Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- "Unmanned fighters are no longer a dream. Pilots taking to the skies will soon be a distant memory."
- ― Our Science: Era of the Drones[6]
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown[a] is the 17th entry in the Ace Combat franchise. It released on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One on January 17, 2019 in Japan and Asia,[3] followed by the rest of the world on January 18, 2019. The game released on the Steam platform on February 1, 2019.[1][2] On January 17, 2019—the game's fifth anniversary—it was announced that a port to the Nintendo Switch would be released on July 11 of the same year.[4][5]
Advertised as a return to the world of Strangereal, the single-player campaign is set in 2019 on the Usean continent. The player character is Trigger, an Osean Air Defense Force pilot fighting against the Kingdom of Erusea during the Lighthouse War. After Trigger allegedly commits a heinous crime during a mission, he is sent to a military penal unit known as Spare Squadron. The game's cutscenes follow Osean flight mechanic Avril Mead, EASA researcher Dr. Schroeder, and other characters in the war. Three additional missions are available as downloadable content and take place in the middle of the war; they feature a small self-contained storyline following Osean Intelligence Agency analyst David North as he tracks the case of the Erusean super-submarine Alicorn and its captain, Matias Torres.
The game's multiplayer is comprised of two player-versus-player modes: Team Deathmatch and Battle Royal. Ace Combat 7 also features a virtual reality mode exclusive to PlayStation VR, which includes three exclusive missions. The VR campaign is set in 2014 and stars Mobius 1 during his battles against a resurgent Free Erusea. VR Mode also features an airshow mode and Free Flight. The game's single-player campaign and multiplayer modes cannot be played in VR.
As of 22 November 2023, Ace Combat 7 has shipped over 5 million copies worldwide, making it the most successful Ace Combat game in the franchise's history.[7] Reviews for the game have been largely positive, primarily for the game's presentation, core gameplay, audio design, and virtual reality experience.
The game features a large amount of downloadable content, including nineteen playable aircraft and three additional missions. In April 2022, Bandai Namco announced a downloadable content pack in collaboration with Paramount to promote the film Top Gun: Maverick, which was released on May 26, 2022.
Portal
Basic Info
Multiplayer Modes
Game Mechanics
Plot
Combatants
Synopsis
Campaign
Prior to the game's events, the Osean Federation begins construction on the International Space Elevator (commonly referred to as "the Lighthouse") off the coast of the Usean continent, with the intent of aiding reconstruction efforts following the impact of the Ulysses 1994XF04 asteroid and the subsequent Continental War. Additionally, the Independent State Allied Forces is dissolved in the aftermath of the Continental War and hands Usean peacekeeping duties to the IUN's Peacekeeping Force (IUN-PKF), comprised mostly of Osean troops. Tensions quickly rise between Osea and the Kingdom of Erusea—a major Usean nation and the instigator of the Continental War—because of Erusea's suspicions that Osea aims to economically and politically control the entire continent through the space elevator.[8] Their strained relations finally boil over on May 15, 2019, when Erusea launches a surprise attack on Osea's major naval ports using drones hidden in shipping containers.[9] Simultaneously, Erusea launches a major offensive against the Osean peacekeeping troops already stationed in Usea, quickly capturing the space elevator and its surrounding facilities.[8] The Eruseans gain control of the Arsenal Birds, two massive unmanned airborne aircraft carriers designed to defend the elevator.[10] Furthermore, Erusea manages to hack roughly half of Osea's military spy satellites.[11] Erusean Princess Rosa Cossette D'Elise makes fiery and passionate speeches in favor of the war effort, urging the Erusean people to unite and fight Osea.[11][12][13]
Avril Mead, an Osean mechanic who lost her father to the Circum-Pacific War, has worked with her now-deceased grandfather (a former lieutenant general in the Osean Air Defense Force) to restore a supersonic jet—a mothballed F-104C—for almost nine years. On the day of her first flight in the F-104, Avril is caught in the middle of Erusea's drone attack. Due to her aircraft lacking an IFF, she is misidentified as an Erusean drone and shot down by an Osean F-15C.[14] Avril is subsequently convicted by a military tribunal of breaking wartime aviation laws and is sent to a military prison, the 444th Air Base, in western Usea. Avril quickly realizes her conviction was a foregone conclusion; when she arrives, the guards at the prison immediately put her to work restoring formerly mothballed aircraft, in an attempt to prepare the air base for use as a decoy.[15]
Meanwhile, at the onset of hostilities, a rookie pilot with the callsign "Trigger" defends the IUN's Fort Grays Island air base from Erusean bombers.[16] The IUN subsequently learns that Vincent Harling, former president of Osea, is in hiding near the space elevator; during their subsequent attempt to clear an air route to the elevator, Osean squadrons suffer heavy losses in the Chopinburg Rainforest due to attacks from an Arsenal Bird.[10] The IUN sends Trigger to infiltrate Erusea's radar network around the space elevator, hoping to open a path for a rescue mission. While the operation is initially successful and Harling manages to board a rescue aircraft, a missile later identified as Osean in origin strikes the aircraft, killing the former president. Trigger is the closest aircraft in the immediate vicinity and is thus blamed for the assassination.[17]
Trigger is transferred to the 444th Air Base and becomes part of its penal unit, Spare Squadron. He becomes acquainted with the squadron's members, including Count, a convicted fraudster who inflates his kill count, and Tabloid, an anarchist who serves as the squadron's resident conspiracy theorist.[18] Spare Squadron is unique among Osean military units, as its members bear white scratch markings called "sin lines" on their tails, signifying the severity of their crime. As the convicted murderer of Harling, Trigger becomes the only pilot in the squadron with three sin lines.[19] After defending the base from a bombing raid[19] and destroying Erusean forces at a base in the desert region of Roca Roja,[20] Trigger encounters the elderly EASA test pilot Mihaly A. Shilage while rescuing a pair of Osean reconnaissance squadrons over Yinshi Valley.[21] While Trigger is unaware as to his adversary's true importance or identity, Mihaly is the template for the AI of Erusea's drone fleet,[11] having once been the heir to the Erusean-annexed Grand Duchy of Shilage[22] before becoming a great ace pilot—the "King of the Skies"—in his younger years.[23] Now an old man, Mihaly's neurological and combat flight data is collected, analyzed, and refined by EASA scientist Schroeder, who resides with him, Mihaly's wingmen, and Mihaly's two granddaughters Ionela and Alma A. Shilage on an EASA experimental base located on a salt flat.[11]
Spare Squadron is then sent to destroy an Erusean oil pipeline at Artiglio Port[24] and a drone radar facility in the Waiapolo Mountains. At the radar facility, a squadron of unmanned F/A-18F Super Hornets—posing as Osean aircraft and using spoofed IFFs—ambush Spare Squadron with fire support from the Helios, an anti-air burst missile carried by the Arsenal Birds. Spare Squadron shoots down all UAVs and escapes the area, though squadron member Full Band is killed when AWACS Bandog intentionally flags his aircraft as hostile, intending to silence Full Band before he leaks highly classified information on Osea's military strategy.[25]
Osea's General Staff Office decides to make Spare Squadron legitimate and pardons all of the convicts, tasking them to recapture the mass driver and space center on Tyler Island, a key part of the Arsenal Bird's logistics network. The GSO also requests that the 444th's arrogant and ambitious commanding officer, Colonel McKinsey, be temporarily transferred to a base in North Point for redeployment. While the base is being packed up aboard transport planes, Avril manages to find an unsecured phone and makes a call to her late grandfather's former high-ranking associates in the General Staff Office, requesting that Trigger accompany McKinsey to North Point, rather than be sent to Tyler Island. Avril subsequently blackmails McKinsey into acquiescing to her demands.[b] McKinsey therefore requests that Trigger and Count escort him on the flight, as their refueling stop—a neutral country with close ties to Osea known as Bulgurdarest—lies near Erusean territory. During the flight, McKinsey's transport comes under attack by an unidentified UAV. Trigger shoots down the drone, earning him respect from other Osean forces.[26] Cyclops Squadron—the reconnaissance unit Spare Squadron had rescued in Yinshi Valley—then arrives, and the squadron commander Wiseman requests that McKinsey and the pair instead follow him to New Arrows Air Base. McKinsey is redeployed to the volatile front lines due to his braggadocio, while Trigger and Count are subsequently transferred to Osea's Long Range Strategic Strike Group (LRSSG), an elite air unit composed of two main squadrons: Cyclops Squadron, in which Count takes the vacant number two spot, and Strider Squadron, in which Trigger takes up the role of the late Strider 1. Trigger also adopts his former sin lines as a personal identifying mark, stylizing their design to resemble three claw marks.[23]
Osea tasks the LRSSG squadrons with playing the key role in a plan to capture Farbanti, recapture the space elevator, and end the war. Trigger and Count are informed that Erusea has deployed an auto-intercept radar net that automatically launches UAVs when a non-Erusean military aircraft enters their radar coverage, explaining why Osea has struggled to gain ground in the intervening months since the start of the war. It is also revealed that the vast majority of Spare Squadron's missions were intended to probe this network for holes, a mission that ultimately succeeded. Osea plans to exploit the hole discovered by Spare and tasks the LRSSG with attacking Erusea's Njord Fleet in the frigid northern region of Snider's Top,[23] which buys enough time for Osean engineering teams to reactivate the final Stonehenge railgun with the intent of using it to shoot down one of the Arsenal Birds. Trigger and the LRSSG assist Osean forces in repelling Erusean troops from Stonehenge and buys enough time for Stonehenge to shoot down the Arsenal Bird Liberty, tipping the balance of power in favor of Osea. Trigger becomes renowned as "the plane with the three lines" during the battle, earning him the nickname of "Three Strikes" from Osean and Erusean forces alike.[27] Erusea attempts to retaliate by activating a series of ballistic missile silos to launch IRBMs at Osean forces, but the LRSSG destroys the silos and Trigger manages to shoot down several of the missiles in midair.[28] The LRSSG is then tasked with capturing an Erusean air base in Cape Rainy for use as a forward operating base for the capture of Farbanti.[29] With their strategy a resounding success, Osea launches a three-pronged invasion of Farbanti with the LRSSG providing support, intending to simultaneously launch an anti-satellite (ASAT) attack against the satellites that Erusea had hacked earlier in the war. Erusea sends Mihaly and Sol Squadron to protect Farbanti, resulting in the Erusean ace killing Wiseman. After an extended dogfight, both Sol and the LRSSG are forced to disengage after losing all satellite connections. The LRSSG are guided to an IUN forward base following the loss of communications.[30]
