You’re 30,000 feet up. Everything is gray. Suddenly, the clouds break, and the sun hits your cockpit glass so hard you actually have to squint. That’s the moment. That is the exact second most people realize Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown isn't just another flight sim where you press "A" to shoot. It’s a sensory overload. Honestly, it’s kinda weird that a game released back in 2019 is still the king of the mountain, but here we are in 2026 and nothing has even come close to touching it.
The game is loud. It's dramatic. It’s got a plot that involves space elevators, penal colonies, and a princess who looks like she walked out of a high-fashion magazine. If you’re looking for a realistic simulator like Microsoft Flight Simulator, you’re in the wrong place. This is "Top Gun" on steroids. It's an arcade flight action game that treats physics as a polite suggestion rather than a law. You can carry 100 missiles. You can fly through a tunnel at Mach 2. You’ve probably seen the clips of players doing "Post-Stall Maneuvers" (PSMs) where the plane basically does a backflip in mid-air to get behind an enemy. It looks like magic. It feels like power.
The Weather Is Actually Trying to Kill You
Most games treat clouds as pretty wallpaper. In Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown, the clouds are a gameplay mechanic. This was the big "gimmick" Project Aces pushed during development, but it’s more than just marketing fluff. If you stay in a cloud too long, your wings ice up. Your lift drops. Your HUD starts flickering like a broken TV. It’s stressful.
Then there’s the lightning.
Getting struck by lightning in this game doesn't just make a loud noise; it knocks out your sensors and sends your plane into a momentary tumble. I’ve seen people lose entire dogfights because a stray bolt hit them right as they were about to lock on to a drone. It adds this layer of "man vs. nature" that most military shooters completely ignore. You aren't just fighting the Erusean Air Force; you're fighting the atmosphere itself. Wind currents actually buffet your plane, making precision bombing runs through tight canyons a nightmare. It's brilliant because it makes the world feel physical.
Why the Story Is So Weird (And Why We Love It)
Look, the "Strangereal" universe is a lot to take in. It’s an alternate Earth with different continents like Osea and Usea, but the technology is basically ours, plus some giant lasers. The story of Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown follows "Trigger," a pilot who gets framed for a crime he didn't commit and sent to a "spare" squadron—basically a suicide squad for pilots.
The narrative is told through multiple perspectives: an old mechanic, a scientist, and a lab-grown drone specialist. It’s operatic. It’s melodramatic. It’s very Japanese. Characters deliver lines about "the color of the sky" and "the weight of the soul" while you’re dodging a hail of lead. Some people find it cringey. Personally? I think it’s the heart of the franchise. Without the weird political drama and the haunting score by Keiki Kobayashi, it would just be another generic military game. Kobayashi’s music is legendary for a reason. "Daredevil," the track that plays during the final push against the Arsenal Bird, is enough to make anyone feel like they could punch a hole through a mountain.
The Drone Problem
One of the big themes in the game is the replacement of human pilots with AI. It’s a bit meta, honestly. You spend most of the game fighting "UAVs" that can pull maneuvers a human body couldn't survive. This is where the difficulty spikes. These drones, specifically the MQ-99s and the terrifying ADF-11F Ravens, don't fly like planes. They fly like angry bees.
- They don't bleed.
- They don't get tired.
- They turn on a dime.
Fighting them forces you to learn the actual mechanics of the game. You can't just tail them; you have to predict where they're going to zip to next. It’s a commentary on the future of warfare that felt prescient in 2019 and feels even more relevant today as we see real-world drone swarms becoming a staple of modern conflict.
The Planes: From F-16s to Laser-Firing Monsters
The roster is a "best of" list for aviation nerds. You start with the basics—an F-16C Fighting Falcon. It’s fine. It gets the job done. But eventually, you’re unlocking the F-22A Raptor, the Su-57, and the fictional "superplanes" like the X-02S Strike Wyvern.
The progression feels earned. Each plane has a specific "feel" to it. An A-10 Thunderbolt II (the Warthog) is a flying tank that can soak up damage but turns like a brick. Meanwhile, the Rafale M is a nimble little thing that’s perfect for carrier-based missions. You also get special weapons. Long-range air-to-air missiles (LAAMs) for snipers. Tactical lasers (TLS) for people who want to feel like they're in Star Wars. Pulse lasers (PLSL) that absolutely melt everything in their path if you have good aim.
