ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS GAME?
I could never understand why nobody recommends or talks about this game, which scored 86 on Metacritic. I had a lot of fun while playing it, and it managed to become one of my favorite games.
Story and Characters - The Road from Accusation to Legend
In the story, we control Trigger, who is silent but a legend in the skies. The beginning of the game is quite striking: with the allegation that we accidentally shot our former president (aka 'Ex-President Killer'), we are discharged from the military and condemned to a military prison... In short, the story covers Trigger's transformation from a "scapegoat" into the "Invincible Pilot" everyone relies on. We experience our real rise when they start attacking the prison. We are sent to the 444th Air Base (Spare Squadron), where convict pilots are held. Together with the convict pilots there, we jump into whatever planes we have and try to protect the prison and its surroundings. Of course, thanks to the legendary Trigger, we complete this mission successfully. Our success in this mission draws attention and serves as a notice for new missions. Once our innocence is learned, we rejoin an elite unit (Strider Squadron). Naturally, other friends we met in prison also join here. As we succeed in missions, our reputation spreads everywhere before we even arrive. The Three Strikes: harbinger of death for enemies, symbol of hope for allies. Over time, everyone starts respecting Trigger and taking refuge behind him.
The story isn't just about action. In the background, the hardships faced by civilians, the refugees we are tasked with protecting, and even the family ties of the rivals we fight deepen the narrative. It makes you feel that the war is not just between two nations, but taking place among innocent people who bear no blame. In the finale, with that famous “space elevator” and narrow tunnel sections, we prove to the whole world why Trigger is a living legend.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Ace Combat 7 is not a simulation. Even though plane models are identical to real life, their maneuverability pushes the laws of physics. In addition, there are plane designs that do not exist in real life. But are these downsides? Never! This arcade nature of the game makes dogfights much smoother and more fun. After all, don't we all play games to have fun? AC7 delivers this fun to the fullest.
Missions are generally successful. One moment we are chasing enemies through stormy mountains, and the next we are conducting an infiltration mission below 600 meters without being detected by radar. The best part is that the atmosphere and location of most missions are different places. Even though the final chapters take place in similar locations due to the story, it doesn't get boring thanks to the fun gameplay. That famous narrow tunnel sequence and the space elevator climb in the finale... I failed 3-4 times while flying through the narrow tunnel. I might have also died 1-2 more times while flying up the space elevator... Dying is inevitable for beginners to flight mechanics and gameplay like me. No matter how hard it is, it is worth the sense of satisfaction when we succeed.
I also have to say that the game is not flawless. The only part—or rather mission design—that bored me was the missions where we grind points while racing against time. Doing these missions back-to-back with short intervals started to bore me a bit, but luckily they kept these missions to a minimum and didn't disrupt the gameplay pacing. Because constantly hitting ground targets becomes extremely boring and annoying after a point.
Graphics and Atmosphere
The graphics are simply magnificent. Moisture droplets forming on the cockpit when flying into clouds, electronics glitching when struck by lightning, and the sun reflecting off our wings take the atmosphere to the top. The fact that each chapter has its own unique geography and weather keeps the game visually fresh. At the same time, it maintains the gameplay pacing.
Music and Sound Effects
Sound design is one of the most important factors enhancing the atmosphere. The roar of the engine, the missile lock-on sound, and radio chatter echoing in the headset connect us to the game wonderfully. The music is exactly as it should be. Thrilling, and it hypes us up with every maneuver.
An example of the game's music:
Technical and Performance
Technically, it is quite a stable game. Thanks to smooth FPS rates and fast loading times, the action is never interrupted.
Overall
I like fighter jets, but I had never played a fighter jet game before. A title capable of turning someone with zero interest in airplanes into a lover of the skies. With the good story it offers, unforgettable final sequences, and a protagonist like Trigger, it definitely deserves to be played. I've already wishlisted Ace Combat 8 and am waiting for it. It drops to $4 during sales; you should definitely give it a chance.
Yonderly Score | S+ (93)
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It's not a sim, but i used to play Air Combat/Ace Combat 2 with my father lifetime ago, so i knew what to expect, and game was exactly that. Hard to describe feeling when i let my sons to play it a bit... Well, biased review, but it's great fun to couchplay.