It is revealed that Erusea and Osea had simultaneously sent ASAT attacks against each other, and the resulting debris field has destroyed scores of other private and government satellites, plunging all of Usea into total chaos.[31] Schroeder—despite his emerging misgivings about continuing his work,[32]—decides to head for the space elevator, where he can directly upload the newest version of Mihaly's flight data directly into a UAV production facility. He also takes Mihaly's granddaughters with him, since they have nowhere else to go in the chaos.[31] Meanwhile, Trigger and the LRSSG attempt to provide cover for a defecting Erusean general named Édouard Labarthe in Anchorhead, and finds that a civil war between two rival Erusean factions—the Radicals, who had started the war and were in favor of unmanned weapon systems, and the Conservatives, who favored peace with Osea and opposed the use of drones—has broken out across the continent. The LRSSG learns from Labarthe that the Radicals had manipulated the naive Princess Cossette into adopting a pro-war stance, and furthermore that the Radicals were the ones behind the assassination of Harling, having used IFF-spoofing technology to frame Trigger for the killing. The general also reveals that the Radicals have received much of their advanced technology from elements of the Belkan Grey Men—more specifically, North Osea Gründer Industries. While the LRSSG successfully manage to escort Labarthe to the extraction point, Radical data manipulation units trick the Osean AWACS Argus into flagging Labarthe's helicopter as an enemy, causing an Osean F-16C to shoot the general down, killing him.[33]
After some deliberation, the LRSSG attempts to rendezvous with Spare Squadron and other friendly forces at Tyler Island (under the assumption that the island had already fallen back into Osean hands), but they instead discover that the Tyler Island offensive has been a complete failure, and that the remaining Osean forces are scattered and on the run. The LRSSG provides support for Osean forces on the island and receives a transmission from the surviving members of Spare—including Avril and Tabloid—along with Princess Cossette, whose transport had been shot down over the island while escaping the invasion of Farbanti. Spare is also protecting a group of war refugees, who are displaced and have thrown their lot in with the soldiers. Avril tells the LRSSG that the Erusean radicals are planning to launch a pair of supply ships from Tyler Island's mass driver to resupply the remaining Arsenal Bird; Trigger subsequently intercepts and shoots down both supply ships. With the island capture operation being a lost cause, the LRSSG departs and Spare Squadron commandeers a boat to leave the island.[34] With no other options and running low on supplies, the LRSSG raids Shilage Castle, which is now a stockpiling base under the control of a breakaway independence movement made up of officers from both Shilage and the neighboring territory of Voslage. Sol Squadron, having joined the independence movement, attempts to defend the castle; however two of their members are quickly dispatched by Trigger. Mihaly arrives in an X-02S Strike Wyvern and engages in a fierce duel with Trigger while encouraging the two surviving Sol members to escape; he is ultimately defeated and shot down by Trigger. As his plane falls from the sky, Mihaly contacts Trigger and admits that his desire to continue flying is what has led to the current chaotic situation. He implores Trigger and his allies to put an end to the drone production before his radio cuts out, leaving the LRSSG pilots bewildered.[35]
Around the same time, Spare Squadron reaches the base of the space elevator, passing by an abandoned Osean aircraft carrier along the way. Inside, Schroeder is preparing to upload the newest version of Mihaly's flight data into the UAV factory's automated manufacturing systems. Upon being confronted by the members of Spare, Schroeder reveals to Avril, Cossette, Tabloid and the others that he is in fact a native Belkan, a member of the Grey Men, and the top researcher of UAV technology at North Osea Gründer Industries. Ionela berates Schroeder, telling the scientist that like Belka, her home country of Shilage was also destroyed by war, its territory taken by foreign powers. Scathingly, she tells him that he has to put his nostalgic yearning for the Belka of the past behind him, and behave like a mature adult. Feeling great remorse for the part he has played in the current state of affairs, Schroeder agrees and joins forces with Avril, Tabloid, and Cossette to deactivate the space elevator and prevent any more drones from being manufactured.[13]
Meanwhile, Osea forms a military coalition with the Erusean conservatives and other breakaway Erusean factions—including Wit and Seymour, the two surviving members of Sol Squadron—to end the war by defeating the warmongering radical faction that continues to control the space elevator, and thereby controls the remaining Arsenal Bird, Justice. The LRSSG sorties to Gunther Bay and arrives in the middle of a massive dogfight that has broken out over the airspace surrounding the space elevator; the melee quickly attracts Justice to the battlefield. On Schroeder's direction, Princess Cossette dons a space suit and heads to the top of the space elevator's windbreak, aiming to destroy the elevator's location markers and cause a power outage, cutting power to both the drone factory and the Arsenal Bird. The plan works, and Trigger manages to shoot down the Arsenal Bird by destroying its rectenna, causing the carrier to plummet into Gunther Bay. However, Tabloid is killed by falling debris during the ensuing chaos. Cossette prepares to BASE jump from the top of the elevator's windbreak, but is caught in the middle of an engagement between the coalition and the Erusean radicals' final trump card: a pair of unmanned ADF-11F Ravens called Hugin and Munin, which were the final aircraft to be manufactured based on Mihaly's flight data. Cossette is nearly caught in the explosion of an air-to-air missile targeting Count, but manages to survive. The LRSSG retreats from the airspace, intending to regroup and strike back against the Ravens.[36] The surviving Osean members of the coalition—along with Spare Squadron—flee to the nearby Osean carrier Admiral Andersen,[37] while Wit, Seymour, and the few surviving Eruseans regroup elsewhere.[c]
Avril provides the coalition with data pertaining to the Ravens and reveals that the drones intend to use the space elevator's radio transmission capabilities to send their data to drone manufacturing plants throughout Usea, potentially leading to an AI uprising against humanity.[d] The next day, the remaining coalition pilots take off and engage the two ADF-11Fs in a desperate attempt to stop them before their upload their data. Trigger manages to shoot both Hugin and Munin down, but one of the drones reveals the unique ability to detach from its main wing unit, continuing to engage Trigger as a diversion. The other Raven also detaches from its wing unit, but chooses to instead escape the battle unnoticed, and flies into the tunnel network leading to the base of the space elevator in an attempt to buy time to complete the data upload. Trigger manages to shoot down the first Raven, and Cossette—who had miraculously survived the explosion—frantically informs them of the second drone entering the tunnel. Trigger and Count pursue the Raven into the tunnel, eventually destroying it. Count is forced to make a belly landing in the tunnel network due to battle damage, while Trigger flies up the space elevator's windbreak and escapes into the dark blue skies above. At the same time, the Pilgrim 1 deep space mission—captained by Kei Nagase—finally returns from its seven-year mission to the asteroid belt. Nagase thanks Trigger for ensuring the spacecraft has a place to dock, and concludes by saying that humanity finally has a gateway to reach the stars above.[38]
In the aftermath of the war's final battle, the coalition force gathers at the base of the space elevator to accept refugees from across the continent under the guidance of Avril and Cossette, ignoring their original national allegiances in the name of peace and humanitarianism. Mihaly is revealed to have survived being shot down by Trigger, though has been rendered bedridden and will never fly again. Mihaly laments his mistakes, noting that because his wings have finally been clipped, all he can do is look on at the new world that his grandchildren are helping to build. Avril retorts that peace in the world means "being able to die in your own bed, at a ripe old age." Cossette, being unable to ascend the Erusean throne due to a law prohibiting women from becoming head of state, instead focuses on taking up the torch of the late Harling, becoming a voice on the international floor in favor of world peace.[39]
DLC
On September 4, 2019—between the destruction of the IRBMs and the seizure of Cape Rainy depicted in the main story—Osean Intelligence Agency weapons analyst David North contacts the LRSSG. Together with the oppressive Brigadier General Howard Clemens, David explains that Erusea has repurposed Artiglio Port—whose facilities were previously destroyed by Spare Squadron—for the resupply and maintenance of the Alicorn, a massive "submersible aviation cruiser" that combines the stealthiness and submersibility of a submarine, the firepower of a battleship, and the aircraft-launching capabilities of an aircraft carrier. Clemens explains that intelligence—the source of which he is unwilling to reveal to David—has indicated that the Alicorn may have weapons of mass destruction on board. Hoping to secure that evidence in order to gain an advantage in post-war peace negotiations, Clemens informs the LRSSG that a joint assault-and-capture operation with an Osean naval fleet has been planned with the aim of seizing the Alicorn while it remains docked in port, and that Strider Squadron will be providing air cover.
