Questions regarding Ace Combat 7 from a complete neophyte to the series and genre

[More_Badass]

I've been pretty intrigued by the trailers for the new Ace Combat game. It's not a genre I've ever gotten into or cared for, but I'm always up for trying new genres and series that might not seem to suit my tastes. Last time that happened, I became a big Yakuza fan



So someone who never played the series before, or any flight combat game really, had some questions:

1) This is a sci-fi series? Do the games do anything interesting with that, like unique planes and high tech weapons or futuristic settings and so on?

2) So...how exactly do these games add challenge and not get repetitive after one fight? Last flight game I tried was the HAWX demo a decade ago, and it seems the gameplay loop of these games is "get behind enemy, lock on, fire, use flares to break missile lock". Obviously that's my completely uninformed perspective of this genre, so I'm curious where the depth comes from, how they keep the combat interesting and varied, and so on

3) From the comments I've read here, this series is known for having good stories? Is this new one stand-alone, or would I be completely lost playing this as my first one?

4) Will this only have flight combat? Or will be take-offs and landing/docking, mid-air refueling, and other mechanics/systems? Is it 100% skill-based or are there RPG mechanics like unlocks and loadouts? Does the narrative aspect have choices or is it just cutscenes and dialogue?

 

[DrFunk]

1) Kind of, yes. Some weapons and planes are fiction and some are real.

2) it's more than dogfighting. Some missions are destroying facilities, some are defusing bio-weapons from air (AC5), some have you destroying satellites in the stratosphere, some have you escorting a civilian jet through hostile territory (AC4).

3) It's like Final Fantasy with jets

4) Not 100% sure but I think AC 7 includes take offs and landings. There are definitely unlocks and loadouts.

 

[More_Badass]

1) Kind of, yes. Some weapons and planes are fiction and some are real.

2) it's more than dogfighting. Some missions are destroying facilities, some are defusing bio-weapons from air (AC5), some have you destroying satellites in the stratosphere, some have you escorting a civilian jet through hostile territory (AC4).

3) It's like Final Fantasy with jets

4) Not 100% sure but I think AC 7 includes take offs and landings. There are definitely unlocks and loadouts.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but I mean, you're talking someone who never played a flight game in his life. To someone who doesn't play these, the gameplay basically looks like really pretty repetition of "lock on to target and fire". That's what I'm asking, not if there are different objectives but how does the gameplay remain challenging and not get repetitive? Are there more elements and depth to the combat?

 

[jon bones]

Thanks for making the thread - I'm also interested. Have seen the series around for decades, but never gave it a shot.

 

[signal]

Tbf the mechanics are rather simple and repetitive but solid and fun. If you don't like it after a few minutes I imagine it wouldn't grow on you but if you find it feels satisfying to play then the series is great.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Soap opera with sidewinders.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Nimby]

Never touched the series either, I always though it was just basic flight sim, so I'm interested to see what I've been missing.

 

[ColossalLazy]

Yeah, but I mean, you're talking someone who never played a flight game in his life. To someone who doesn't play these, the gameplay basically looks like really pretty repetition of "lock on to target and fire". That's what I'm asking, not if there are different objectives but how does the gameplay remain challenging and not get repetitive? Are there more elements and depth to the combat?

Click to shrink...

Some enemy planes are smart enough to simply not get shot down by missiles, so you have to pursue them and be at a short distance for them not be able to dodge your missiles (we call that dogfighting). Or you can take the hard path to shoot them down with your guns. Also some special enemies have gimmicks.

For ground targets, there will be some that are concealed by terrains so you have to get close (and get risk of getting damaged) or find a good angle to shoot them.

There also missions that require piloting skills such as the famous flying in tunnel missions. And there are variations of those tunnel missions :)

There are many type of situations in missions, for example there are ground allies that you have to protect so you have to hurry up and kill enemies fast or its game over.

Another example that I remember from AC2 is a mission that you have to shoot down cargo with only your guns before they touch gground. In AC5, there is a twist in a mission that require only the use of guns.

 

[deadfolk]

I haven't played an AC game since the original, but have preordered this.

The trailers basically look like Top Gun x Metal Gear. What's not to love?

 

[Overture]

As repetitive as overtaking every car until you're in first place in racing games. Different scenarios and mission objectives bring some diversity, but that's the gameplay loop (dogfighting).

 

[weebro]

Game looks really good, not to mention its gonna have PSVR support which should be dope.

Hopefully it sells well because its been getting overlooked between the RE2 and KH3 hype.

