Ace Combat 7
You sit in the cockpit of an F-22 Raptor, one of the most advanced jet fighters in the world. Above you is a deep dark blue sky, and beneath you is the equally blue ocean. Taking another deep breath you make another attempt to control your hammering heart. The onboard computer intones neutrally, “MISSILE ALERT. MISSILE ALERT.” Sweat begins to run down your forehead. Quickly pressing one of the many buttons on your control panel and diving left you hear the unmistakable release of chaff and flares from your aircraft. Using the control stick to line up your nose back up with the rapidly moving aircraft in front of you is proving to be a little more than a challenge. It moves with uncanny speed and agility that is impossible for a human pilot to replicate. That's because this particular aircraft isn’t being controlled by a human at all, but a superintelligent AI flying an aircraft that does not yet officially exist. Your eyes follow it’s sharp movements trying to decipher the strategy. It’s man vs. machine and the loser takes a nose dive into the ocean below. This is what it feels like to be an ace pilot. This is what it feels like to play Ace Combat 7.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a combat flight simulator for those unaware. Even though it has 7 in the title this is actually the 17th game in the long-running franchise spanning all the way back to 1995. I personally joined the series back in 2001 for Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies on the PS2. Since then there have been several iterations of the franchise some better than others. This Ace Combat, however, was different. When I first heard about it the main thing that got my attention besides the sleek graphics and the new look was the announcement that it would be compatible with PSVR tech. And so, I picked the game up, put on the VR helmet and booted it up for the first time.
And nearly lost my lunch.
The visuals were bright and colorful, the music was pounding, and the combat was immersive. Turning my head to watch an enemy ignite into a blazing fireball was quite a unique experience. The experience however fun was completely overwhelming and short-lived. After the session, I found myself with a bucket in one hand and a can of ginger ale in the other. I decided to go back to the game’s non-VR main campaign.
You play as a silent protagonist with the callsign “Trigger”. Trigger flies for the Osean Federation, one of the games main factions. Most of his enemies come from the military power of Erusea the games other faction. As you might imagine, sparks fly between the two factions and conflict ensues. I should note here that Ace Combat is known for many things like its gameplay, attention-to-detail, and precise controls. The story is not one of those things. There are several one-note characters that don’t do a great job of making you feel that you should care about them, their war, or their background. The female characters, in particular, were very weak and their dialogue was just awful. This is through no fault of their actors, however. The voice actors did as good a job as they could have all things counted. There would be times that the dialogue would take on a philosophical or reflective tone, but the earlier delivery of a strange, stilted conversation would destroy any attempt at mood or impact the scene was going for. One thing I will say is that the character designs were all very well done. Similar to Final Fantasy (take your pick) characters can be smack dab in the middle of a war and still look absolutely gorgeous. Namely the princess of Erusea Rosa Cosette D’Elise.
Despite the lackluster reason for fighting, this doesn’t detract one bit from the gameplay itself. The controls are relatively simple, with tweaking and joystick options for more advanced players. The enemy A.I. would often surprise in ways I didn’t expect while I fought. For instance, one type of enemy you encounter is a tiny drone called an MQ-101. These drones alone are relatively weak succumbing after only one missile or a burst of gunfire. The problem with these, however, is that you’re usually fighting about 20 at one time. So the moment you lock onto one, one or more of the drones have you locked on at various angles. What follows next is usually a wild dance through the sky as you attempt to shoot down as many enemies as possible while avoiding the constant threat of missile lock.
Then there are the classic dogfights between you and certain campaign specific enemies. In the beginning, it’s near impossible to keep up with your rivals but the longer you play and the more you upgrade your various aircraft the easier it becomes to match them turn for turn. Add your standard jet, helicopter, and ground enemies and you have more than one intense encounter on your hands. This is where Ace Combat 7 shines. On more than one occasion, I found my heart beginning to pound as my aircraft began to give out and my warning lights all flashed a rapid red, telling me I was being locked on for the final blow. It was the ‘make or break’ moments like these that made the game for me. That, coupled with the amazing soundtrack, made me feel just like an ace pilot. I really can’t stress how exciting the soundtrack was. There is a track for every mission but the ones that stuck out in my mind were your engagements with the game's bosses. These would amplify the emotions of the already high stakes missions and double the suspension for an already tense dogfight. I liked it so much I decided to play part way through the campaign again on an even harder difficulty.
Eventually, I found the strength to give the VR another chance. Luckily there are only three missions for VR-mode so this time I didn’t need a doggy bag. If you enjoy a good flying simulator and solid combat then I recommend you pick this one up. Ace Combat 7 is made by Bandai Namco Entertainment and you can pick it up for about $50 at your local retailer.