Trigger and the rest of Strider arrive on station above the fleet, but learn that the operation's H-hour has been changed by Clemens without their knowledge, leaving them vastly outnumbered against a massive Erusean aerial presence. Nevertheless, Strider manage to hold out until their reinforcements arrive, along with a pair of electronic warfare aircraft. Staving off the relentless armada, the LRSSG is suddenly ambushed by a pair of Su-47 Berkuts bearing Osean nationality markings. The Su-47s shoot down an Erusean aircraft before bizarrely attempting to kill Trigger, ignoring all other aircraft in the airspace in favor of hounding their target relentlessly. The assassins—known as Mimic Squadron—are forced to retreat, but the pilot of the second plane, "Scream," vows vengeance against Trigger before being stopped by her younger brother and flight lead, "Rage."
As the Puffin approaches the dock, Erusea's senior officers order the Alicorn's commanding officer, Captain Matias Torres, to scuttle the Alicorn immediately. Torres refuses the order and declares the submarine to no longer belong to the Erusean military, ordering his crew to set sail. As it leaves the dock, the Alicorn opens fire on the Osean fleet, sinking the landing ship Puffin. The submarine then launches a detachment of Rafale Ms from its air wing; the lead aircraft is loaded with a cruise missile, which is believed by the Oseans to be a WMD. As such, Trigger is forced to chase down the Rafale before it leaves the operation airspace, leaving the Alicorn to safely submerge and flee the area. Trigger manages to shoot down the Rafale, but the capture operation is a failure due to the Alicorn's escape and the sinking of the fleet. During the debriefing, David remarks that it was as if the Alicorn leaving port was planned. He wonders why the crew would take such actions, unless they knew about Osea having intelligence about the supposed WMDs aboard the submarine, leading to the conclusion that the LRSSG has an Erusean spy in their midst.[40]
David consults his AI assistant, Alex, and asks her what she makes of Captain Torres' goal. While Alex suggests that Torres is planning to assault various Osean bases throughout Usea, David asks her to make a collage of Torres' quotes, trying to determine his personality and discover his true goal. After a few iterations of cobbling together parts of various quotes from Torres, Alex eventually comes up with the phrase "salvation/of/ten million/an elegant/massacre/upon/the cage/continents." David stops her, and ponders if her conclusion is correct.[40]
Six days later, Clemens informs the LRSSG that he has received intelligence that the Alicorn will be moving to join forces with the Rán Fleet, an Erusean naval force being assembled at Anchorhead. Clemens orders Strider Squadron to attack Anchorhead to prevent the Alicorn from linking up with the fleet. Despite David's protests that the intelligence could instead be sabotage, the operation goes ahead as planned. David instead educates the LRSSG on Torres' service record and informs them that Torres is known as "The Hero of Comberth Harbor" for his heroic actions as captain of the battleship Tanager during Operation Rough Seas. Secretly, David also begins investigating the source of Clemens' intelligence.[41]
As the operation commences, Strider is tasked with destroying the fleet and port facilities, but are soon informed by an Osean recon unit that multiple high-ranking Erusean naval officers are attempting to flee Anchorhead. Trigger manages to shoot down the aircrafts carrying five of Erusea's top naval leaders, crippling the Erusean Royal Navy's command structure. While the raid on the port progresses, the Alicorn begins a live-fire long-range artillery drill and starts firing anti-air shells from beyond the horizon, heavily damaging Húxiān's aircraft and forcing her to withdraw. Trigger, Count, and Lanza manage to evade the Alicorn's ensuing barrage by shooting down the SLUAVs providing its terminal guidance, continuing to attack the port. As Wiseman finally orders a withdrawal, a stealth missile strikes Lanza's aircraft from behind, and AWACS Long Caster reports a pair of Su-47s on the approach—Mimic Squadron, back for a rematch.[41]
The siblings begin to duel Trigger and Count when, unexpectedly, Clemens contacts the assassins and orders them to withdraw. Rage refuses, stating that their reputation is now on the line, and breaks their contract; the conversation reveals Clemens to be the siblings' benefactor. Trigger manages to shoot down both siblings—killing both of them—and Húxiān assaults Clemens during the debriefing. The Brigadier General is subsequently arrested by military police on charges of treason after David proves to the Osean Joint Chiefs of Staff that Clemens' source of intelligence was "Zul," an agent of Torres and former member of the Alicorn's crew.[41]
After Strider leaves Anchorhead airspace, however, the Alicorn slips into the now-deserted naval base and resupplies with the help of another agent, Quarkman. David concludes that the Alicorn's goal had been to use the Oseans to chase away Erusean forces from the port and load a pair of nuclear shells for use by its main gun, a strategic rail cannon with a range of over 3,000 kilometers. David further posits that Torres' target is not an Osean base in Usea, but instead Oured, the capital of Osea. Torres' plan is to use the nukes to kill countless civilians in the city, supposedly to horrify both sides into ending the war. Erusea releases an official statement that Torres is a rogue agent, and thus that they cannot be held responsible for his actions, confirming David's suspicion that the crew of the Alicorn have become terrorists.[41]
David analyzes Osean and Erusean sound surveillance systems, coming to the realization that the Alicorn has only one possible route to take; this route ends in an area of the Spring Sea that plays host to Peony Trench, an oceanic abyss that could feasibly conceal the submarine until September 19—the anniversary of the end of the Continental War—the day when anti-war demonstrations and parades in Oured will have the most people in attendance. David gathers the LRSSG and formulates an operation with Wiseman to sink the submarine.[42] The analyst asks Alex what she thinks about a conflict between Torres and Trigger, but she concludes that both men are mathematical singularities, and thus the outcome of their battle is almost impossible to predict.[41][42]
On September 14, the LRSSG sorties to the Spring Sea alongside several maritime patrol aircraft and an Osean naval detachment, aiming to sink the Alicorn. While the patrol aircraft successfully drop sonobuoys and Trigger manages to locate the submarine using an onboard magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), Torres has predicted their plan to use the MAD and releases jamming buoys. The submarine nearly reaches the trench under the cover of the jamming, but Trigger reacquires the sub and transmits its location to the fleet. The Alicorn is forced to surface by a barrage of four anti-submarine missiles and engages the Osean forces, using its railguns and missiles to defend itself. Trigger destroys the submarine's ballast tanks, causing Torres to surrender. David contacts the captain and reveals that Osea has begun jamming Oured airspace, meaning that Torres no longer has terminal guidance if he attempts a shot. Torres responds by deploying the Alicorn's main cannon anyway, attempting to hit the target manually. However, Trigger fires a missile that hits the barrel of the rail cannon, dropping its elevation and causing the first shell to miss. Torres orders the second shell be loaded, and Wiseman instructs the LRSSG to sink the Alicorn. David confronts Torres, accusing him of being a mass murdering liar with no actual intention of following through on his rhetoric of ending the war, to which Torres gleefully admits. The vulnerable base of the rail cannon is destroyed by Trigger before the second shell can be fired, causing the Alicorn to suffer an explosive chain reaction throughout its magazines and power cells. The explosions culminate in a final detonation that bifurcates the submarine's hull amidships. The Alicorn slips beneath the waves before detonating underwater in a second massive explosion, killing Torres and leaving no survivors. The LRSSG returns home in triumph, having saved Oured and all its citizens.[42]
David writes a report about the Alicorn incident, intending to give it to the Osean president. He ponders what reasons Osea might have to not terminate Trigger, noting his similarities to Torres—both men were highly skilled, both were mathematical singularities, and both commanded great respect among the men and women that followed them into battle. He poses this question to Alex, who replies that Osean elements who mimic or follow Trigger's lead display increased chances of survival, concluding with "Go Trigger's way, you'll make it. He leads the way." David is inspired to conclude his report in favor of Trigger, and turns the report in to the president.[42]
VR Mode
In 2014, nine years after the end of the Continental War and eight years since the last insurgency conducted by the militant group Free Erusea, Mobius 1 has entered the service of the IUN-PKF, who has taken over Usean peacekeeping duties from the ISAF in the intervening years. In the aftermath of the Circum-Pacific War, the Osean and Yuktobanian militaries' weakened state allows Free Erusea to regain much of its former power, developing from a simple insurgent group to a global terrorist threat.[43]
On May 28, 2014, Mobius 1 is launched alongside Omega Squadron from the carrier Albatross to intercept bogeys over Fort Grays Island. The unknowns turn out to be Free Erusean bombers and their escorts, and they fire upon the IUN fighters. The IUN's fighters are reinforced by Viper Squadron, and they manage to shoot down all Free Erusean aircraft. The IUN begins investigating Free Erusea's motives.[43]
On June 16, Mobius 1 is deployed alongside Viper and Omega Squadrons to defend the IUN air base at Scofields Plateau from an incoming Free Erusean attack. The squadrons barely manage to take off due to a B-52H of Gray Moth Squadron crashing on the runway, but are able to get airborne and repel the insurgents from the base.[44]
Several weeks later, on July 11, IUN intelligence reveals a Free Erusean plot to transport a WMD aboard a cargo plane in the Waiapolo Mountains. Mobius, Omega, Viper Rapier, and Halo Squadrons all sortie to intercept the aircraft, intending on forcing it to land. Rapier 5 approaches the cargo plane, but discovers that there's no one in the cockpit—the cargo plane is unmanned, and it was a Free Erusean trap all along. The IUN fighters manage to shoot down the incoming enemies; after sanitizing the airspace, the IUN are subsequently ambushed by the Ghost Squadron, an elite Free Erusean special forces unit. Mobius 1 manages to shoot down all four Ghost Squadron aircraft, ending the operation in an IUN victory.[45]
With the Free Erusean plot having been revealed as a ruse, the IUN is left puzzled as to their true motives, and instructs Mobius 1 to remain on standby.[45]
Characters
Campaign
- Callsign Trigger (real name unknown) is the player character and the silent protagonist of the game. Clown signs him onto the roster of Mage Squadron prior to the war to fill an empty spot, but Trigger quickly becomes the Osean Air Defense Force's top ace. Following an incident during a mission, Trigger is sent to the 444th Air Base as a prisoner.