 

[Mechaplum]

Yeah, but I mean, you're talking someone who never played a flight game in his life. To someone who doesn't play these, the gameplay basically looks like really pretty repetition of "lock on to target and fire". That's what I'm asking, not if there are different objectives but how does the gameplay remain challenging and not get repetitive? Are there more elements and depth to the combat?

Click to shrink...

It's an action game first and foremost. There isn't really much depth into the decisions you make. The series is mostly known for its music, story and the ability to be a fighter pilot goin danger zone without much learning curve. Very few flight modeling are implemented for the aforementioned accessibility, for instance landing and taking off is a matter of pressing a button at the right time. Your plane carries hundreds of missiles and kinematics is just "go faster" or "slow down".

 

[MysticGon]

Yeah, but I mean, you're talking someone who never played a flight game in his life. To someone who doesn't play these, the gameplay basically looks like really pretty repetition of "lock on to target and fire". That's what I'm asking, not if there are different objectives but how does the gameplay remain challenging and not get repetitive? Are there more elements and depth to the combat?

Click to shrink...

I guess it has to appeal to you from the start. A lot of fans can look at a silhouette and blurt out the name of the plane. So it's kinda like being a fan of racing games in that regard.

Trying to avoid getting shot while shooting down others. Supporting ground troops while breaking away to engage in a dogfight. Chasing down cruise missiles or ICBMs before they go past your maximum altitude.

Idk I guess It kinda has to appeal to you in that sense. But if you want a good story story, great music and cheesy voice acting, pick it up. It's a good time.

 

[Dphex]

Very few flight modeling are implemented for the aforementioned accessibility, for instance landing and taking off is a matter of pressing a button at the right time. Your plane carries hundreds of missiles and kinematics is just "go faster" or "slow down".

Click to shrink...

why do they sell a flightstick for this game if there is a completely arcade like style of controlling the plane?

 

[Cantaloup]

I

So someone who never played the series before, or any flight combat game really, had some questions:

1) This is a sci-fi series? Do the games do anything interesting with that, like unique planes and high tech weapons or futuristic settings and so on?

2) So...how exactly do these games add challenge and not get repetitive after one fight? Last flight game I tried was the HAWX demo a decade ago, and it seems the gameplay loop of these games is "get behind enemy, lock on, fire, use flares to break missile lock". Obviously that's my completely uninformed perspective of this genre, so I'm curious where the depth comes from, how they keep the combat interesting and varied, and so on

3) From the comments I've read here, this series is known for having good stories? Is this new one stand-alone, or would I be completely lost playing this as my first one?

4) Will this only have flight combat? Or will be take-offs and landing/docking, mid-air refueling, and other mechanics/systems? Is it 100% skill-based or are there RPG mechanics like unlocks and loadouts? Does the narrative aspect have choices or is it just cutscenes and dialogue?

Click to shrink...

I don't know much about AC7 specifically, but here is some information on previous games in the series.

1. I would call it "near future". It has primarily modern planes and settings, but with some occasional radical technology like laser weapons and huge planes that act as aircraft carriers.

2. The variety comes through mission design and the planes and weapons to choose from to tackle those missions. One mission may have you in a large dogfight over a tropical island chain defending a rocket launch. Another may have you supporting an amphibious landing over a stormy beach. A third may be a low-level stealth approach through canyons to take recon photos. In previous games you're scored and ranked on each mission, so there is incentive to re-do them to unlock new planes or weapons. There are also multiple difficulty levels.

3. I thought the story in AC5 was pretty good, as it got you more involved on a personal level with the people you're flying with and mixed in some political intrigue. I don't know what the relation AC7 has to the other stories, but they tend to be self-contained despite being in the same world.

4. Other games in the series have landings and mid-air refueling, but these games are not heavy on the simulation side of things. Usually you can skip these if you want. Unlocking planes and weapons varies throughout the series. Sometimes you could purchase what you want, other times you have a straight up XP bar for each plane. Usually there is an extremely powerful plane you can unlock that makes everything easier, but it requires lots of time or skill to acquire. The narrative is through cutscenes but much of the time it's from friendly and enemy dialog during missions. Usually any narrative choice (if they exist) is not significant.

 

[JamboGT]

It's near future in a different world where they had to build superweapon a to kill an asteroid. After that they turned the superweapons on each other! Also Jet Fighters are the equivalent of a ford focus, they are all over the place.

You have different mission types, be it on your own, with wingmen against elite squadrons, normal jets or loads of ground units, massive evil bases or huge gunships. the story plays through your radio and through cutscenes.

The storys are always fun and silly but the one thing the Ace Combat games do is they give you a sense of exhilaration and a feeling that you matter in the world, no other game builds into a crescendo the way this series does for me. The music is also top notch and Strangereal, the world is just crazy.

