digitec plays "Ace Combat 7": "I'll keep my finger on the ejector seat button"
18.1.2019
Translation: machine translated
An aeroplane game that focuses on action instead of simulation? Is there still such a thing? Yes, there is. It's called "Ace Combat 7" and has just arrived from Japan. Simon and I squeeze into the cramped Cockpit and start the turbines. We game live at 11 o'clock.
One of the first games I used to play on our 486 were "Red Baron" and "Aces over Europe". In terms of graphics and gameplay, the two Flugi games weren't the hottest shit even back then. Nevertheless, my brother and I would sit in front of the PC for hours trying to hit tiny little pixel houses without crash-landing. With sweaty hands, we clung to our Logitech Wingman Extreme and flew around our opponents' ears with daring manoeuvres - and then usually landed unscathed on the floor.
That was over 25 years ago. Today, the aeroplane genre is practically extinct, apart from a few simulations. Daring to do a few loops in "Battlefield 5" before the fun is abruptly ended by the one bloke who knows how to really fly these things is the height of fun these days. Until now: With "Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown", Bandai Namco or rather the developer studio Project Aces is releasing a brand new flight sim.
Real aeroplanes, fake princesses
Whereby simulation is the wrong term. The "Ace Combat" series has always focussed on action. The seventh instalment takes the same approach and is set in the present day. The various aircraft that you can unlock in the campaign are modelled on real aircraft. Mirage, Gripen, F/A-18, all the familiar aircraft are at the start. You can use them to complete various missions that involve either taking aircraft and drones out of the sky or eliminating ground targets. "Ace Combat 7" does its best to utilise the available resources and make the missions reasonably varied. You'll have to contend with sandstorms that interfere with the radar, lightning that can cause your aircraft to crash or hectic dogfights in narrow canyons.
The story takes place in a fictional world. There is the kingdom of Erusea, which of course has a beautiful blonde princess who charms the people. On the other side is the evil Osean Federation, which sends an armada of futuristic drones into war. You are part of a group of convicted criminals who actually only maintain an airfield as a distraction, but of course end up having to get into the Cockpit yourself. Everything is super serious and your wingmen don't stop talking rubbish for a second during the missions. The game also has a multiplayer mode, but I haven't been able to try it out yet.
You can see for yourself how long Simon and I keep our nerve in our Let's Play.
"Ace Combat 7" is available for Xbox One and PS4 and from 1 February also for PC. We tried out the Xbox One version that Bandai Namco provided us with.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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