- Avril Mead is a mechanic imprisoned at the 444th Air Base. She earns the nickname "Scrap Queen" for her skill in restoring mothballed aircraft to full combat effectiveness. She later joins the force at Tyler Island and leads the refugees into fighting the radical Erusean forces and disabling the space elevator.
- Mihaly A. Shilage is a retired Erusean Air Force ace pilot. He currently works for the Erusean Air and Space Administration as a test pilot, serving as the flight lead of the 68th Experimental Squadron "Sol." His combat data is used by Doctor Schroeder to develop an artificial intelligence for Erusea's UAV program. He was once the heir to the Grand Duchy of Shilage, but joined the Erusean military after the small country was annexed by Erusea.
- Dr. Schroeder is Gründer Industries' chief UAV researcher. He signs onto a contract with the EASA to advance their UAV development. He leads the drone development effort with Mihaly.
- Princess Rosa Cossette D'Elise is the Princess of Erusea. She is convinced that the International Space Elevator is Osea's way of gaining economic and political control over all of Usea, and gives fiery speeches to unite Erusea's disparate political factions against Osea. After learning that she was misled, she works with Avril to end the war.
DLC
- Captain Matias Torres is the commanding officer of the Erusean submersible carrier Alicorn. He deserts the Erusean military along with his crew to pursue his personal goal of taking one million lives. He hides this depravity behind a seemingly well-intentioned—albeit extremist—goal of ending the Lighthouse War by horrifying both sides into laying down their arms.
- David North is a military analyst for the Osean Intelligence Agency and has been assigned to keep tabs on the Alicorn. He provides helpful intel to Trigger and the rest of Strider Squadron during their missions to stop the submarine.
- Howard Clemens is a Brigadier General in the Osean Air Defense Force and is the commander of the operations to stop the Alicorn. He is an oppressive officer with no respect or concern for those under his command.
- Otto van Dalsen, callsign Rage, is a mercenary pilot who was hired by a mysterious figure to assassinate Trigger. He is the flight leader of Mimic Squadron and younger brother of his wingman, Elke.
- Elke van Dalsen, callsign Scream, is the older sister of Otto and is a mercenary pilot who was hired by a mysterious figure to assassinate Trigger. She flies as her brother's wingman as part of Mimic Squadron.
VR Mode
- Mobius 1 (real name unknown) is the player character of VR Mode. The protagonist of Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies and Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War's Arcade Mode, Mobius 1 is a legendary ace of the Independent State Allied Forces, though has since joined the IUN Peacekeeping Force.
- AWACS SkyEye is Mobius Squadron's assigned AWACS. Having served with Mobius 1 since the days of the Continental War, SkyEye performs his duty with professionalism and coolness.
Gameplay
Core Mechanics
The flight model in Ace Combat 7 is similar to that of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War and Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.[46] The HUD is very reminiscent of Ace Combat Infinity. Flares return from Ace Combat: Assault Horizon as player-usable countermeasures.[47]
Checkpoints also return, allowing players to restart a mission from the last checkpoint if they fail the objective. Restarting a checkpoint restores the aircraft's health and ammunition, but does not reset the time elapsed since receiving the checkpoint, with regards to mission scoring.
Allies in need of an escort—like in previous entries—feature a large blue container around their box on the HUD. For the first time in the series, however, the radar will ping the location of an ally in distress and the pilot will call for help on the radio, alerting the player. If the player does not respond in enough time, the ally calling for help will be killed, which in most cases ends the mission in failure. This alert feature is also available in multiplayer when using certain radio messages.
Clouds and other weather phenomena play a major role in gameplay for the first time in the franchise. Units inside of clouds, including the player, gain mild stealth but lose visibility. Guided weapons like missiles also suffer a penalty to their lock-on capabilities when inside of clouds. Furthermore, laser weaponry like the Tactical Laser System and Pulse Laser are diffused by clouds, making them ineffective for long range combat during overcast missions. The player's plane can also ice and eventually stall if they stay in cloud cover for too long, presenting a risk of crashing.[48] In addition to clouds, direct lightning strikes serve as a threat in several missions, and will temporarily interfere with the player's flight controls and distort the HUD.[8] Several missions also feature violent wind currents, which can blow the player's aircraft off course and potentially into the terrain, causing them to crash.[17][21]
Helicopters and Piston Fighters do not make an appearance in Ace Combat 7. The game only focuses on playable fighter jets.[49]
The player can also manually perform Post Stall Maneuvers. If successful, the player can get behind an enemy aircraft and turn a dogfight in their favor.[50] This mechanic replaces the automatic Close Range Assault counter-maneuvers from Assault Horizon. Like in previous games, certain enemies can also perform Post Stall Manuevers in combat, forcing players to adapt to their increased mobility.
Customization
The Aircraft Tree from Ace Combat Infinity returns to Ace Combat 7. Players can purchase aircraft, special weapons, and tuning parts within the tree by spending MRP (Military Result Points), earned by completing campaign missions or multiplayer matches. Unlike Infinity, aircraft and weapons cannot be leveled up for higher performance.
Like in Ace Combat X, Joint Assault, Assault Horizon Legacy, and Infinity, aircraft can be tuned via the Hangar. Players can equip tuning parts to enhance aircraft and special weapons performance or adding special features to aircraft such as stealth, health regeneration, anti-icing, and more. Players can also change the aircraft skin and equip emblems on the aircraft's body, wings, and tails.
The Aircraft Set system from Infinity also returns in Ace Combat 7, but only for multiplayer. Players can create custom sets of an aircraft, skin, emblem, nickname, and tuning parts for repeated use in future matches.
Aircraft Tree in Ace Combat 7
An Su-37 being tuned
Virtual Reality
Ace Combat 7 features an optional[51] VR Mode exclusively through PlayStation VR on PS4.[52] VR Mode contains an exclusive set of three missions separate from the main campaign, as well as an airshow mode and hangar mode. Players cannot play these modes without PlayStation VR, but VR is not available for the main campaign or multiplayer. VR Mode sacrifices some visual detail to maintain the required 60 frames-per-second.[53]
When playing in VR Mode's missions, the player must use cockpit view; first-person and third-person views are not available.[46] The player can turn their head to look at an enemy to lock on to them, at which point they can fire missiles as usual.[54] Holding down the Options button will re-calibrate the headset.[55] The player can look down and see the entire cockpit, including the pilot's legs. The in-game pilot will interact with the plane's control sticks, despite the player's use of a DualShock 4 controller.[46]
Multiplayer
Ace Combat 7 features two online multiplayer modes at launch, Battle Royal and Team Deathmatch. In Battle Royal, players engage in a free-for-all deathmatch where the first player reaches the score limit wins, or the player with the most points wins if the timer runs out. In Team Deathmatch, two teams must shoot each other down until the timer runs out or when one team reaches the score limit. Both modes support up to 8 players at once.[56]
Pre-Orders
Global Bonuses
All Ace Combat 7 pre-orders and "launch editions" on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam came with additional bonuses, regardless if they were purchased physically or digitally. The launch editions were removed one month after release (February 18, 2019 on PS4 and Xbox One; March 4, 2019 on Steam).[57]
- All pre-orders and launch editions on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam received the F-4E Phantom II + 3 Skins DLC pack for free.
- All PS4 pre-orders and launch editions included a digital copy of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War for the PlayStation 4, which is not available by any other means.[58]
- For three years after release, seemingly unintentionally, European PS4 players could still acquire Ace Combat 5 by purchasing the Digital Deluxe Edition of Ace Combat 7 until that edition was replaced in 2022 by new post-launch editions.[59]
- All Xbox One pre-orders and launch editions included a digital copy of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation for the Xbox 360. Ace Combat 6 was also added to Xbox One and Series X/S's backward compatibility program, allowing users to play the game without the need for an Xbox 360.
- The backward-compatibility update also allows those who own a physical disc of Ace Combat 6 to play the game by inserting the disc into an Xbox One that has a disc drive or an Xbox Series X.
Retailer Extras
Players who pre-ordered Ace Combat 7 also received an exclusive extra specific to the retailer they pre-ordered from. Most of these extras were exclusive to Japanese retailers; however, PlayStation Store's digital PS4 theme and GameStop's OADF pin were available to American customers, and the luggage strap was available to most Taiwanese customers.
3" Metal Pin (GameStop)
PS4 Theme (PlayStation Store)
PS4 Theme (PlayStation Store)
Erusea dog tag (GAME.es)
Luggage strap (Taiwanese retailers)
PS4 Theme (Amazon.co.jp)
Pinback Buttons (HMV)
Desk Mat (WonderGOO)
Eight bromides (AmiAmi)
Large fabric poster (IMAGINE WEBSHOP)
Acrylic keychain (Takarajima)
Su-30SM steelbook (GEO-MART)
Su-30SM wallpaper (Joshin)
Four postcards (Neowing)
B2 poster (Biccamera/Sofmap/Kojima)
File folder (Yodobashi)
X-02S wallpaper (Amazon.co.jp for Switch)
Launch Editions
Various special editions were announced for the release of Ace Combat 7. All of these editions are listed below.
Players who purchase a digital copy of Ace Combat 7 on any platform, regardless of edition or pre-order status, will receive the F-104C -Avril- aircraft as a digital incentive.