You could do landing and refueling bit it really is an arcade action game, you carry hundreds of missiles and can take a decent amount of damage but it's just all so exhilarating!

The pre mission briefings and post mission "replays" are pretty iconic as well

 

[Mechaplum]

why do they sell a flightstick for this game if there is a completely arcade like style of controlling the plane?

Click to shrink...

Same reason why sometimes they have joysticks in the arcades - better immersion for those want it.

 

[More_Badass]

Here's another question: do we know if 7's cockpit view has full body awareness? (ie, you'll see your pilot's body while looking around, see hands on the controls, etc)

 

[Dphex]

Same reason why sometimes they have joysticks in the arcades - better immersion for those want it.

Click to shrink...

fair point, can imagine that

 

[Cess007]

3) It's like Final Fantasy with jets

Click to shrink...

 

[Vilix]

Soap opera with sidewinders.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

Click to shrink...

This is probably the best way to sum it up. It's not Afterburner by Sega. But the gameplay is on the arcadey side of gameplay with a fantastic story. The graphics and OST are top notch. You'll definitely have a great time with it.

 

[JamboGT]

You can see your hands in VR trying to stay away from actual gameplay footage so can't tell you about in normal modes.

 

[Mechaplum]

Click to shrink...

Actually it's more like a cross between Final Fantasy and Need for Speed. With jets.

 

[Deepwater]

The best way to test the gameplay loop would have been through Ace Combat Infinity given that it was free to play but it is unfortunately no longer running anymore

 

[Deleted member 40133]

Soap opera with sidewinders.

Wouldn't have it any other way.

Click to shrink...

Top gun...the game? Yeah I'll fucking buy that now

 

[5taquitos]

Top gun...the game? Yeah I'll fucking buy that now

Click to shrink...

More like Top Gun: The Anime: The Game

 

[Wil Grieve]

I haven't played an AC game since the original, but have preordered this.

The trailers basically look like Top Gun x Metal Gear. What's not to love?

Click to shrink...

...I never thought about it, but yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

 

[mute]

It is just about the right amount of flight sim for me, which is to say, not a lot.

 

[DrFunk]

Top Gun x Metal Gear is definitely an apt description

 

[JamboGT]

Basically, it's fucking sweet.

 

[More_Badass]

Given the anime and Metal Gear comparisons, for example, that force field super-plane in the trailer would be something you'd actually have to fight and that cool force field effect isn't just a cutscene?

Would the lighting in the trailer be from sci-fi meteorological weapon tech or just weather?

 

[Tortillo VI]

Seeing that most of OP's questions were answered, I wanted to add something on the Sci-Fi side of the saga.

Ace Combat 3 was set in the future, where megacorporations have taken over the world and fight each other. Both planes and scenarios were very futuristic despite also having real, actual fighter jets.

That "future" is canon and, though each game is independent, they are all set in the same universe (except Air Combat, X-2, Infinity and Assault Horizon).

This matters here because I think Ace Combat 7 is the game set the closest to the events of Ace Combat 3 in the entire saga, so it's likely to be the most Sci-Fi of the last entries.

They also seem to give more importance to drones than previous games, so that probably will be a juicy Sci-Fi plot point in the new game.

 

[Deltadan]

Given the anime and Metal Gear comparisons, for example, that force field super-plane in the trailer would be something you'd actually have to fight and that cool force field effect isn't just a cutscene?

Would the lighting in the trailer be from sci-fi meteorological weapon tech or just weather?

Click to shrink...

To your first question the answer is: yes, in fact previous ace combat games have had you fighting enemies like this.

To your second question: We dont know, all we know is that weather is a factor in the game.

 

[JamboGT]

Given the anime and Metal Gear comparisons, for example, that force field super-plane in the trailer would be something you'd actually have to fight and that cool force field effect isn't just a cutscene?

Would the lighting in the trailer be from sci-fi meteorological weapon tech or just weather?

Click to shrink...

Oh yeah you will fight that plane, and probably fly through the space elevator...

I think that was actually lightning, the cloud tech, advanced weather and stuff is something pretty new.

 

[Deleted member 40133]

More like Top Gun: The Anime: The Game

Click to shrink...

Well god damn, gimme

 

[ColossalLazy]

The lightining is a weather effect and if you get hit by it messes with the plane electronics, so no HUD and radar for a brief while.

 

[JamboGT]

In addition to what was said, the VR missions are set five years earlier I think and features the protagonist of AC4, Mobius 1 and I couldn't be more excited about that!

 

[Doof]

Basically, it's fucking sweet.

Click to shrink...

Hell yeah it is.

