Ace Combat 7 lets you take to the skies and dominate the airspace as an ace pilot! Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Ace Combat 7 Review Overview
What is Ace Combat 7?
Ace Combat 7 is the seventh iteration of the mainline series of arcade-style combat flight simulations. Originally released in 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, the game received a Nintendo Switch port five years later. The game features different playable aircraft, weapons, and upgrades. It also features online multiplayer, a single player campaign, and more.
Ace Combat 7 features:
⚫︎ Extensive Story Mode Campaign
⚫︎ Team Deathmatch and Battle Royale Multiplayer
⚫︎ 28 Different Usable Aircraft
⚫︎ Multiple Choices of Weapons
⚫︎ Fast Arcade-style Movement
⚫︎ Music Player Mode and other DLC included (not complete)
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Ace Combat 7's gameplay and story.
 Ace Combat 7 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Switch |
Ace Combat 7 Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Epic Soundtrack Fast-Paced Dogfights Varied Story Missions Amazing Switch Port |
Arcade Gameplay Normal Controls is Half the Experience Story is a Slow Burn |
Ace Combat 7 Overall - 80/100
Ace Combat 7 has already earned a reputation in 2019 for being a pretty underrated game. Surprisingly, the game got a Nintendo Switch port after five years and it’s actually an exceptional port. Nothing was changed from the game’s release other than tweaks to its graphics and locking its framerate to 30FPS. It is a nearly-identical version of the game’s original release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Ace Combat 7 Story - 7/10
It’s quite the exposition, with lengthy briefings, companion banter, and more. While it’s appreciated that you’re given context before and after every mission, it still has to be said that the story is pretty slow to pick up, and even then, it might not keep your interest as it’s too wordy and the characters themselves aren’t all that compelling either.
Ace Combat 7 Gameplay - 9/10
While the whole concept of aircraft dogfights is rooted in reality, the gameplay is more fast-paced and arcadey. The game simulates the rush of going high speed through the skies, navigating your way through dangerous airspace, and even shooting down opposing aircraft. With intuitive controls, multiple aircraft to choose from, and different weapons to choose from, this game is simply unmatched in the combat flight simulator genre.
Ace Combat 7 Visuals - 8/10
Visually speaking, this is the aspect that had to suffer the most, especially when it came time to optimize the game to run at a locked framerate. However, the price of slightly lowering the resolution is successful, as the game runs at 30 FPS with very little to no slowdowns. Even at the lowered resolutions, the clean UI and distinct designs make everything easily identifiable.
Ace Combat 7 Audio - 10/10
The music in this game is downright amazing. The score ranges from 90’s Hollywood, similar to Top Gun, to epic orchestral pieces that just build momentum and match the moments perfectly. While the voice acting is a hit or miss, it may be its only flaw in the audio design department, as the music and sound effects are all amazing in their own right.
Ace Combat 7 Value for Money - 6/10
For $59.99, it’s quite expensive. For a five year old game to be priced similarly to its original price, it’s kind of bizarre that it wasn’t lowered even just a little bit. That being said, the base Switch port does have the full campaign and 3 DLC missions, which is easily 20 hours of content alone. However, it may be wise to wait for a sale instead, as you could easily get a premium AAA title for that price range.
Ace Combat 7 Review: Maintains Air Superiority
Ace Combat has been a franchise that has quite literally stood the test of time and has had a number of highs and lows. With the release of Ace Combat 7 back in 2019, they have achieved somewhat of a renaissance where they were able to please longtime fans while being able to attract a broader audience with their unique gameplay. This year, a surprise Switch port was released, and to our surprise, the port is practically perfect for the Switch.
We won’t speak much about the story, as this wasn’t really changed for its original release. However, this also remains the game’s most controversial aspect, as the story is very slow. There’s a lot of pre-mission CGI scenes, briefings, in-mission banter, and even post-mission scenes that tend to bog down the experience a lot. The price of giving context to each and every little detail is that the scenes can run way too long, and players may end up being uninterested, especially if the narrative doesn’t grab their attention immediately.
As for visuals, this is the aspect that suffered the most for the port. However, with the price of lowered visuals comes stability, as the game runs at a perfect 30 frames per second, save for a few hiccups when the effects get crazy. Design-wise, the aircraft look amazing; some are based on real designs, while others are futuristic and distinct.
The music is the game’s shining star, as it definitely gives you Top Gun vibes, and the more climactic sequences have these epic orchestral pieces that really hype you up perfectly. We wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go out there and be like Maverick from Top Gun, as that is precisely what we wanted to do as soon as we played the game.
In terms of gameplay, it’s a mission-based game. So you drop in, do some objectives, then adapt to whatever’s thrown at you. More importantly, you are no less fragile than the opposing jets; you also go down in 1-2 missiles, depending on where you get hit. Similarly, your enemies are also moving at high speeds, armed with deadly weapons, evasive maneuvers, and more. The playing field leveled for dogfights, yet certain missions will make you feel like you’re against the odds.