Comparison
| Edition | Standard | Deluxe | AAW | Collector's | Strangereal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format or Physical Region | Retail | Digital | Retail[e] | Digital | NA/SA | JP | KR/TW | EU/OCE | SEA |
| Available Platforms | |||||||||
| PlayStation 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Xbox One | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Steam | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Digital Bonuses | |||||||||
| F-104C -Avril- skin | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Season Pass | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| 8 Popular Squadron Emblems | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Physical Bonuses | |||||||||
| Collector's box | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Aces At War: A History 2019 (language depended on region) |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| F-22A steelbook | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Trigger emblem patch Legacy emblem stickers[note 1] |
✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Arsenal Bird 40 cm diecast figurine Trigger 3 cm metal pin OADF and Erusea patches |
✔ | ✔ | |||||||
Deluxe Edition
The Ace Combat 7 "Deluxe Edition" included the game's Season Pass, as well as eight additional in-game emblems: "Aquila", "Wardog", "Garuda", "Gryphus", and low-visibility variants of each. In almost all regions, this edition was only available digitally and could not be purchased with physical copies.[60]
On the European PlayStation Store, this edition always granted access to the digital PS4 version of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War even after the pre-order and launch edition window closed.[59]
The digital Deluxe Edition was removed from sale on May 26, 2022 with the release of replacement post-launch editions.
The United Kingdom retailer GAME allowed players to purchase a physical Ace Combat 7 Deluxe Edition. GAME had exclusive rights to the physical version of this edition in the United Kingdom.[61][62]
Aces at War Bundle
North American and South American players have the option to purchase a special edition dubbed the "Aces at War Bundle" exclusively through Bandai Namco's online store. Players can purchase an Aces At War Bundle for PS4 or Xbox One; there is no Steam version of this edition. The Aces at War Bundle comes with the following physical goods:[63]
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on PS4 or Xbox One
- An English[64] copy of Aces At War: A History 2019
- A steelbook case for the game disc featuring an F-22A Raptor
By December 19, 2018, both the PS4 and Xbox One Aces at War Bundles had sold out of consumer copies, forcing customers to join a wait list for the edition.[65][66]
Collector's Edition
Japanese,[60] South Korean,[67] and Taiwanese players have the option to purchase a special PS4 Collector's Edition. There is no Xbox One or Steam version of this edition. The Collector's Edition comes with the following physical goods:[68]
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on PS4
- A copy of Aces At War: A History 2019 (in Japanese, Korean, or Traditional Chinese, depending on the region)[60][67][68]
- A copy of the game's Season Pass (only for South Korea and Taiwan, not for Japan)
- A steelbook case for the game disc featuring an F-22A Raptor
- A specially-designed collector's box featuring the International Space Elevator
- An embroidered Trigger emblem patch
- Six emblem stickers (Galm, Aquila, Garuda, Razgriz, Mobius, and Sol)
Japanese Collector's Edition
Korean Collector's Edition
Taiwanese Collector's Edition
Strangereal Edition
European, Oceanic, and Southeast Asian players have the option to purchase a special collector's edition dubbed the "Strangereal Edition". Players in Europe and Oceania can purchase a Strangereal Edition for any of the three launch platforms (game disc for PS4 and Xbox One, digital code for Steam);[69] players in Southeast Asia can only purchase it for PS4.[70]
In late December 2018, the Strangereal Edition was apparently updated to include the eight emblems from the Deluxe Edition as well as the F-104C -Avril- aircraft skin.[71]
The Strangereal Edition comes with the following physical goods:
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- An English[64] copy of Aces At War: A History 2019
- A copy of the game's Season Pass and the eight emblems from the Deluxe Edition[71]
- An individually-numbered collector's box featuring the game box art
- A 40 cm:500g diecast model of the Arsenal Bird
- A 3 cm Trigger emblem pin
- Two embroidered patches of the Osean Air Defense Force and Erusea
Post-Launch Editions
Additional special editions have been made available after the release of Ace Combat 7. Except for the Premium and Switch editions, these were released without prior announcement on May 26, 2022 upon the release of the TOP GUN: Maverick Aircraft Set.
Comparison
| Edition | Premium | 25th Anniversary |
Deluxe 2022 |
Ultimate | TOP GUN | TOP GUN Ultimate |
Switch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail | Digital | |||||||
| Available Platforms | ||||||||
| PlayStation 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Xbox One | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Steam | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||
| Nintendo Switch | ✔ | |||||||
| Available Regions | ||||||||
| Japan | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| International | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Digital Bonuses | ||||||||
| F-104C -Avril- skin | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| 8 Popular Squadron Emblems | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Season Pass | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Original Aircraft Series | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Experimental Aircraft Series Set | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| TOP GUN: Maverick Aircraft Set | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
Premium Edition
The Premium Edition is exclusive to Japan. It can only be purchased at retail for PlayStation 4, but can be purchased digitally for either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.[57] It released on November 5, 2020.[72]
The Premium Edition comes with the following:
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (digital, unless purchased at retail for PS4)
- If digital, the F-104C -Avril-
- The Season Pass
- The Original Aircraft Series DLC
25th Anniversary Edition
The 25th Anniversary Edition is exclusive to Japan and is not available on Steam. It is only available digitally and comes with the following:
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- The F-104C -Avril-
- The Original Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Experimental Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set DLC
Deluxe Edition 2022
The Deluxe Edition 2022 is exclusive to Japan and is not available on Steam. It is only available digitally and comes with the following:
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- The F-104C -Avril-
- The Original Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Experimental Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Season Pass
- The 8 Popular Squadron Emblems DLC
Ultimate Edition
The Ultimate Edition is exclusive to Japan and is not available on Steam. It is only available digitally and comes with the following:
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- The F-104C -Avril-
- The Original Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Experimental Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set DLC
- The Season Pass
- The 8 Popular Squadron Emblems DLC
- The TOP GUN: Maverick Aircraft Set DLC
TOP GUN Edition
The TOP GUN: Maverick Edition is only available digitally. The bundle comes with the following:
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- The F-104C -Avril-
- The TOP GUN: Maverick Aircraft Set DLC
TOP GUN Ultimate Edition
The TOP GUN: Maverick Ultimate Edition is only available digitally. The bundle comes with the following:
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- The F-104C -Avril-
- The Season Pass
- The 8 Popular Squadron Emblems DLC
- The TOP GUN: Maverick Aircraft Set DLC
Switch Deluxe Edition
The Nintendo Switch version of the game cannot be purchased on its own; it comes bundled as part of a platform-exclusive "Deluxe Edition" (not to be confused with other Deluxe Editions described above). It was released on July 11, 2024.
In most regions, this edition is only available digitally, but a physical cartridge is available exclusively in Japan and the United Kingdom. Amazon.co.jp customers who pre-ordered the physical cartridge also received an exclusive X-02S Strike Wyvern desktop wallpaper.
This version of the game comes with the following:[4][5]
- A copy of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- The F-104C -Avril-
- The Season Pass
- The 8 Popular Squadron Emblems DLC
- The F-4E Phantom II + 3 Skins DLC
The Japanese retail Nintendo Switch Deluxe Edition
The UK retail Nintendo Switch Deluxe Edition
Development
Pre-Announcement
After Ace Combat: Assault Horizon released in late 2011, Project Aces used the game's engine to test new cloud technology.[73][74] However, over the next couple of years, the team's limited resources forced development to shift to Ace Combat Infinity.[74] Ace Combat series producer Kazutoki Kono stated in 2014 that a "next-generation" Ace Combat game—and the future of the franchise—would depend on Infinity.[75][76] Kono reiterated a year later that Project Aces was a small team busy with maintaining Infinity, but also stated that Infinity's overwhelming success helped push them to the "next step".[77][78]
When Ace Combat 7 got the green light, the Ace Combat proprietary engine had entered a "state of limbo".[79] Around this time, Bandai Namco's Tekken team used Unreal Engine 4 to develop and release Tekken 7, which saved development time and made porting easier.[80] Project Aces decided to follow suit and develop Ace Combat 7 in Unreal Engine 4 as well.[79] The team also licensed trueSKY for the cloud mechanics[73] and SpeedTree for rendering vegetation.[81]
Project Aces did not consider virtual reality in the initial development stages. When Kono offered the possibility, the team jumped at the chance to include it.[74] Bandai Namco's prior work on Mach Storm and Star Wars Battle Pod provided assistance for the VR development.[82] The team also started modeling the aircraft from scratch in higher detail to make the best use of modern hardware.[74]
In June 2015, Project Aces revealed a 20th anniversary wallpaper featuring the tagline "ACES even challenge the true sky".[83] Kono revealed two years later that "ACES even" was hiding the phrase "ACE Seven", referencing the future title.[84]
PSX 2015
Ace Combat 7 entered full development by November 2015. Bandai Namco scheduled a trailer to debut during PlayStation Experience 2015. Project Aces added data to Infinity in advance for a celebratory event after the trailer aired. Japanese players discovered this data by November 19 and leaked its existence online.[85] On December 5, the trailer aired at the tail end of PlayStation Experience's VR segment. They only announced the game for PS4, and confirmed it would support PlayStation VR. By this point, Ace Combat 7 was 20% complete, and details began to emerge on the importance of clouds. The game's subtitle, or even if there would be one, was not confirmed.[86][87]
The following year remained quiet on announcements. Project Aces continued developing Ace Combat 7 and supporting Ace Combat Infinity. In March 2016, Bandai Namco's Brasil[88] and Latinoamérica[89] Facebook pages announced that Ace Combat 7 would release that year. No English or Japanese source confirmed this. Later that month, Kono tweeted that the script for Ace Combat 7 was almost complete. Yet, the team had not decided on the player's squadron and name (later "Mage Squadron" and "Trigger"). He joked that they would be "Player" and "Player 1".[90]
Despite no such announcement, some players expected Ace Combat 7 to appear at E3 in June 2016. They expressed disappointment online when it didn't appear. Kono apologized on Twitter and said many things prevented the game from appearing at E3.[91] He echoed this apology following the game's absence at Tokyo Game Show in September 2016.[92] He later revealed that the VR demo had framerate problems, preventing it from showing at Tokyo Game Show.[93]
Keiki Kobayashi tweeted a photo of the third campaign mission's sheet music in November 2016.[94] Later that month, Gematsu reported that Bandai Namco trademarked five new titles.[95] One of them was "Skies Unknown", which later turned out to be the subtitle for Ace Combat 7. The company held the official announcement for two months.
