Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is an arcade-style flight combat game, not a simulation. Before anyone pulls up a HOTAS setup and starts calibrating rudder pedals, know that the core loop is closer to a third-person shooter set in the sky than to DCS or IL-2. You pick a jet, load out missiles and special weapons, and then spend missions chasing red diamonds across a prettily rendered sky until everything explodes. The campaign runs about 15 to 20 hours and follows an escalating conflict between the Osean Federation and the Kingdom of Erusea, complete with space elevators, drone swarms, and cutscenes that take themselves very seriously. It is a lot. It is also genuinely entertaining in that specific way only Japanese action games manage. On the aircraft and loadout side, the game gives you a decent progression system built around an aircraft tree. You earn MRP (points from mission performance) and spend them unlocking planes ranging from the F-16C Fighting Falcon up through the F-22A Raptor and Su-57. Each airframe has its own weight, turn radius, and weapon compatibility, so there is a layer of actual decision-making in how you build toward late-game missions. Special weapons like the LAGM long-range guided missiles, the QAAM high-agility air-to-air missiles, or the LASM for ship-busting create distinct playstyles per loadout. That said, once you understand that QAAMs make air-to-air trivial and a good multi-role plane handles most ground missions, the meta compresses fast. Veterans will find the depth ceiling lower than they might hope. The campaign missions are the real highlight. A few of them are outright spectacular - cloud layers that hide enemy fighters, zero-visibility instrument runs, and late-game sequences that go genuinely cinematic. The story wobbles between compelling and completely incoherent depending on the mission, and the English dub leans into the drama in ways that range from charming to unintentionally funny. The villain writing is memorable. The protagonist is mute. Make of that what you will. Where the game stumbles is pacing: a handful of missions overstay their welcome, and the escort and defense objectives feel dated against the stronger offensive sorties. Multiplayer includes both competitive battle royale-style modes and a co-op survival mode. The online population is not massive years after launch, but the PC version holds well enough during peak hours and mods via community tools have extended the game's life meaningfully. VR support exists for PSVR (PlayStation version) but is absent on PC, which is a notable omission given how much that mode was praised at launch. PC performance is solid, with good ultrawide support and a customizable HUD. Controller play is strongly recommended over keyboard. For strategy and sim players specifically: do not expect Falcon BMS. Do expect a game that rewards learning weapon ranges, energy management in turning fights, and target prioritization under time pressure. There is more mechanical substance here than most arcade flyers, even if the skill ceiling is reachable within a single playthrough. The aircraft roster and the unlock tree will scratch the min-maxing itch lightly. The campaign is worth the time. The soundtrack, heavy with orchestral and electric guitar, is legitimately one of the better game scores in the genre. Diego, Scout Team