframes spanning American staples (F-15C Eagle, F-22A Raptor, A-10C Warthog), Russian beasts (Su-37 Terminator, Su-57 Felon), European delta-wings (Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale M), and fictional superplanes like the stealth forward-swept X-02S Strike Wyvern.
• Special Weapon Loadouts: Every jet equips specialized secondary ordnance, from multi-target air-to-air missiles (4AAM, 8AAM) and fire-and-forget QAAMs to long-range anti-ship missiles and devastating pulse lasers (PLSL).
• Performance Parts: Upgrade slots allow tuning of missile homing angles, pitch acceleration, high-G threshold tolerance, and automated damage-control systems.

Wartime Narrative and the Machines of War

Beneath the geopolitical friction lies the game's core philosophical conflict: seasoned human aviators facing obsolescence against autonomous, cold-blooded drones (UAVs) programmed with digitized human flight data.

This thematic struggle anchors the campaign's standout combat set-pieces:

• The Arsenal Bird: Two colossal automated flying wings equipped with impenetrable active-protection energy shields, laser arrays, and swarms of dozens of parasite MQ-99 and MQ-101 drones that blot out the sun.
• Mihaly A. Shilage: The aging, melancholic Erusean test pilot acting as Trigger’s dark mirror. Mihaly endures bone-crushing G-forces in his experimental Su-30SM solely to pursue perfection in the sky, delivering intense, emotionally charged one-on-one dogfights.

Audiovisual Presentation and VR Support

Built in Unreal Engine 4, the visual presentation is exceptional. Cockpits feature functional analog dials and multifunction displays, vapor cones wrap violently around the airframe under hard maneuvers, and individual raindrops trace streaks across the canopy glass under dynamic twilight lighting.

Composer Keiki Kobayashi delivers an undisputed masterpiece of a soundtrack. Melding operatic choirs, soaring violin solos, and propulsive electronic beats, anthems like "Daredevil" and "Dual Wielder" elevate climatic boss dogfights into mythic duels.

The dedicated Virtual Reality mode—available on select headsets—delivers an astonishing sense of cockpit spatial awareness and genuine physical vertigo, cementing how incredible the game feels from a true first-person viewpoint.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Unrivaled Flight Combat: Tight, fluid, and exhilarating dogfighting mechanics that set the benchmark for the genre.
• Tactical Cloud Layer: Atmospheric weather systems genuinely reshape dogfight maneuvers and missile evasion strategies.
• Legendary Soundtrack: Keiki Kobayashi's orchestral work delivers unmatched emotional and cinematic power.
• Deep Jet Roster: Superb variety of real-world and experimental fighters with distinctive handling characteristics.

Cons:

• Strict Score and Time Limits: Several missions rely on strict score-attack thresholds that can cause frustrating mission failures due to sparse checkpoints.
• Chaotic Mid-Flight Exposition: Vital story dialogues often play over the radio during blistering dogfights, making narrative beats easy to miss while dodging missiles.
• Restricted VR Scope: The VR experience is phenomenal but limited to three standalone missions rather than the full campaign.

Conclusion

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a triumph that reclaims the throne of arcade flight combat. By pairing sweeping narrative melodrama and blistering dogfights with tactical cloud mechanics and an all-time great orchestral score, Project Aces delivered an essential, high-altitude adrenaline rush for flight sim veterans and action fans alike.