PSX 2016
On November 23, 2016, PlayStation announced that Ace Combat 7 would be playable at PSX next month.[96] Kono thought the appearance was a secret and expressed surprise at the announcement.[97] Project Aces confirmed the demo would be on PS VR and tweeted a cropped photo of the F/A-18F's cockpit in VR.[98] On December 3, the game's first story trailer aired near the start of the PSX presentation. The official YouTube uploads of the trailer confirmed the game would release in 2017.[99] A leak from Gematsu confirmed the game's full title would be Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.[100] Masahide Kito, the radio script writer for Ace Combat 04, announced he will return for Ace Combat 7.[101]
GamingBolt asked Kono if Ace Combat 7 could see an Xbox One release. Kono said "the doors [are not closed] for a multi platform release" but their focus was on PlayStation first.[102] Gematsu reported on January 3, 2017 that Taiwan's games rating board gave Ace Combat 7 an Xbox One rating. The rating board removed it from the website two days later.[103] At that month's Taipei Game Show, Kono announced a Traditional Chinese localization.[104]
Bandai Namco revealed an extended version of the PSX trailer on January 26. This coincided with an announcement of the game's full title, as well as Xbox One and Steam ports. The press release also mentioned 2-player local multiplayer, which was later disproven,[105] and it reiterated that VR would remain exclusive to PlayStation.[52] On May 20 Bandai Namco Entertainment Korea announced Korean localisation for a number of games, including Ace Combat 7.[106]
June–October 2017
Project Aces had an internal goal to have a non-VR demo build ready early for the next E3 in June 2017. The E3 build took longer to complete than the team first thought it would. In May, Kono delayed the game's release from 2017 to 2018. When asked by Famitsu, he denied that VR caused the delay, stating that VR was only one of Ace Combat 7's many gameplay elements.[107]
Bandai Namco released an E3 story trailer for the game a few days before the event. By the time E3 began, footage of the campaign mission demo began to emerge. DigitalFoundry discovered the game's demo was not running at 60 frames-per-second. Kono mentioned the possibility of better framerates on the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X. He also confirmed the player could customize their plane's emblem and skin after completing the story.[108]
Two months later, at Gamescom 2017, Bandai Namco released another new story trailer. The trailer mostly used dialogue and visuals from the E3 trailer, but included a few new lines and scenes.[109] The E3 campaign mission demo was available with some framerate improvements.[110] The company also showed off another campaign mission with commentary from Kono.[111] In an interview with DualShockers, Kono said they couldn't port the game to the Nintendo Switch due to performance concerns;[112] these were addressed and resolved by 2024 when a Switch port was officially announced.[4][5]
The team released another gameplay trailer for Tokyo Game Show 2017 presenting Post Stall Maneuvers.[50] The final trailer released in this news cycle was a new VR trailer for Paris Games Week. This trailer revealed the VR side campaign would follow Mobius Squadron and allow the players to view their aircraft up-close.[113]
E3 2018
Gamescom 2018
Reception
Sales
Ace Combat 7 had a strong sales performance upon release. In Japan, the game sold over 200,000 physical console copies in the first week of release, surpassing Ace Combat: Assault Horizon which sold 170,000 physical console copies in its first week.[114] About 1% (~2,000) of the Ace Combat 7 copies were on Xbox One, placing the Xbox One version of the game on Japan's best-selling charts, a very rare event for Xbox One games in Japan.[114] Famitsu estimates that 220,195 copies of the physical PS4 version were sold in Japan throughout 2019.[115] 80,096 digital copies of the PS4 version were sold in Japan by February 27,[116] totaling around 300,000 PS4 copies sold in Japan in 2019, excluding digital sales from March through December.
On February 25, Bandai Namco Entertainment Southeast Asia announced that Ace Combat 7 sold a combined 500,000 units solely in its publishing region of Southeast Asia. The split between formats and platforms was not revealed.[117]
In the United Kingdom, the physical console versions of Ace Combat 7 set a new record for an Ace Combat debut in the UK and earned second-place in that week's sales. 76% of these sales were on the PlayStation 4.[118] The game received similar performance in Australia and New Zealand.[119] On January 28, Europe's Game Sales Data charts were updated to prioritize value over units sold. Ace Combat 7 reached the first-place spot in the newly-updated charts across all of Europe.[120]
The digital PC version of Ace Combat 7 made enough revenue in the first few days of release to reach 5th place in Steam's top selling games (based on recent revenue).[121] The Deluxe Edition was just below, at 6th place.[122] As of June 2021, SteamSpy estimates that at least 500,000 worldwide Steam users own the PC version of the game.[123]
Skies Unknown has since surpassed Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies as the best-selling Ace Combat game of all time, selling five million copies as of November 2023.[7]
Critical reception
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown received generally positive reception from critic reviews. Metacritic's aggregate scores are 80/100 on the PlayStation 4,[124] 79/100 on the Xbox One,[125] and 78/100 on Steam.[126]
OpenCritic holds an aggregate score of 81/100 for all three initial launch platforms. The site summarizes Ace Combat 7 as having refined gameplay and smooth controls but hampered by a complicated narrative, though it explains that it's "just another reason why this is a return to form."[127] Jason Rodriguez for PC Invasion rated the PC version 4.5/5, praising the core gameplay and presentation while finding the story "tacked on, with unnecessary twists and uninspiring characters." Rodriguez also found the missions to be linear and repetitive,[128] a view that Ollie Barder for Forbes disagreed with, finding "a lot of variety" across the game's 20 missions. Barder rated the PS4 version 9/10, but mentioned he "found the Japanese audio coupled with English subtitles a more compelling way to appreciate the story".[129] A French Naval Aviation consultant, Pierre-Henri "Ate" Chuet, was impressed with the game's portrayal of detailed briefings and the accuracy of the Rafale M, his former aircraft.[130] TheGamer's Sean Murray praised Ace Combat 7 for focusing on a robust single-player experience and avoiding the pitfalls of microtransactions and live services.[131] Gameranx's Kevin Thielenhaus singled out "Daredevil" as one of the best original gaming tracks in 2019.[132]
Mike Epstein for IGN rated the PS4 and Xbox One versions 7/10, criticizing the game for lacking tutorials (in fact, tutorials are presented during the first two missions), not updating the controls, and not explaining mission objectives.[133] Kazutoki Kono expressed disappointment at IGN for not using the "expert" control scheme,[134] commenters ridiculed Epstein's review for poorly representing the game,[133] and Chuet instead found the objectives well-explained in the briefings and dialogue.[130] Blaine Smith for GamersHeroes[135] and Ben Wilson for Gameplanet Australia both rated the PS4 version 6/10, viewing the classic gameplay as more of a detriment than other reviewers did.[136]
Awards
Prior to release, Ace Combat 7 received various awards from gaming media and fans, particularly for its virtual reality experience. DualShockers awarded Ace Combat 7 with "Best AR/VR Game" at Gamescom 2017[137] and Tokyo Game Show 2018,[138] as well as "Readers' Choice Game of the Show" at Gamescom 2018.[139] The Japanese Computer Entertainment Software Association awarded Ace Combat 7 the Japan Game Awards 2018 "Future Division" award alongside 10 other games, as voted on by attendees of Tokyo Game Show.[140][141]
After release, Ace Combat 7 received nominations and awards for its virtual reality and sound design. The most notable of these was the 2019 CEDEC Awards Sound category; CEDEC praised the game's immersive sound effects and dynamic background music that match the player's gameplay.[142] The PlayStation Awards 2019 presented Ace Combat 7 with a VR Award for contributing to the growth of PlayStation VR, as well as the Gold Prize for selling over 500,000 copies in the Japan and Asia regions combined.[143][144] The North American PlayStation Blog, as voted by fans, awarded Ace Combat 7 the Gold Trophy in the Best PS VR Experience category and an honorable mention in the Best Soundtrack category.[145] GameTyrant awarded Ace Combat 7 with their Game of the Year award for 2019,[146] and Metro GameCentral awarded the game's soundtrack their Best Music of 2019 award.[147] The National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers awarded Ace Combat 7 for best Sound Mixing in Virtual Reality, and also nominated the game for best Control Design in VR.[148] The 2019 Golden Joystick Awards nominated Ace Combat 7 for Best VR/AR Game.[149]
Multiple outlets included Ace Combat 7 in their lists of top games for 2019, including Forbes,[150] Eurogamer,[151] GamingBolt,[152] and GameRevolution.[153] 132 of the top Japanese developers and industry celebrities voted Ace Combat 7 as the 12th-best game of 2019, with specific mentions made by producers Shinjiro Katsuda (Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2), Yozo Sakagami (THE iDOLM@STER), and Takanobu Terada (Super Robot Wars).[154] The Reddit community r/PS4 rated Ace Combat 7 as one of the best PlayStation 4 games of all time.[155]
HOTAS support
Upon the Steam release of Ace Combat 7, a large number of users posted negative reviews due to the game's apparent lack of HOTAS support. This "review bombing" led to the game initially showing "Mostly Negative" reception on the Steam store.[156] Thrustmaster[157] and Project Aces asked T.Flight Hotas users to update their drivers.[158] Thrustmaster later clarified that Ace Combat 7 only supports their T.Flight Hotas 4 and T.Flight Hotas One sticks;[159] Bandai Namco added that HORI's HOTAS sticks for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are also compatible, but no others.[160] Charlie Hall for Polygon criticized the review bombing, stating HOTAS support is unnecessary for Ace Combat 7's arcade-style gameplay.[161] The game's Steam reception has since recovered from the review bombing.[162]
Galleries
Box Art
PS4 (Japan)
PS4 (North America)
PS4 (Europe)
Xbox One (Japan)
Xbox One (North America)
Xbox One (Europe)
Steam (North America)
F-22A Steelbook
Trailers
Pre-Release
DLC
SP Missions
Aircraft DLC Series
Screenshots
Also see Category:Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown for all Ace Combat 7 screenshots uploaded to Ace Combat Wiki!
