This is your captain speaking: Please excuse the bad aviary jokes found in the review below. I don't know what came over me.
I've never really got around to trying the Ace Combat games. I dabbled with the one on 3DS and thought it was pretty good, but I wasn't really looking to get my pilot's license back then. Nowadays I'm looking to spread my wings and try whatever looks interesting. My latest choice just happened to be Ace Combat 7.
I must say, the story feels like a complete afterthought to me. Your fellow pilots chattering over the radio really devolved into white noise (all the while, the sweet sounds of "MISSILE, MISSLE" pick up the slack). The plot points really feel like they only exist to put you in unique combat scenarios. And don't get me wrong, the combat scenarios they've devised are exhilirating, heart-pounding challenges. But it really felt like the writers had their head in the clouds when trying to tie this all together in a meaningful way. I've seen that other reviews on Backloggd highlight how unfortunately framed a lot of the game's (fictional, but still loosely based on reality) subject matter is, but if I'm being honest, the plot is so confused that these allegories flew right over my head. (My dad just found all of it really hard to follow when he played through the game.) It didn't bother me that much in the grand scheme of things.
Gameplay-wise though? Some of the best flying I've experienced in a game. You have just the right amount of control to take on anything the game throws at you. You get enough currency after each stage of the campaign to work towards buying new aircrafts/parts, giving you some flexibility. The game balances consistent mechanics with a very challenging campaign. Like I said earlier, almost every new stage manages to bring some new form of spectacle with it. Not all scenarios are winners; I distinctly remember failing to shoot down the three IRBM missiles at the end of Mission 13 several times before I got it right. I also feel as though the game doesn't make priority targets very clear. A semi-generous checkpoint system alleviates this a little, but the score attack missions lack said checkpoints, leading to a few instances of tedium. I also feel like a "sortie and retry" option would've helped, as there are some missions where you won't realize you're ill-equipped until you're already in the thick of things.
As for the visuals, I'm not sure the sky has ever looked this good. There's been a lot of effort put into the weather effects in the game, and it really pays off. Flying through clouds puts ice crystals on your screen, dust storms make visibility a nightmare, rain has water droplets streaking across your screen, and getting struck by lighting in a thunderstorm is appropriately harrowing (along with temporarily fucking up your UI). The music honestly makes me feel like I'm ascending. It's an absolutely godly combination of electronic synth beats and a full-blown orchestra (sometimes even vocals), weaving around each other in perfect sync.
Personal favorites of mine: ADFX-10, Siren's Song, Magic Spear I, Battle for Farbanti,and I'm gonna stop before I end up linking the whole OST.
In case it's not obvious, I'm smitten with this game. It has a handful of moments of confusion, and I'm not about to praise its story or characters, but the Project ACES team has the gameplay down pat. A near-perfect blend of exhilarating flight and intense aircraft combat. If you want a good place to start in the Ace Combat series, I'd say this is one title you shouldn't let fly under your radar. Just don't expect much out of the plot. I'm personally looking forward to trying the rest of the series.
I've never really got around to trying the Ace Combat games. I dabbled with the one on 3DS and thought it was pretty good, but I wasn't really looking to get my pilot's license back then. Nowadays I'm looking to spread my wings and try whatever looks interesting. My latest choice just happened to be Ace Combat 7.
I must say, the story feels like a complete afterthought to me. Your fellow pilots chattering over the radio really devolved into white noise (all the while, the sweet sounds of "MISSILE, MISSLE" pick up the slack). The plot points really feel like they only exist to put you in unique combat scenarios. And don't get me wrong, the combat scenarios they've devised are exhilirating, heart-pounding challenges. But it really felt like the writers had their head in the clouds when trying to tie this all together in a meaningful way. I've seen that other reviews on Backloggd highlight how unfortunately framed a lot of the game's (fictional, but still loosely based on reality) subject matter is, but if I'm being honest, the plot is so confused that these allegories flew right over my head. (My dad just found all of it really hard to follow when he played through the game.) It didn't bother me that much in the grand scheme of things.
Gameplay-wise though? Some of the best flying I've experienced in a game. You have just the right amount of control to take on anything the game throws at you. You get enough currency after each stage of the campaign to work towards buying new aircrafts/parts, giving you some flexibility. The game balances consistent mechanics with a very challenging campaign. Like I said earlier, almost every new stage manages to bring some new form of spectacle with it. Not all scenarios are winners; I distinctly remember failing to shoot down the three IRBM missiles at the end of Mission 13 several times before I got it right. I also feel as though the game doesn't make priority targets very clear. A semi-generous checkpoint system alleviates this a little, but the score attack missions lack said checkpoints, leading to a few instances of tedium. I also feel like a "sortie and retry" option would've helped, as there are some missions where you won't realize you're ill-equipped until you're already in the thick of things.
As for the visuals, I'm not sure the sky has ever looked this good. There's been a lot of effort put into the weather effects in the game, and it really pays off. Flying through clouds puts ice crystals on your screen, dust storms make visibility a nightmare, rain has water droplets streaking across your screen, and getting struck by lighting in a thunderstorm is appropriately harrowing (along with temporarily fucking up your UI). The music honestly makes me feel like I'm ascending. It's an absolutely godly combination of electronic synth beats and a full-blown orchestra (sometimes even vocals), weaving around each other in perfect sync.
Personal favorites of mine: ADFX-10, Siren's Song, Magic Spear I, Battle for Farbanti,
In case it's not obvious, I'm smitten with this game. It has a handful of moments of confusion, and I'm not about to praise its story or characters, but the Project ACES team has the gameplay down pat. A near-perfect blend of exhilarating flight and intense aircraft combat. If you want a good place to start in the Ace Combat series, I'd say this is one title you shouldn't let fly under your radar. Just don't expect much out of the plot. I'm personally looking forward to trying the rest of the series.
Hooblashooga
1 year ago
Also, I dabbled in a few rounds of the multiplayer (even catastrophic losses give you a pretty nice paycheck), but I think I can confidently say that it's not a reason you should pick up the game. Unlike the AI that shakes things up a bit and maybe leaves a brief window for you to approach and attack them, fighting against real human beings often lead to us instinctively flying circles around each other ad nauseam. Not very fun or engaging, to say the least.