Ace Combat 7 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Speedrunning Tips and Esports Appeal

After a long hiatus, a global hit returns in the form of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.  

Originally slated for release at the end of 2017, developer Bandai Namco Studios (also dubbed Project Aces) stepped back and decided to harness the new power available to them courtesy of current consoles and Unreal Engine 4. 

While the delay means fans of the series and otherwise haven't seen a release on consoles since 2014, and before that 2011 on mobile phones, it also means the expectations will be met with some much-needed innovation for the series. 

The power and finesse of the game's systems brought on courtesy of the extended wait are apparent from the first time a player drops into Ace Combat 7. And while it tries to walk a casual-hardcore tightrope at times (battle royale mode?), Project Aces delivers in a big way, even managing to give a supposedly niche genre mainstream appeal.

Graphics and Gameplay

Ace Combat 7 doesn't have many equals when it shines visually. 

The game is gorgeous, a notion accelerated if a player chooses to use the in-cockpit point of view while playing.

Doughy clouds wisp away as a jet tears through them, and darkening ones hint at an upcoming storm. Those storms are stunning as well, with lightning tearing down and creating a reflection off the glass. Entering or exiting a storm creates the expected droplets of water. 

For those who treat aircraft like many do cars in racing games, the variety of vehicles and depth to each are impressive. There are customizable items for each unlockable aircraft, and the visual changes go right along with it. 

But zooming out is where Ace Combat 7 starts to have some problems. The environments are pretty and range from over-ocean fighting to whizzing in and out of mountain ranges to straight-up fictional monoliths reaching into the atmosphere. But being far above these details and looking down (or up depending on the player's orientation and predicament) create some noticeable pop-in at longer distances. 

Really, it's a minor complaint and an understandable one given the speed at which these aircraft move and the distance they cover. Few games have to cover this much land mass so quickly, so even modern tech was going to have some hiccups. 

The game certainly doesn't have any issues in sound design. The soundtrack is varied and keeps things fresh, with the proper tense vibes playing at the right times.

In a game like this with only audio voiceovers to contextualize the dramatic moments during gameplay itself, the quality score here makes a huge difference. 

Where Ace Combat 7 really shines is when the visuals tie perfectly in with gameplay. Like a racing game's track handling differently in a storm or clear conditions, Project Aces has managed to replicate the same in the skies. 

It's not just a pretty back-of-box talking point—clouds have their own turbulence, and the effect on a player's jet is noticeable. One cloud will be simple to pass through, the next will signal the onset of a storm system and whip the jet around, creating a reaction from the player.

These varying weather details will have visuals that create a big impact on gameplay, obviously, but lightning fizzling out all on-screen systems or outright stalling the jet while the controller vibrates is about as engaging as it gets. 

At a more basic level, gameplay is a blast. Players have the option to choose between a simple controller layout or a complex one. Either is rewarding, but keeping it simple and having one analog stick control the direction of the jet is enjoyable enough.

Getting the hang of how a jet controls doesn't take long, and the game does a good job of slowly introducing the finer details for players to digest, from cycling between weapons to recentering the jet's orientation and even pulling off some of the fancier zero turns. 

Actual fights are a good time as well, and on the basic control scheme, they have some pick-up-and-play potential for the average gamer.

Boiled down as simply as possible, flying in range of a targeted enemy and waiting for the beeper and red blinker to go off and then firing a missile to down them is the key. Of course, the skill of the target, conditions, angles and quite a bit more make things more complex as a player progresses. 

For those seeking a skill-based challenge, a more difficult control scheme awaits, as do stunning acrobatic feats (also lethal to enemies) in the form of controllable post-stall maneuvers. 

Overall, this is dogfighting fun that grabs the player and slowly becomes more enjoyable as more systems get introduced and the different gameplay challenges start to present themselves.

For a supposed niche, Ace Combat 7 knocks out the gameplay in a way that boasts casual appeal and serves as an overall pleasant surprise. 

Story Mode and More 

Ace Combat 7 dives away from real-life Earth unlike recent games in the series and heads back to the oddly titled Strangereal. The continent itself is enough like Earth, just...strange, apparently. 

Anyway, the focal point of the story is the player, call sign Trigger. The pilot gets involved in the Second Usean Continental War between the Osean Federation and the Kingdom of Erusea. Trigger fights Erusea drones for most of the game and eventually gets sent to a penal military unit.

The events leading to the assignment are playable early on and told well. The penal military unit is a fun wrinkle, as painted-on-dirt airways and decommissioned aircraft meant to fool enemies eventually drives the story in interesting directions. 

Here, Ace Combat 7 impresses again. The story has a balance of comic book-type cutscenes and straight voiceover work while looking at a map.

It's a bit confusing until things really get going, but it is an unexpected surprise to see how well some of the gameplay systems get put to work within the greater narrative. 

