Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

In the 7th Installment of the Ace Combat Franchise I decided to finally give it a go ahead. I’ve fiddled here and there with demos or played past versions at a friends house, but never really was into it to be honest. I will admit I’m not too upset with my decision and, all in all, I’m impressed.

Campaign

I started right off by jumping into the campaign. I thought that unless they completely stole Top Guns story line, in order to make it entertaining, that it wouldn’t be possible that I would be interested in what they decided to do with it. You are walked through the background of the female protagonist, off the bat, by her own words explaining her long family history in the Air Force and what it really meant to be a pilot. After the initial spill from her you’re shown that the world seems to be on the brink of war with two major sides at play. It plays heavily on the ever growing use of drones in air warfare and how the days of manned aircrafts is coming closer and closer to an end.

Your main mission of the campaign, other than destroying the enemy aircrafts and equipment, is to protect the heavily valued Space Elevator. There is also a third group filled with convicts, felons, and war criminals that know how to fly. These individuals are able to redeem themselves by flying apart of this expendable crew that realistically are used to defend a mere “fake distraction airbase” to take out some of the enemies forces in the surrounding area. It does become pretty repetitive after a couple missions, which was the main reason I lost my interest sooner than I would have hoped.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer was what I was most excited for. They only have two game modes, but realistically what can you really come up with other than a Team Death Match and a Free For All, which surprisingly (sarcasm) they titled Battle Royale Mode. Multiplayer definitely tests your true pilot skill and proved I am no Goose just yet.

There is a pretty large selection of aircrafts alongside customization for them ranging from upgraded speed and stability to better weapons and specialized weapons for specific uses whether it’s air to air or air to ground combat. Thankfully, anything you unlock for your hangar and customization is available in both campaign and multiplayer no matter when you decide to spend the points you’ve unlocked. Add this customization on top of a couple friends on your squad to communicate on which targets you’ll each take on makes it the best way to play the game in my opinion.

Ace Combat 7 Final Thoughts

So to top it off is this a must buy 60 dollar game? Not in my opinion, even though it impressed me. If you have the free cash, like the franchise, wear a Top Gun hat religiously, or are just bored and looking for a new game, then by all means pick it up. Not one you’ll regret having just not one you’ll miss not having.