Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

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84%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

88% User Score Based on 17,122 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 51 reviews

Platforms

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About

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a single player and multiplayer arcade shooter game with drama, warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by Bandai Namco Studios Inc. and was released on January 31, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

The Deluxe Edition of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown contains the base game, the Season Pass, and the 8 Popular Squadron Emblems DLC.

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 17,122 reviews

story2.6k positive mentions

grinding138 negative mentions

story
9,791 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
gameplay
2,443 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The gameplay of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has been widely praised for its engaging and exhilarating arcade-style flight mechanics, which blend classic elements from previous titles with new features like weather effects and high-g maneuvers. While the story has received mixed reviews, many players find the gameplay to be addictive and satisfying, with a variety of missions that keep the experience fresh. However, some critiques point to repetitive mission structures and a lack of depth in certain gameplay mechanics, suggesting that while the core experience is enjoyable, it could benefit from further innovation.
- “The gameplay is exhilarating, combining fast-paced dogfights with a compelling storyline that keeps you engaged from start to finish.”
- “It offers a perfect blend of realistic flight mechanics, strategic depth, and a compelling story that makes for an unforgettable gaming experience.”
- “The gameplay is solid and is an overall improvement from the last few games.”
- “But in terms of gameplay, it is not much different; I just feel like I am playing the same game with high graphic quality, and I hope this series will have new changes in the future.”
- “Between multiple loading screens to change menus, the 'tech tree' unlocks showing you every newly available unlock with a slow animation, and quite a few other decisions, this game reads like a manager was maximizing 'time to complete' metrics by any means necessary -- even when they didn't involve gameplay.”
- “The main drawback for me are the simplistic mechanics; I don't want this game to be a full simulation, but putting in some sort of energy fighting and different tactics to address different missile types would have elevated it from mindless fun to a more engaging game.”
graphics
1,981 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
The graphics in "Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in aircraft modeling and atmospheric effects like weather and clouds. Many players noted that the game runs smoothly even on mid-range systems, showcasing impressive graphical fidelity that enhances the overall immersive experience. However, some critiques pointed out limitations in ground textures and a lack of extensive graphical options, suggesting that while the visuals are generally excellent, there is room for improvement in certain areas.
- “I really enjoy having the aerial combat experience with stunning visuals which make me feel like a true fighter pilot.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with clouds so realistic you’ll feel the urge to grab a jacket.”
- “The graphics and attention to detail in the aircraft and environments are astonishing, making every dogfight a visual spectacle.”
- “The graphics are bad.”
- “Graphics are shite for today's standards, gameplay feels recycled for the 7th time, storyline is beyond cringe and the constant dialogue popups are enough to give you an aneurysm.”
- “The ground graphics look like they're still in the ps2 era and the mission design is absolutely shocking.”
music
1,756 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The music in "Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its epic orchestral compositions that enhance the game's cinematic experience. Composed by Keiki Kobayashi, the soundtrack is noted for its ability to evoke strong emotions during gameplay, making each mission feel significant and immersive. While some players feel it may not reach the heights of previous entries in the series, the overall consensus is that the music is a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “The soundtrack is a triumph of musical engineering, a sonic tapestry woven with the threads of drama, tension, and the unbridled joy of flight.”
- “The music is heavenly, it's perfectly suited to where it plays, it is my favorite in the series.”
- “The soundtrack complements the adrenaline-pumping action perfectly, enhancing every moment of triumph or challenge.”
- “The music is mostly forgettable; previous Ace Combat games had much more visceral soundtracks.”
- “The soundtrack is a mix between orchestrated and computer-generated, sometimes a mix between the two, and the highs, lows, and crescendos match perfectly with the action.”
- “The music gets you pumped at just the right moments.”
replayability
302 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
51%
6%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while the campaign offers a variety of unlocks and challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs, it is relatively short with only 20 missions. Some players find the single-player experience enjoyable enough to revisit for high scores and achievements, while others criticize the lack of depth and variety in missions, particularly in multiplayer. Overall, those who appreciate unlocking new aircraft and completing challenges will find significant replay value, but others may feel the game lacks long-term engagement.