One mission, for example, strictly has the player targeting anti-air encampments—but with a twist, as getting to these well-positioned units requires weaving in and out of mountains. 

Oh, and a nasty storm means a low degree of visibility, not to mention lighting bolts that can disable all systems. 

While the story is interesting, the gameplay mix-ups really make each mission enjoyable. Despite the simple idea here (fly plane, shoot other planes), Ace Combat 7 has a ton of variance.

One mission asks players to reach a certain score in open-world destruction. One is an escort ordeal. One manages to act as a stealth mission and does so smartly within the plot. Another starts with the player's weapons systems locked via strong story justification.

Maybe it all feels so fresh because these sorts of games don't come around often, but rolling through the missions consecutively is still a refreshing, well-executed experience. 

Outside of the story mode, general multiplayer is the expected affair. Team deathmatch is playable on a handful of different combat zones (maps) with standard eight-on-eight rules.

Battle Royale is...a tad misleading. Featuring only eight players, respawns are enabled. Players strive to have the highest score, which they get based on enemies they shoot down. Those enemies are worth a certain number of points based on what they are flying and have equipped.

This isn't to say the mode isn't fun—it is, especially within the solid gameplay loop available in single player—but it is disappointing to see the mode doesn't exactly live up to its name. There isn't a perma-death rule to each round, nor is there a shrinking circle bringing pilots closer, to name a few of the genre's staples. 

Away from the skies, the game features an almost intimidating aircraft unlock tree. Those branches feature a massive number of aircraft unlocks, as well as weapons upgrades for each and general performance unlocks. These are all unlockable after earning enough points through single player or via multiplayer matches completed. 

The tree and laundry list of items there naturally feeds into an extensive customization system.

This isn't just picking and choosing weapons, either. Each aircraft has a deep tuning system where players can adjust things like airbrakes, the bulletproof level of a fuel tank and even the aircraft's software. Or, in other words, interesting, sometimes unexpected things that obviously go into these jets but grounded folk don't think about often. 

Speedrunning Tips and Esports Appeal

Slamming through the campaign and unlocking the tuning options via currency go hand in hand here.

It won't be a surprise to see a solid speedrunning community pop up around Ace Combat 7 because the skill ceiling is seemingly immeasurable. This, at least partially, would explain why past games have had speedruns of their own. 

The runner-viewer relationship here will make blowing through the same set of missions multiple times fun for all. A speedrunner skillfully weaving through the varying mission objectives while trying to set a new record after appreciable and documented improvement of skills should draw an audience. 

As for individual speedrunning tips, tailoring loadouts to a specific mission type is key. Prioritizing the unlocking of land-to-air missiles on aircraft that excel in those areas and rolling that out of the hangar for taking out land-based objectives, for example, will shave plenty of time off the total. Likewise, escort or drone-elimination missions will require more dogfighting-based unlocks. 

Otherwise, simply running through the missions again to understand layout and which targets reward the most points, where applicable, will continue to reduce the final time count.

And while it sounds silly, making sure to target actual objectives instead of taking down non-essential enemies in the air is another important talking point, as things can get cluttered with so many aircraft in the sky during certain battles.

Taking out the targets in red will always make things progress faster, whereas taking down non-red opponents doesn't do anything in that regard. 

Unfortunately, on the esports front, it is hard to imagine Ace Combat 7 carving out a niche with its niche. The games can be entertaining to watch and skill plays a factor, but limited game modes and "maps" will likely make it a more difficult sell. 

Whereas maps in a pro sport like Overwatch play a key role in the personality of the game, this one doesn't offer anything similar outside of the great weather effects mixing things up.

There isn't any team play or character in the equation, either, outside of players being able to customize their fighters and emblems. Like it or not, these factors play a big role in whether something climbs to esport territory and stays there with any longevity. 

Conclusion

Sometimes, it seems the answer to the question "was it worth the wait?" feels like a no. 

Not here. 

Ace Combat 7 isn't a perfect game by any means. At times, missions can feel unforgiving if a player doesn't act fast enough, and a sparse checkpoint system doesn't help.

The story is unique, and while it fits into the series timeline well, it isn't going to bring home any awards, not with melodramatic Metal Gear Solid-esque vibes with no direction. 

But overall, Project Aces absolutely nailed the gameplay for all skill ranges and flexes some of its gameplay muscle with a dash of variety to keep things interesting.

Casual fans can dive in and see meaningful skill improvement. Aficionados can appreciate the finer details, either in the tuning menu or simply in flight through a storm system while pulling off a complicated maneuver, if not both. 

While Ace Combat 7 won't spawn copycats looking for a slice of the niche pie by any means, this is a blueprint for how a game can put a stranglehold on its expertise and still draw in a wider audience if done right—even if it means a longer wait.