"Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown" Review

"Ace Combat" games date to the era when flight combat simulators were en vogue, and now it's basically the last of its kind in the skies. You could excise Bandai Namco Games for relaxing into complacency now that there's no significant competition, but instead the publisher has used the situation as a freeing opportunity for liftoff.

By far the most technically impressive game in the storied series, "Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown" is also arguably the most fast-paced and accessible. a bold and dazzling flight of invigorating fancy, the game builds on its substantial base to soar proudly above the clouds.

The publisher has supported the game well, having just released the third and final DLC pack in the form of the ADFX-01 Morgan aircraft, but even without any of the add-ons, what you get here feels like a feature-complete blast of aerial combat thrills loaded with more than enough content to keep fans satisfied for months.

Not only does Bandai Namco convincingly nail the handling and weight of the airborne birds of prey hunting for their kills, you also get a health dose of the unbridled joy that comes with aerial combat. Those who were weaned on the likes of "Top Gun" and "Iron Eagle" will find an aeronautical ballet that taps into the heart of idealized adrenaline-pumping dogfights.

Although the at-times silly, always over-the-top story won't win any writing awards, nor does it get in the way enough to catch any turbulence. The thin tale is only an excuse to get you in the cockpit as often as possible, dancing in the skies to rain hellfire on your enemies.

Months after release, "Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown" continues to gain altitude and keep its guns blazing.

Publisher provided review code.