085REVIEW
ace as you take out enemy after
enemy in quick succession,
only to suddenly stare at a
Mission Failed message, is
disheartening. But youwillhit
restart, and that can only be a
good thing.
Kills in quick succession
are surprisingly rare early on.
You need to pick your shots
carefully, not least because
missiles are slow to reload.
But once you’ve splurged some
MRP (the in-game currency)
on new Special Weapons,
including swarm missiles,
rockets, and guided bombs,
you’ll never look back.
MACH MY DAY
There are high points, and even
moments of brilliance. Mission
14 sees you fly through a
narrow, winding valley, dodging
searchlights before launching
an attack on an enemy base.
The game soon after requires
you to start differentiating
between friendlies and enemies
before opening fire, which is
abrilliantidea. Unfortunately,
none of this happens until the
campaign is over halfway done.
If you own PS VR, you’ll
also get three VR-exclusive
missions. Forcing you to use a
cockpit view and the trickier of
the control schemes, they don’t
do anything very interesting in
terms of mission structure, but
they do tease what the headset
is truly capable of doing. If you
want an all-too brief brush
with PS VR perfection then
buckle up, Goose.
Early frustration can
overshadow Ace Combat 7’s
best moments, and some may
find it too grindy and old-
fashioned, but these skies are a
blast if you have the patience.VERDICTTHE OPM BREAKDOWN
Right
Environments
vary, which isn’t
easy for a game
set in the sky
to achieve.
Below Don’t
be surprised if
you miss most
shots. Kills are
all the sweeter.
Above left There’s no photo mode, but each mission is replayed on completion.
Thrilling moments of mid-air
diving, twisting, and fighting
like a hero are chipped away
at by some niggling flaws. And
yet, if you overlook it foibles,
Ace Combat 7 has enough in its
hangar to love. Ian Dean4% Screaming
“What? Why?”
when you fail a
mission for
some reason.15% Feeling
like a badass
whenever you
shoot a plane out
of the sky.5%Laughing at
the stilton-level
cheesiness of the
in-game dialogue.9%Sobbing
internally when a
jet avoids your
missiles. Again.WHAT YOU DO IN... ACE COMBAT 745%
Waiting for your
target to get
within lock-on
range.22% Spending
too much time in
wondering which
new plane to get.RC
AFTCOLLE
CTORTROPHY CABINETHTHE
IGHESTACHIEVERHARDENED^
VETBRONZE
Buy five aircraft.
Purchasing planes and
parts is key to success
in the campaign, so this
is an easy one.SILVER
Finish all missions on
all difficulties for a
shiny silver. Expect a
challenge – only the
toppest of guns apply.GOLD
Fly well enough, and you
can earn medals in the
campaign. Get your
grubby hands on them
all for a gold trophy.HOW TO... SCOREAMISSILE HIT1 If you see a jet in the distance turning, or about to enter into a turn,
it’s usually not worth bothering to take it on. Even the best homing
missiles will struggle. 2 Remember to get close enough for the
targeting reticule to turn red, or the homing properties won’t kick in.
The closer you are, the less time your target has to evade. 3 The best
bit: fire the missile and enjoy the explosion! In fact, fire both missiles
(you can load two at a time), as two hits guarantees a kill.123MULTIPLAYERWith eight players going
at it, in either 4v4 team
deathmatch or battle
royale, Ace Combat 7 is
a different challenge
online. Handiy you don’t
need kills to score as
hitting a rival, even if it’s
a scratch, will deliver
points. There’s a slew of
multiplayer unlocks too.ALSO ONPLAYSTATION VR
Once you get over the fact there are only three
missions, and they’re simple in structure,
the sheer act of flying a jet in PS VR is
a joy. The detail is higher than on
most PS VR games (blue skies don’t
sap framerates). We just wish there
was more of it – DLC, please, Namco?