8/10
The campaign is absolute peak... The multiplayer not so much. I'm still waiting for AC8

I bought this game after playing some of the older PS2 Ace Combat games of which I really enjoyed. This game was mostly the same as those game play-wise in my experience.
Over-all I just played through the main campaign and I had a lot of fun, and I will have more fun with the game, as I try to complete the air craft tree, I found the game really immersive. The game worked amazingly through Proton out of the box, and I did not encounter any stability issues.

This game was a magical experience. And it's my first step into the Ace Combat series.
I never had any interest in any "flight simulation", much less an arcade-y one. However, I'm somewhat of a musicophile. When I saw that AC8 trailer during the TGA 2025, and heard the music, I decided that I need to get into this series.
Honestly, I was expecting an average plane game where you shoot down things with missile, or drop bombs, or whatever, with a typical military story, but with decent music. Because I had heard that the composer of this game also worked some stuff in Uma Musume (another title that I got into thanks to the music). But I did not expect to get attached to the characters and get invested in the story. With Count, Tabloid, Wiseman, Long Caster, and even Bandog being some of my favorites. Though I will say, I wish they'd actually help you with the mission instead of basically just being flies on the battlefield.
Not to mention the over-the-top set pieces actually made me hyped, not cringe. That, and combined with the OST? Heavenly.
Gameplay I would say is pretty fun once you got the hang of it, the stages are fairly challenging. Most of them seemed impossible at first, but once you know what you need to do, you'll clear em eventually.
Overall, I'd give the game a 9/10. I did not and have no plan on touching the multiplayer, so this score is solely based on my single-player experience.
Rise Above, to the Skies Unknown. Trigger signing out.

Before this, the only Ace Combat game I had played was Assault Horizon long ago. I remember liking it and not understanding why it got the hate it did. So when I saw this game on sale, I decided to get it. From the moment I lifted off the the runway in that 1st mission, hearing that soundtrack, it felt like something in my soul was healing. A joy I didn't know still existed within me burst forth.

As I played the game, I reach a mission about 1/3 of the way into the game and it kicked my butt. I started to think it was impossible as I just couldn't do it. I even looked up a video online of someone beating the level, looking for some sort of secret I was missing, there wasn't one. I just had to get good. So that's what I did. I buckled down in the game and just kept trying, kept flying, kept getting just a little bit better each time. By the time I reached the end of the game, I felt like I truly was an Ace. The previous mission in which it took me 10 tries to get the 15,000 points to beat, I now regularly go back to and effortlessly get over 50,000. There is no secret to beating this game besides sticking with it and getting good, but when you do get good at it, you will feel like you're flying. Not flying a plane, just, flying.

The DLC missions are also top notch as some of the best missions in the game, with great music, objectives, and enemy aces.

Can't recommend this game highly enough, especially if you see it on sale. Remember, stick with Trigger, and you'll make it.

If you like me, saw the Ace Combat 8 trailer and had never heard of this game before, I wouldn't blame you. I had no idea what I was walking into but for £3.99, it was worth a try.

GOOD. LORD.

This game is incredible. I was expecting to just mess around shooting a few planes and that would be that. Somehow, each mission becomes more complex and gives you something new to think about. The story is compelling enough to continue on and care about the characters and your voiceless character has an entire arc of their own.

The best part of this game, by far, is the sound design. The music is powerful and matches the pace of the action. If you have ever played any Metal Gear Solid game and enjoyed the cinematic style of music, this is the game for you. Even if you haven't ever played a game like this before (I hadn't), you will likely love this game.

Brilliant value when on sale but honestly, I would pay more for such a strong game.