- “For those seeking a competitive edge, the multiplayer mode offers endless replayability.”
- “The replayability of the main campaign is very enjoyable due to the multiple aircraft you can choose; setting up fun challenges.”
- “The various challenges you can pose for yourself, and achievements to get, give the game great replayability, too.”
- “Campaign is 20 missions, and it only took me like 10 hours to get through them (on normal difficulty), and there's not a whole lot of replayability as far as singleplayer is concerned, unless you want to hunt achievements or just really enjoy the missions.”
- “The game has very low replay value, some very unrewarding missions with terrible difficulty scaling and atrocious PvP.”
- “It's a fun game but in my opinion it doesn't offer much in replayability besides repeating the story missions or the few 'special' missions.”
optimization
271 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received largely positive feedback, with many users noting that it runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware, including older laptops. Players have reported high frame rates and minimal performance issues, such as stuttering or crashes, which is commendable for a title with impressive graphics. However, some criticisms exist regarding the lack of optimization for mouse and keyboard controls, suggesting that the game is primarily designed for console play.
- “Nicely optimized game, ran fine with 30 fps on 1080p on my potato laptop while having that good graphics.”
- “Well optimized, looks pretty great, cool unique set pieces, great mission varieties, and it plays pretty well, jets feel smooth to fly around and control is intuitive.”
- “The graphics are amazing and pretty well optimized, unlike other games.”
- “What a joke... we can't get better optimization than this?”
- “The controls are also not as optimized for the PC.”
- “The on-screen prompts that tell you what controls what are only in the Xbox format, so you're forced to figure out the controls on your own, and the optimization for PC was neglected heavily, as the control scheme is wonky and you don't have any option at all to edit bindings or adjust how the mouse moves the aircraft.”
grinding
177 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
20%
78%
The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and frustrating. While some enjoy the challenge of unlocking new planes and upgrades, the repetitive nature of missions and the slow progression system detract from the overall experience, leading to a sense of artificial difficulty and a lack of engaging content post-campaign. Overall, players suggest that the game requires a significant time investment to fully enjoy its features, often feeling like a grind rather than a rewarding experience.
- “Very fun to play, not grindy, great graphics.”
- “This game is not grindy like some other games produced by Japanese companies.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Extremely grindy and obtuse plane unlock system, a tedious campaign replay system, and terrible dialogue and story.”
- “The grinding is something where it starts to resemble a modern game - this is a 6 hour game that knows it and making you go back to replay previous missions to get better planes and weapons, alongside the trial and error mission design is how it artificially extends itself to a 15-20 one.”
- “The missions are long and tedious, 0 difficulty whatsoever.”
humor
153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with players finding joy in the absurdity of the story, over-the-top characters, and cringe-worthy dialogue. Many reviews highlight the game's self-aware humor, with funny moments arising from the ridiculous scenarios and exaggerated voice acting, making it an entertaining experience despite its flaws. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted charm to the gameplay, making it a memorable "funny plane game."
- “Insane story, amazing music, batshit characters, funny explosions, oh yeah that's a banger 10/10 ace combat game.”
- “The game doesn't take itself seriously; it has a really dry sense of humor that can take you by surprise when it cracks a joke with a straight face.”
- “The story is pretty cheesy and Japanese, but that's really part of the charm, and I was laughing at the cutscenes the whole time.”
- “I just found out that war crimes are not funny.”
- “The only good character was AWACS operator Bandog; everyone else is actively unpleasant, incompetent, unfunny, or just forgettable.”
emotional
115 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
3%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players expressing that it elicited strong feelings, including tears during pivotal moments and a deep connection to the story and characters. The soundtrack is frequently highlighted as a key element that enhances the emotional experience, complementing the narrative's highs and lows. While some reviews note a lack of character depth or emotional attachment, the overall sentiment is that the game successfully delivers an impactful and nostalgic emotional journey, reminiscent of earlier entries in the series.
- “The game's characters are well-developed and likeable, adding an emotional depth to the experience.”
- “This game was a shockingly emotional experience that I cannot recommend enough.”
- “The soundtrack, composed by Keiki Kobayashi, is nothing short of a masterpiece, perfectly complementing the game's atmosphere and providing an emotional backdrop to the intense aerial combat.”
- “The story felt incredibly boring and failed to evoke any emotional response.”
- “I found the narrative to be dull, lacking the depth needed to connect with the characters.”
