084
INFO
FORMATPS4 (PS
VR-COMPATIBLE)
ETAOUT NOW
PUBBANDAI NAMCO
DEVPROJECT ACES /
BANDAI NAMCOACE COMBAT 7:
SKIES UNKNOWN
Top Gun or Iron Eagle? Maybe a little of both...
D
o you hate squares? Do you despise
hexagons? Are you sick of rhombuses
lording it over you? Then you’ll
love this game, as you’ll be shooting
geometric shapes all the time. You’ll ordinarily
only see HUD icons rather than vehicles; if
you’re close enough to see an enemy in detail,
you’re about to crash into it.You need to be aware that this is the nature of
aerial combat. That’s not to say that you’ll never
get close to any of your enemies. You’ll have
many opportunities to get a glimpse of an enemy
jet as it whizzes past your own, the missiles
you confidently launched its way whistling past
harmlessly. Don’t expect to get a good look at
enemies on the ground, though, as those lock-on
shapes tend to obscure them completely.
But why are you flying around making things
blow up in the first place? There’s a war between
two fictional nations and... that’s all you need to
know. The story, told through a combination of
cutscenes and in-game radio chatter, veers wildly
between dullness and unintentional hilarity like a
drunkard. Who cares? You’re flying a fighter jet!
There are two control schemes on offer. The
simpler and most arcade-like option is greatfor newcomers, while the
realistic(ish) option allows you
to barrel roll and loop with the
best of them. There’s also a
carrierload of aircraft, weapons,
and upgrades to unlock, and
the differences between them
are admirably noticeable.
Your choice of weapons for a
mission can often make the
difference between success and
failure. This becomes a genuine
tactical choice for later sorties,
making unlocking new planes
and upgrades a must rather
than a cosmetic fiddle.HIT AND MISSILE
While it’s great that the
developer has made an effortMissions can change
as you play – from
mass destruction to
a tricky truck hunt
in a sandstorm.to make the experience about
more than leisurely cruising
the skies and picking off other
planes, the fail conditions that
are soon introduced can result
in frustration. Expect to repeat
some missions several times
until you figure out how and
why you keep failing. In an age
when you’re often led by the
nose to new objectives, this
lends the game some old-
fashioned PS1 appeal.
There are escort, defence,
score attack, and even stealth
missions, and it’s sometimes
difficult to really know what’s
needed to earn your wings
until you’ve experimented with
loadouts. Feeling like a flyingHANGAR ON @IanDean74“IF YOU WANT A BRIEF BRUSH
WITH PS VR PERFECTION THEN
BUCKLE UP GOOSE.”