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The customization isn't just cosmetic, either. You have a "parts" system where you can buff your plane's speed, maneuverability, or missile reload time. In multiplayer, this is where the real "builds" happen. You'll see guys who have specialized their F-15J specifically for high-speed hit-and-run attacks, while others build "tanks" that can survive three missile hits.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Multiplayer
If you jump into Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown multiplayer expecting a fair fight, you’re gonna have a bad time. The skill ceiling is high. Like, astronomically high. There are players who have been playing this series since the PlayStation 2 days, and they will ruin your day in about four seconds.
The biggest misconception is that the fastest plane wins. Not true. A skilled pilot in a low-tier MiG-21 equipped with Machine Gun Pods can—and will—shred a rookie in an F-22. It’s all about energy management. If you burn all your speed in a tight turn, you become a sitting duck. The multiplayer is a ballet of flares, high-G turns, and desperate stalls. It’s addictive once you stop caring about your K/D ratio and start focusing on the "dance."
The VR Experience: Is It Worth It?
If you have a PSVR (or a PC-compatible headset for the PC version’s mods), the VR missions are a religious experience. There are only a handful of them, which is a bummer, but they are the most immersive flight experiences in gaming. Period. Looking over your shoulder and seeing a missile streak past your canopy is terrifying. It’s a shame the full campaign isn't playable in VR without heavy modding on PC, but what's there is a masterclass in how to do cockpit-based virtual reality.
The Legendary "Arsenal Bird" Boss Fights
We have to talk about the Arsenal Bird. It’s a massive flying wing—a "super-prop" drone carrier that houses hundreds of smaller drones. It’s the size of a city. Taking one of these down is a multi-stage process that involves dodging lasers, weaving through a swarm of "shield" drones, and targeting specific hardpoints on its massive frame.
It represents the "boss fight" culture that Ace Combat excels at. These aren't just bigger planes; they’re puzzles. You have to find the rhythm of their attacks. When the "Active Protection System" (the blue energy shield) goes up, you have to back off. When it drops, you have to dump every missile you have into its propellers. It’s pure spectacle.
Actionable Steps for New Pilots
If you’re just picking up the game today, don't just jump into the campaign on Hard and hope for the best. You will get frustrated.
- Use Expert Controls Immediately. The "Standard" controls are a trap. They make the plane turn like a car on a flat plane. Expert controls allow you to roll and pitch independently, which is the only way to actually dogfight. It takes 30 minutes to learn and a lifetime to master, but it’s essential.
- Learn the Post-Stall Maneuver (PSM). Look up a YouTube tutorial for your specific controller. It involves dropping your speed below 500 knots and hitting the throttle and brake simultaneously while pulling a turn. It’s how you do those "Cobra" maneuvers you see in the movies.
- Prioritize the "Queen's Custom" Part. As you progress through the Aircraft Tree, unlock the Queen's Custom part. It gives a flat buff to almost every stat on your plane. It’s a literal game-changer for some of the harder late-game missions.
- Watch Your Airspeed in Clouds. If you’re chasing a target into a storm, don't just hold the afterburner. You’ll lose control. Tap the brakes, keep your nose steady, and get out of the gray as fast as possible.
- Don't Sleep on the DLC. The three DLC missions (Unexpected Visitor, Anchorhead Raid, and Ten Million Relief Plan) are arguably the best content in the entire game. The mission design is tighter, the stakes are higher, and the boss (Captain Matias Torres) is one of the most memorable villains in gaming history. "Salvation!"
Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown is a rare gem. It’s a game that knows exactly what it is: a loud, proud, jet-fueled fever dream. It doesn't try to be a gritty "modern warfare" simulator. It wants you to fly through a thunderstorm and shoot down a giant mechanical bird while a choir sings in Latin. And honestly? That’s exactly what we need more of.
Whether you’re a flight sim veteran or someone who just likes things that go "boom," there is something deeply satisfying about the way this game handles. It’s about the fantasy of flight. It’s about being the "Ace" that turns the tide of a global war. So, get in the cockpit, check your six, and remember: don't let the lightning catch you.