- “Despite its attempts at emotional depth, the plot was ultimately unengaging and forgettable.”
stability
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
4%
48%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent freezes and crashes, particularly during missions or shortly after launching. While some users praise its performance on high-end systems and the Steam Deck, others express frustration over the game's tendency to freeze, making it difficult to progress. Overall, while the game runs well for some, significant stability issues persist for many players, impacting their overall experience.
- “First things first, sadly an important thing these days, the technical side of things: it's pretty much flawless, it runs great and is definitely well optimized. The FPS is unlocked and reaching 200+ FPS is not uncommon with this game. Trust me, flying at 144Hz and above feels absolutely awesome. The game never crashed in all my time spent with it, nor did I ever have to kill its process. I honestly can't recall any bugs with it at all; in 2019, that's quite an achievement compared to other AAA games.”
- “The game runs great, the controls are smooth, and the satisfaction of pulling off moves and shots with the mechanics keeps on getting better. The story, while not especially captivating, is very well directed and executed, and I enjoy watching it.”
- “No glitches, crashes, bugs, or balance issues.”
- “I wasted my money to buy a game which freezes 50% of the time.”
- “Unfortunately, every time I launch the game, it freezes or crashes to desktop about 5 minutes into a level.”
- “This game seems to freeze up almost constantly, to the point I can't get past the 5th mission because it freezes every single time I try.”
atmosphere
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, dynamic weather effects, and an exceptional soundtrack that enhances the immersive experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in environments and the emotional depth provided by the music, which complements the intense aerial combat and narrative moments. While some critiques mention disjointed storytelling and shallow dialogue, the overall consensus is that the game successfully creates a captivating and cinematic atmosphere that keeps players engaged.
- “The soundtrack, composed by Keiki Kobayashi, is nothing short of a masterpiece, perfectly complementing the game's atmosphere and providing an emotional backdrop to the intense aerial combat.”
- “The game's graphics are impressive, with detailed environments and stunning weather effects that add to the game's immersive atmosphere.”
- “The game does a phenomenal job in creating the perfect atmosphere for every situation, from moments of grief to moments of prosperity to moments of 'all or nothing'.”
- “Actually, there's a couple things that cause major shifts in the story and atmosphere that just aren't explained well at all and act like a thing to just make certain gameplay aspects happen.”
- “The story is a bit lackluster and lacks the atmosphere of some of the past games.”
- “Also, the intonation of the speech in the game is just too shallow so the vibe or atmosphere is just not there.”
monetization
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
44%
47%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the absence of microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics, allowing players to earn in-game currency through gameplay. However, others criticize the game for perceived cash grab tactics, such as the lack of content and the promotion of expensive peripherals. Overall, while many appreciate the straightforward unlock system and absence of microtransactions, concerns about additional costs and content being withheld for future sales persist.
- “Oh, and there are no microtransactions.”
- “No 'game as a service', microtransactions, and pay to win.”
- “No bugs, no microtransactions, or any major issues.”
- “If you thought that Ace Combat needed pay-to-win microtransactions, PvP, and three season passes containing content hacked out of the base game starting on day one, this is it.”
- “This is literally the same trick that the same company pulled with Tekken and Soul Calibur, hacking out characters who were in the series for years to resell them as microtransactions to people who had already bought the game.”
- “In a world where you can get Project Wingman and other Ace Combat style games for less than the cost of the microtransactions for this exploitative product, this isn't a good value for money even on sale.”
character development
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its depth and connection to the story, while others criticize it for being minimal or inconsistent. Players appreciate the engaging character arcs and interactions, particularly in comparison to previous titles in the series, but note that certain characters and side stories lack sufficient development. Overall, while there are moments of strong character growth, many feel that it could have been more thoroughly explored.
- “The story is well narrated and the character development is done super well.”
- “Character development was great, there were multiple character storylines going on at the same time and all of them were interesting, and it was interesting to see how everything connected in the end.”
- “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown continues an old, perhaps curious tradition of the franchise: an emphasis on dramatic storytelling and character development in the campaign that hopes to complement the gameplay.”
- “Story is super odd and not really engaging with no real character development.”
- “It's obvious as you play it that this went through development hell and there are missions/character development missing.”
- “In all honesty, the story is not what I expected because the character development among your squad mates, especially the enemies, is quite minuscule.”