Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Reviews

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Jul 8, 2025
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9 / 10.0
Aug 5, 2024

I have always wanted to play Ace Combat 7 on-the-go, but I’ve always thought that wouldn’t have been possible unless I had access to a Steam Deck. What Project Aces and Bandai Namco did here is nothing short of spectacular. Sure, the framerate is limited to 30fps, and it drains the Switch’s battery like a Rimac Nevera at 250mph, but it’s a fantastic port of a game that was already quite demanding on much more powerful systems. It still looks quite good, its framerate is solid, and its pseudo-arcadey gameplay loop works quite well on a portable. In short, Ace Combat 7 might not exactly be the absolute BEST impossible Switch port, but it’s safe to say it’s easily the most impressive of them all.

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Unscored
Jul 29, 2024

The Switch version of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is an excellent conversion, which, sacrificing it as little as possible on a graphic level, proposes a version of the game that is very close to that for PC and for the other technically more performing consoles.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Jul 25, 2024

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a clear example of what a team can do when they master [what the] Nintendo Switch hardware [can do]. While we've seen many questionable or disastrous ports through the console's life, Namco's game proves how Switch is versatile and can deliver almost unbelievable results when properly handled.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Jul 20, 2024

Mission structure can get a little repetitive by the late game, but plenty of unlocks keep the experience pretty fresh the whole way through. Given the general lack of many Ace Combat games on Nintendo platforms, I'll also note that you by no means need to have played the rest of the series to enjoy this one. This is an easy recommendation and a great late generation addition to any list of remarkable Switch ports.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 18, 2024

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is one of the main surprises of the year for the Nintendo Switch. Despite its late release on the platform, Bandai Namco and Project Aces managed to place all of the original game and its additional content satisfactorily on the platform. Its fun gameplay and beautiful visuals are present, running smoothly, even in the small moments when we slip up.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9 / 10
Jul 16, 2024

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the absolute pinnacle of the series and despite being over five years old this 'impossible' Switch conversion does very little to degrade the experience. Long-time franchise players and military aviation enthusiasts will be overwhelmed by the fan service at every turn, from craters on the ground to airplanes, liveries, callsigns, and emblems shouting out to previous entries - all ready to play all on the physical cartridge (strangely exclusive to Europe) with nothing to download if you take that route. We understand the genre is uniquely niche, but if this is your first foray into the franchise, this conversion is a perfect gateway into this rich, revered series. You get tons of content and an epic single-player campaign wrapped up in triple-A presentation that now delivers the most comprehensive portable experience ever delivered by Project Aces.

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Ollie Barder
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Jul 15, 2024

Overall, Ace Combat 7 on Switch is as good as it was back in 2019. The performance of the game is also surprisingly good and it plays pretty much identically. You get a few extra DLC trinkets in this release too, but nothing beats unlocking and flying the mighty X-02S Strike Wyvern into the thick of combat.

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7 / 10
Jun 13, 2019

Ace Combat is not one of the best known titles in our country, yet it has always offered an excellent story, and even better gameplay in the form of beautiful air battles with a shrapnel of Japanese gunfire. Although it may not seem at first glance, the game offers substantial depth in just a few pages, and it is so engaging that it will attract people unaffected by the series.

Review in Czech | Read full review

Geeks Under Grace
Harrison Stender
9 / 10.0
Apr 16, 2019

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a great way for the series to touch back to its roots, but struggles with a confusing story and unclear mission objectives.

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8.5 / 10.0
Apr 11, 2019

The content is plentiful, replayability remains high, and the presentation easily makes Ace Combat 7 one of the better arcade-style flight games on the PC. It has been a long time coming, but action flight fans and those who love the series won't be disappointed by Ace Combat 7.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2019

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a well made and appealing game that doesn't repeat the mistakes of past two titles of the series. Even though game still isn't completely flawless and you can see some shortcomings here and there, be sure that it's still an enjoyable and exciting game that is definitely worth your time.

Review in Persian | Read full review

83%
Mar 3, 2019

Ace Combat 7 is a visually striking game with a top tier soundtrack and excellent performance. That said the game is challenging and unforgivable for newcomers but an enjoyable experience overall.

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7 / 10.0
Feb 26, 2019

It is not easy to find anything negative in Ace Combat: Skies Unknown, unless one wants to wonder why they did not focus more on missions and less on a script that, even if it was missing, the gameplay would not lose any of its quality.

Review in Greek | Read full review

4 / 5
Feb 21, 2019

That said, despite the frustrations, there’s no other series out there that captures the thrill of running around with a detailed fighter plane model in your hand blasting bad guys.

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Feb 21, 2019

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown brings the franchise hurtling onto Xbox One with all guns blazing. For genre fans, it's a great time thanks to intuitive and compelling combat, an interesting variety of missions, a wealth of content, planes, weaponry and technology, all backed up with stunning graphics and a thumping soundtrack.

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7 / 10
Feb 18, 2019

"Ace Combat 7 is as pure of an Ace Combat game as it gets. Playing through the campaign was a blast, and a challenging experience. It's worth giving this game a shot."

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 18, 2019

the best Ace Combat to date. It preserves all the good things of the ancients with an overwhelming graphic quality and a story that engages.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Feb 15, 2019

Overall, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is an awesome game and a must-have for any Ace Combat fan, as well as a great game for players who enjoy fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled thrill rides in short doses.

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Scarlet Bell
Top Critic
8.4 / 10.0
Feb 14, 2019

Ace Combat 7 is a marvel of combat flight simulation. Putting forwards a package both concise in nature and packed with features and quirks to promote replayability and exploration, it's a game I struggled to put down. If you enjoy flight simulation, air combat, or even just a mess of explosions, bullets and lasers, I encourage you to give it a shot.

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