An unmarked A-10C Thunderbolt II over an airfield
An Osean F/A-18F Super Hornet on an aircraft carrier
Cockpit of an F/A-18F
An F-104C Starfighter taking off
An F-15C Eagle firing Pulse Laser
An unmarked Rafale M flying above an airfield
The Arsenal Bird and its MQ-101s chasing an F-22A Raptor
Rosa Cossette D'Elise standing on a Lighthouse platform
Trivia
- Ace Combat 7 is the first...
- ...Ace Combat game since Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation to feature a number in the title;
- ...console Ace Combat game since Ace Combat 6 to take place in the Strangereal universe;[163]
- ...Strangereal game to feature the ASF-X Shinden II;
- ...Ace Combat game to release on 8th-generation home consoles;
- ...Ace Combat game to use a third-party engine, namely Unreal Engine 4;[164]
- ...Strangereal-based Ace Combat game on PC;
- ...Ace Combat game since Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War to have screenplay written by Sunao Katabuchi;[165]
- ...Ace Combat game to be localized in Traditional Chinese;[104]
- ...Ace Combat game to be localised in Brazilian Portuguese;
- ...Ace Combat game to be localised in Korean since Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception;[106] and the first
- ...Ace Combat game to be playable in virtual reality.
- The game's final release date in Europe and North America, January 18, 2019, may be a reference to Mobius Squadron's official designation, 118th Tactical Fighter Wing.
- Before the game's first trailer aired, Asad Qizilbash (head of Software Marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America) described "staying up all night to unlock this Easter egg, it was a FALKEN fighter", referencing Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
- Katsuhiro Harada (producer for Tekken) said in 2014 that Ace Combat would never get VR support because of how the horizon shakes in aerial flight games, which could make players feel sick.[166]
Footnotes
- ↑ Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (エースコンバット7 スカイズ・アンノウン Ēsu Konbatto Sebun: Sukaizu An'nōn)
- ↑ In the English version, Avril appears to try and blackmail McKinsey into allowing her aboard his transport plane, but McKinsey leaves her behind anyway and she is forced to go to Tyler Island with the rest of Spare Squadron. However, in the Japanese, it is instead implied that while McKinsey expects Avril to use her connections to blackmail him into ferrying her to safety, Avril instead blackmails McKinsey into allowing Trigger to escape the rest of Spare Squadron's fate (sans Count, who is McKinsey's preferred choice for an escort).
- ↑ It is unknown exactly where Wit, Seymour, Skoll Squadron, and Rigel Squadron landed and regrouped prior to Operation Hush, as they are not present aboard the Admiral Andersen and approach the allied formation from a separate heading at the start of "Dark Blue."
- ↑ The English briefing dialogue states that if the Ravens succeed, the war, "will never end." However, the Japanese dialogue instead implies an AI revolution by stating, "This isn't just about ending the war anymore. We could be handing this planet over to something inhuman."
- ↑ The Deluxe Edition was only available physically through specific retailers. See § Deluxe Edition for more details.
- ↑ The emblems available as stickers in the Collector's Edition were Galm, Aquila, Garuda, Razgriz, Mobius, and Sol.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bandai Namco US [@BandaiNamcoUS] (21 August 2018). "ACE COMBAT 7 Skies Unknown lands on PS4, PSVR, & Xbox One on January 18th, 2019 and arrives on Steam February 1st 2019.". X.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 BANDAI NAMCO Europe [@BandaiNamcoEU] (21 August 2018). "ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN launches January 18th 2019 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and on February 1st on PC via Steam!". X.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 ACE COMBAT [@PROJECT_ACES] (21 August 2018). "「ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN」 PlayStation®4版/Xbox One版 2019年1月17日発売、STEAM®版 2019年2月1日発売となります。" ["Ace Combat 7 SKIES UNKNOWN PS4 / Xbox One version will be released on January 17, 2019; Steam version will be released on February 1, 2019."]. X.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/01/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-deluxe-edition-soars-onto-switch-this-july
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 https://nintendoeverything.com/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-deluxe-edition-announced-for-switch/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFxtY4giPk0
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 エースコンバット公式 [@PROJECT_ACES] (November 22, 2023). https://twitter.com/PROJECT_ACES/status/1727129769832067134. X.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "「エースコンバット7」，ストーリーの導入部や最新スクリーンショットなどが公開。UGSFシリーズとの関連も明らかに" ["Ace Combat 7 story introduction and latest screenshots have been released. A clear connection to UGSF"]. 4gamer.net. Published on 21 June 2018. Retrieved on 21 June 2018.
- ↑ https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2018/12/11/flying-high
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Mission 03: "Two-pronged Strategy", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Cutscene 04: "Salty Lake", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Cite_game at line 9: Missing required parameters.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Cutscene 14: "The UAV Factory", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Cutscene 01: "Drag Racer", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Cutscene 03: "444th Air Base", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 01: "Charge Assault", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Mission 04: "Rescue", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ https://ace7.acecombat.jp/clm/column03.php
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Mission 05: "444", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 06: "Long Day", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Mission 07: "First Contact", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Cutscene 06: "The Rose Emblem", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Mission 11: "Fleet Destruction", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 08: "Pipeline Destruction", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 09: "Faceless Soldier", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 10: "Transfer Orders", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 12: "Stonehenge Defensive", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 13: "Bunker Buster", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 14: "Cape Rainy Assault", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 15: "Battle for Farbanti", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Cutscene 11: "Offline", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Cutscene 10: "King of the Heavens", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 16: "Last Hope", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 17: "Homeward", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 18: "Lost Kingdom", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 19: "Lighthouse", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Cutscene 15: "Admiral Andersen", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Mission 20: "Dark Blue", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Cutscene 16: "The New System", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 SP Mission 01: "Unexpected Visitor", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 SP Mission 02: "Anchorhead Raid", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 SP Mission 03: "Ten Million Relief Plan", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 VR Mission 01, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ VR Mission 02, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 VR Mission 03, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 「エースコンバット 7」VRデモのプレイレポート。トレイラーではさまざまな革新が見られたが，操作感はPS2風？. 4gamer.net. Published on December 4, 2016. Retrieved on December 4, 2016.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Mpgwu-xpG5w
- ↑ Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Goes Back To Its Roots. GameSpot. Published on January 26, 2017. Retrieved on January 28, 2017.
- ↑ 9lives sprak met Ace Combat 7-producer Kazutoki Kono. 9lives. Published on January 12, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 https://youtu.be/ITXJWHOg7LE
- ↑ Kazutoki Kono [@kazutoki] (5 December 2015). "VR専用製品ではないです" ["It is not a VR exclusive product"]. X.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 Ace Combat 7 coming to Xbox One and PC, 'New Years Showcase' trailer. Gematsu. Published on January 26, 2017. Retrieved on January 26, 2017.
- ↑ PS4 Exclusive Ace Combat 7 Will Support PS4 Pro; Producer Talks Developing for PS4 and PlayStation VR. DualShockers. Published on December 4, 2016. Retrieved on December 4, 2016.
- ↑ PlayStation Experience: Ace Combat 7 VR Hands-On: Highway To the Danger Zone. WWG. Published on December 3, 2016. Retrieved on December 4, 2016.
- ↑ File:AC7 PS VR Demo Controls.jpg.
- ↑ スカイズ・アンノウン」のマルチプレイは2種類のルールで他プレイヤーと対決。SASMやTLSも使用可能.
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 https://ace7.acecombat.jp/products/
- ↑ https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2018/10/03/84255.html
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/74352-game-is-still-available-through-deluxe-edition/
- ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 https://www.4gamer.net/games/369/G036985/20180915001/
- ↑ https://www.game.co.uk/en/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-deluxe-edition-only-at-game-2562354
- ↑ https://www.game.co.uk/en/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-deluxe-edition-only-at-game-2562357
- ↑ https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-7-aces-at-war-bundle/
- ↑ 64.0 64.1 https://twitter.com/kazutoki/status/1048578004346056709
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/acecombat/comments/a71yzx/bandai_namco_us_reports_that_the_aces_at_war/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_etYddbW-OA
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 http://www.bandainamcoent.co.kr/bbs/news.php?mode=view&bdIx=1424
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 https://www.bandainamcoent.com.tw/news-detail.php?news_no=169
- ↑ http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2018/10/ace_combat_7_collectors_edition_includes_a_ludicrously_large_figurine
- ↑ https://kakuchopurei.com/2018/11/12/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-collectors-edition-contents-revealed-for-southeast-asia/
- ↑ 71.0 71.1 https://twitter.com/AceCombatWiki/status/1077063612810911749
- ↑ https://twitter.com/PROJECT_ACES/status/1300359169699086338
- ↑ 73.0 73.1 The Importance of Ace Combat 7's Cloud-Based Conflict. YouTube. Uploaded by IGN on January 30, 2017.
