Ace Combat 7 – Soaring Back to Form

After a period of time, sometimes it is best to go back to the core of what made a game great in the first place.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is an arcade flight combat game and was released in 2019. Developed by the Project Aces division of Bandai Namco could the team capture what made their previous works great, and provide a gameplay experience as a generation of consoles entered their twilight years?

Gameplay

The no-frills core gameplay of previous Ace Combat games is intact, with every plane feeling both tight and responsive to player input while also including enough distinction in how a plane rolls, pitches, and yaws. Adding onto this gameplay are three major control tweaks to give players plenty to master:

1. Flares, allowing players to deflect imminent missile hits that they may not want to manoeuvre to dodge
2. High-G Turns, quick responsive turning to conquer obstacles easier and to bleed speed in a dogfight
3. Post-Stall Manoeuvres (PSMs), advanced mobility techniques on certain planes, allowing for unbelievable manoeuvrability at low speeds 

Rather than aircraft being available to unlock after certain milestones, the game now utilises a system called the “Aircraft Tree”. Points are earned after each mission which can be used to buy planes or parts (upgrades to improve mobility, weapons, or provide passive buffs). Unlike previous AC games, planes are unable to be sold to buy new ones, but the addition of Free Mission not requiring campaign completion allows players who wish to push themselves to one particular plane or weapon to earn points by playing the game.

Missions are diverse and well-designed, with the majority of them being built as “easy to clear, hard to master”, giving plenty of replay value for both new and old players alike. Level gimmicks are (mostly) introduced safely to players to allow them to adjust to what is required, and then ramps up their integration as time goes on. None overstay their welcome and can provide needed relief after more intense sequences. The much needed addition of checkpoints also punish players less for making mistakes in the endgame of a mission.

There is online multiplayer in this game. And whilst it is a little disheartening to see that there are no co-operative ground based missions, this fact can easily be overlooked by how powerful multiplayer can make a player feel. Work with up to three other pilots in team deathmatch, coordinating a response against an enemy ace to knock someone down a peg. Stand your ground in an all-out air battle royale, fighting to be the top pilot, all the while missiles are whizzing past in all directions.

Presentation and Sound Design

Built on Unreal Engine 4 the developers put great effort into making sure everything looked spectacular as the previous generation came to a close. Even on a standard PS4 the game looks absolutely beautiful in areas, with advanced lighting providing a fitting mood to each mission. Special mention goes to Simul’s trueSKY plugin, handling clouds, lightning, and god rays coming through said clouds.

Years worth of experience provide an unrivaled level of authenticity to the sound design. Engines, guns, and missiles all have the raw feelings of power that comes from piloting a fighter jet, allowing for full immersion during dogfights. One particular sound design of note I wish to highlight is the Electromagnetic Launcher (EML). The sound of the gun discharging, the whoosh of the high-speed projectile, and the loud bang it creates on impact all work together to provide cathartic feedback to firing a railgun.

And of course, the signature music of Ace Combat remains as fantastic as ever with Keiki Kobayashi acting as lead composer once more. Whilst Kobayashi most certainly carries his weight with some of his best work yet, the track I wish to highlight here is “444” by the wonderfully talented Mitsuhiro Kitadani. To me, this is a perfect amalgam of modern Ace Combat, classic Ace Combat, and fits the mission at hand beautifully.

Plot

Taking place once more in the world of Strangereal (the term for the Ace Combat alternate reality) the game begins with the Kingdom of Erusea declaring war on the Osean Federation, with the former seizing a valuable land asset on their continent, the International Space Elevator. In doing so they also seized control of two superweapons called the “Arsenal Birds”, sweeping airborne aircraft carriers armed to the teeth with advanced weaponry.

Whilst some may claim that it is difficult to understand the story of Skies Unknown without playing previous Ace Combat games, the themes are written well enough to convey their intent to all audiences. 

Osea can quickly be deduced as an analogue to the USA, being a large federal nation that has a hand in peacekeeping operations around the world. The Erusean’s declaration of war on Osea being justified by the Space Elevator infringing on the sovereignty of Erusea brings further analogues to countries resenting the heavy hand the USA can have in international matters.

Between mission cutscenes, pre-mission briefings, and mid-mission radio chatter all helps towards world building. Providing alternative insight on events just witnessed by players, giving indirect updates on how the war effort is going and what players are doing to impact it, and how your other squadron members view different situations, providing everything from snarky banter to near-speechless horror.

Debriefing

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has everything for anyone who may be interested. Whilst some minor flaws hold the game back from true perfection, there is enough content for new players to ease themselves in and for veteran players to be welcomed back with open arms. 

It is easily my favourite game in the franchise at this current point in time, and I intend to revisit for years to come.