Objectives-wise, the game has a pretty good variety of objectives, from the classic target elimination, which can range from land, air, or sea targets, to escort missions where you have to protect a specific target from harm and get them to safety, and more. They change it up in missionos often, and missions are enjoyable because of this variety. However, mission length is mostly tied to player skill, and to make things slightly worse, checkpoints are sparse as well.
Speaking of the aspect of player skill, it’s highly encouraged to play the game on Expert controls, as playing the game on its easier control scheme lessens the amount of evasive maneuvers and movement options that you can do, like High-G Turns, barrel rolls, etc. While these are quite difficult to pull off at first, a little bit of practice will have you securing air superiority against all your opponents.
In summary, Ace Combat 7 has received an amazing Switch port. With everything intact and only a small hit to the game’s graphics, you can have a stable and fun experience where you can soar through the skies and shoot down some bogeys. But the game is still pretty expensive; it charges Switch users for $59.99 which is as much as a premium title.
Pros of Ace Combat 7
| Things Ace Combat 7 Got Right |
|---|
|
Epic Soundtrack Fast-Paced Dogfights Varied Story Missions Amazing Switch Port |
Epic Soundtrack
The soundtrack simply does not miss. Each track in the game sets the mood for every engagement, and it never fails to hype you up. From epic rock tracks that echo the 90’s action movie anthems to epic orchestral pieces that instill the feeling of being able to take down any enemy in your path, Ace Combat 7’s music is superb.
Fast-Paced Dogfights
Combat in the game is amazing, especially after learning the game’s movement mechanics and how to control your aircraft, both on the offensive and defensive end. The enjoyment of shooting down bogeys after pulling off a Post-Stall Maneuver is something that you just have to experience yourself, and the rush of evading multiple threats in an active warzone is also just something else.
Varied Story Missions
The story missions are pretty entertaining. A lot of these vary from the simple "eliminate enemies" missions to escort missions, stealth missions, and more. These missions aren’t exclusively about one objective as well, as they tend to be pretty chaotic with how they introduce new challenges.
Amazing Switch Port
The game simply got an amazing Switch port. As explained earlier, it’s pretty much an identical copy of the game with a few adjustments to make the game stable on the Switch.
Cons of Ace Combat 7
| Things That Ace Combat 7 Can Improve |
|---|
|
Arcade Gameplay Normal Controls is Half the Experience Story is a Slow Burn |
Arcade Gameplay
If you were looking for a realistic fighter pilot experience, you won’t get it here. Everything has been sped up and crafted to make it play like an arcade game. While the movement and combat are based on reality, it’s clear that they wanted to make it into a game rather than an actual simulation.
Normal Controls is Half the Experience
While there is nothing wrong with picking Normal controls for an easier experience, it’s actually a detriment to your experience and your movement if you don’t go for the game’s Expert controls instead. Playing on Normal makes you turn when tilting the movement stick left or right, which means that you can’t do certain movement options like barrel rolls and such.
Story is a Slow Burn
There’s a lot of talking in the game’s narrative. While the dogfights are fast and adrenaline pumping, the story moves at a slow pace, where it only really gets better by the halfway point. This is subjective, of course, but it’s still important to note that our experience was bogged down by a ton of cutscenes and slow-moving narratives when we just wanted to shoot some enemies down.
Is Ace Combat 7 Worth It?
Wait for a Sale Before You Take to the Skies
The game is priced at $59.99, which is very expensive for a game that came out five years ago. While the Switch port is brand new, you could easily get a brand new AAA game for that same price range. It may be wise to wait for a sale first before starting up the jet engines.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switch |
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| $59.99 |
Ace Combat 7 FAQ
Does the Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition come with every DLC?
No. The deluxe edition only comes with the following:
⚫︎ ADF-11F Raven Set
⚫︎ ADF-01 FALKEN Set
⚫︎ ADFX-01 Morgan Set
⚫︎ SP MISSION 01 - Unexpected Visitor
⚫︎ SP MISSION 02 - Anchorhead Raid
⚫︎ SP MISSION 03 - Ten Million Relief Plan
⚫︎ Music Player Mode
⚫︎ Playable F-104C -Avril- Aircraft
⚫︎ 3 Aircraft Skins from Past Titles
⚫︎ 8 Emblems from Past Titles
Other DLC’s such as the TOP GUN: Maverick Aircraft Set must be purchased separately.
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Ace Combat 7 Product Information
| |
| Title | ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN DELUXE EDITION |
|---|---|
| Release Date | July 11, 2024 |
| Developer | Bandai Namco Studios |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Supported Platforms | Nintendo Switch |
| Genre | Action, Shooter, Simulation |
| Number of Players | Single-Player, Online Co-Op/PvP (2-8) |
| Rating | ESRB T |
| Official Website | Ace Combat 7 Official Website |