- ↑ 74.0 74.1 74.2 74.3 『エースコンバット7』河野一聡Pにインタビュー。『7』は質感や温度の表現まで踏み込む！【E3 2017】. Dengeki Online. Published on June 16, 2017. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ 『エースコンバット インフィニティ』いよいよ開発は佳境！ 河野一聡氏、小林啓樹氏にインタビュー. Famitsu. Published on March 4, 2014. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ Next Generation Ace Combat Being Considered; It’ll Depend on How Well Infinity Does. Dualshockers. Published on March 8, 2014. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ 『エースコンバット インフィニティ』1周年スペシャルインタビュー完全版. Famitsu. Published on May 28, 2015. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ This is probably long overdue, but here's my translation of Famitsu's interview of Kono, Wada, and Koyanagi. Reddit. Posted by lockspeed-99 on July 2, 2015. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ 79.0 79.1 Ace Combat 7 on PS4: First Look + Tech Analysis + Frame-Rate Test. YouTube. Uploaded by DigitalFoundry on June 26, 2017.
- ↑ Tekken 7 - PS4/XB1/PC - Unreal Engine 4 & Tekken Part 1 (Q&A Dev Interviews). YouTube. Uploaded by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe on May 31, 2017.
- ↑ @SpeedTreeInc on Twitter. Published on March 23, 2018. Retrieved on March 24, 2018.
- ↑ Ace Combat 7 interview with Kazutoki Kono (Franchise Director) - Gamespot @ E3 2017. YouTube. Uploaded by Zaptroxix on June 15, 2017.
- ↑ @PROJECT_ACES on Twitter. Published on June 30, 2015. Retrieved on April 8, 2018.
- ↑ @kazutoki on Twitter. Published on August 30, 2017. Retrieved on April 8, 2018.
- ↑ イベント情報/コメント. Gwiki. Retrieved from the Web Archive's version dated November 24, 2015.
- ↑ 『エースコンバット7』開発陣インタビュー完全版！ 「3つの軸を追求します」. Famitsu. Published December 17, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
- ↑ PS4『エースコンバット7』は軌道エレベーターがシンボルとなる架空世界が舞台！PVは全て実機映像で、雲に突っ込むことも可能. はちま起稿. Published on December 8, 2015. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ [1]. Facebook. Posted on March 4, 2016. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ [2]. Facebook. Posted on March 6, 2016. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ [3]. Twitter. Posted by @kazutoki on March 29, 2016.
- ↑ [4]. Twitter. Posted by @kazutoki on June 14, 2016.
- ↑ [5]. Twitter. Posted by @kazutoki on September 17, 2016.
- ↑ Incoming full translation of AC7 2016 Famitsu interview. Reddit. Posted by BlackKite2128 on December 9, 2016. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ [6]. Twitter. Posted by @keikikobayashi on November 9, 2016.
- ↑ Bandai Namco trademarks Skies Unknown, The Precious 12, Fortune Gears, more in Europe. Gematsu. Published on November 22, 2016. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ PlayStation Experience 2016: Panel Lineup, 100+ Playable Games. PlayStation Blog. Published on November 23, 2016. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ [7]. Twitter. Posted by @kazutoki on November 23, 2016.
- ↑ [8]. Twitter. Posted by @PROJECT_ACES on November 28, 2016.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/zIIoRDCmJEA
- ↑ Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is apparently the official title!. Reddit. Comment posted by Sal Romano (head of Gematsu) on December 7, 2016. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ [9]. Twitter. Posted by @kito_mas on December 5, 2016.
- ↑ Kazutoki Kono on Ace Combat 7 Xbox One – ‘Not Closing Doors On Multiplatform Release’. GamingBolt. Published on December 13, 2016. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ Ace Combat 7 rated for Xbox One in Taiwan. Gematsu. Published on January 3, 2017. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ 104.0 104.1 【TpGS17】《空戰奇兵7》將推出繁體中文版 製作人河野一聰訪談. Mobile01. Published on January 21, 2017. Retrieved on January 21, 2017.
- ↑ Acepedia [@AceCombatWiki] (9 December 2018). "This (signed!) #AceCombat7 box art confirms that the game has NO local multiplayer.". X.
- ↑ 106.0 106.1 반다이남코 2017 '한글화 대폭발' 위력, 작년의 두 배. 조인스. Published on May 20, 2017. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.
- ↑ 『エースコンバット7 スカイズ・アンノウン』最新バージョンを体験！ そして河野Pにあれこれ聞いてみた【E3 2017】. Famitsu. Published on June 14, 2017. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ Ace Combat 7 Hands-On and Interview – Campaign To Last Between Four and Five Hours. Wccftech. Published on July 3, 2017. Retrieved on August 19, 2017.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/lgyqYq80PW0
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Hy2TKDovTIw
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Zn53XpM83BA
- ↑ Ace Combat 7 Producer Comments on Switch Port Possibility; Explains Why it Became Multiplatform. DualShockers. Published on August 22, 2017. Retrieved on August 25, 2017.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/MwHeUiC7u3M
- ↑ 114.0 114.1 https://twinfinite.net/2019/01/ace-combat-7-japan/
- ↑ https://twinfinite.net/2020/01/top-100-best-selling-games-2019-japan/
- ↑ https://www.siliconera.com/2019/02/27/super-smash-bros-ultimate-and-kingdom-hearts-iii-tops-januarys-digital-sales-in-japan/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/BandaiNamcoSEA/status/1099927006412763137
- ↑ https://www.mcvuk.com/business/uk-charts-ace-combat-7-is-series-biggest-take-off
- ↑ https://mediaweek.com.au/top-10-game-charts-janaury-28-2019/
- ↑ https://www.mcvuk.com/business/european-sales-data-adds-value-rankings-providing-far-greater-insight-into-full-game-sales
- ↑ https://www.malaymail.com/news/tech-gadgets/2019/02/05/weekly-pc-download-charts-undersea-subnautica-below-zero-topples-resident-e/1719923
- ↑ https://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/news/68456/subnautica-resurfaces-with-a-cool-spot-at-the-top-of-this-weeks-steam-top-ten/
- ↑ http://steamspy.com/app/502500
- ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown
- ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown
- ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown
- ↑ https://opencritic.com/game/7116/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown
- ↑ https://www.pcinvasion.com/review/ace-combat-7-pc-steam-review/
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/games/2019/01/26/ace-combat-7-review-its-time-to-return-to-the-intense-world-of-strangereal-flight-combat/
- ↑ 130.0 130.1 https://www.techspot.com/news/78645-real-life-fighter-pilot-shares-thoughts-ace-combat.html
- ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/games-2019-ace-combat-7/
- ↑ https://gameranx.com/features/id/189057/article/10-best-original-video-game-music-tracks-of-2019/
- ↑ 133.0 133.1 https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/01/18/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-review
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2019/01/24/kazutoki-kono-expresses-his-disappointment-at-reviewers-unable-to-play-ace-combat-7-properly/
- ↑ http://www.gamersheroes.com/honest-game-reviews/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-review/
- ↑ https://www.gameplanet.com.au/playstation-4/reviews/g5c46235fab39b/Ace-Combat-7-Skies-Unknown-Review/
- ↑ [10]. Twitter via @DualShockers. Posted on August 24, 2017.
- ↑ [11].
- ↑ [12].
- ↑ [13].
- ↑ [14].
- ↑ https://www.famitsu.com/news/201909/05182737.html
- ↑ https://happygamer.com/sony-playstation-25th-awards-2019-winners-announced-45074/
- ↑ https://news.yahoo.com/playstation-awards-2019-last-us-persona-5-nier-110423674.html
- ↑ https://blog.us.playstation.com/2019/12/19/game-of-the-year-2019-the-winners/
- ↑ http://gametyrant.com/news/gametyrants-top-5-games-of-2019
- ↑ https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/28/metro-gamecentral-video-game-awards-the-best-of-2019-11945561/
- ↑ https://gonintendo.com/stories/355584-19th-annual-navgtr-award-winners-revealed-nintendo-takes-home-so
- ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/09/days_gone_rides_off_with_three_nominations_in_this_years_golden_joystick_awards
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2019/12/26/my-top-10-japanese-games-of-2019/
- ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-01-01-eurogamer-readers-top-50-games-of-2019
- ↑ https://gamingbolt.com/gamingbolts-game-of-the-year-top-25-games-of-2019
- ↑ https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/623340-top-50-best-games-of-2019
- ↑ https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-12-30/famitsu-yoko-taro-game-of-the-year-is-astral-chain/.154854
- ↑ https://www.vg247.com/2019/09/05/top-50-ps4-games-critical-reception/
- ↑ https://www.pcinvasion.com/ace-combat-7-hotas-support/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TMThrustmaster/status/1091324057247801344
- ↑ https://twitter.com/PROJECT_ACES/status/1091259871779942402
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TMThrustmaster/status/1091411828566081541
- ↑ https://steamcommunity.com/games/502500/announcements/detail/1729848148045999311
- ↑ https://www.polygon.com/2019/2/1/18206994/ace-combat-7-skies-unknown-impressions
- ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/502500/ACE_COMBAT_7_SKIES_UNKNOWN/
- ↑ PROJECT_ACES. Twitter. Published December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
- ↑ Unreal Engine. Twitter. Published December 5, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ↑ 河野一聡 @kazutoki. Twitter. Published December 10, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ↑ 「サマーレッスン」体験実録。「Project Morpheus」で話題沸騰の技術デモはいかにして生まれたのか。鉄拳チーム原田氏に根掘り葉掘り聞いてきた. 4gamer. Published November 15, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
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| Spin-Off Games | |
| Other Games | |
| Unreleased | |