(so is Wipeout, good shit my dude)

 

[GestaltGaz]

To add-on to what others are saying:

This one adds weather. Weather affects your plane with turbulence making control harder, and makes visibility tougher in rain and clouds.
You can be struck by lightning.
You can fly through clouds (volumetric) but stay too long and your plane ices up risking a stall.
Being in a cloud makes it harder for other planes to get a radar lock on you and see you, but vice versa for you attacking other aces. This adds a strategic element not seen before in this series.
The unlock tree for planes but also weapons and loadouts is large. You can have a custom loadout very different to other players, and try alternative ways to complete missions.
There are high skill manoeuvres that are hard to pull off in this game, like high G fast turns. They are risk reward in that you may stall trying them leaving you open for attack, but successful attempts will bamboozle the best aces.

This is going to be fantastic, as mentioned the story and music are usually excellent and self contained so you can jump right in.

 

[JamboGT]

Going to play this in the 7.5 minutes before the game releases:

 

[More_Badass]

To add-on to what others are saying:

This one adds weather. Weather affects your plane with turbulence making control harder, and makes visibility tougher in rain and clouds.
You can be struck by lightning.
You can fly through clouds (volumetric) but stay too long and your plane ices up risking a stall.
Being in a cloud makes it harder for other planes to get a radar lock on you and see you, but vice versa for you attacking other aces. This adds a strategic element not seen before in this series.
The unlock tree for planes but also weapons and loadouts is large. You can have a custom loadout very different to other players, and try alternative ways to complete missions.
There are high skill manoeuvres that are hard to pull off in this game, like high G fast turns. They are risk reward in that you may stall trying them leaving you open for attack, but successful attempts will bamboozle the best aces.

This is going to be fantastic, as mentioned the story and music are usually excellent and self contained so you can jump right in.

Click to shrink...

I'm liking the sound of all this. Sounds like a good balance between arcadey action and tactical depth

 

[Mechaplum]

Given the anime and Metal Gear comparisons, for example, that force field super-plane in the trailer would be something you'd actually have to fight and that cool force field effect isn't just a cutscene?

Would the lighting in the trailer be from sci-fi meteorological weapon tech or just weather?

Click to shrink...

Yeah there will be bosses you have to fight, with fantastical sci-fi super weapons and stuff.

 

[Valkerion]

Given the anime and Metal Gear comparisons, for example, that force field super-plane in the trailer would be something you'd actually have to fight and that cool force field effect isn't just a cutscene?

Would the lighting in the trailer be from sci-fi meteorological weapon tech or just weather?

Click to shrink...

Yeah your gonna fight that thing, and the dozens of drones it launches, and the dozens of other fighters out there to protect it. Its the classic Ace Combat super plane scenario that fans love. Missions to take these things out always go nuts and are super exciting like any good boss fight should be.

Yes the lightning is part of the environment for that stage. It might show up in others, they have not said. I can gurantee one of the lightning strikes is unavoidable though to make an "oh shit" moment, but thats kinda the nature of story telling (you don't make a thing like that for any medium and not use it after all) though seems like the possibility of it in the mission is random.

Essentially though... back on the main topic of "how does the gameplay loop not become boring" its the same way, Call of Duty isn't boring for people. Its just pointing and shooting hour after hour, or driving games, or action games, or puzzle games. Its everything surrounding the gameplay loop that is selling it. If you break a game down to "just follow behind and shoot a missile can't be exciting" you can apply that same thinking to literally every game. Everything that leads to the moment of following behind and shooting that missile is also part of the experience and why people love it. Just like any game.

Honestly Ace Combat like any game appeals to you or it doesn't. There are a lot of answers in this thread on why its got fans, if none of it peaks your interest, it probably isn't a game for you.

 

[Thorn]

Going to play this in the 7.5 minutes before the game releases:

Click to shrink...

You won't believe this Jean-Louis, they all have ribbon insignias!

Also while Six is a little YMMV, this song makes it all fucking worth it.

 

[Team_Feisar]

This will be my first Ace Combat and I'm surprisingly hyped. Everything in this thread made me even more excited.
I also got me a HOTAS two days ago for this and Elite Dangerous.

I'm looking forward to a bit more of an arcady experience. As fun as elite is with the Hotas, getting to know a new controller with around 1000000 customized button-combinations was a bit harsh ;)

 

[Deleted member 2618]

Im also new to this series and Im gonna jump in at 7 just because of how crazy the story looks.

My biggest question is what makes the gameplay so unique and stand out from other jet games like it? The only one I played was Tom Clancy Hawx and hated every second of it. It was just dull and slow which is TERRIBLE when I go into high speed jet games. From what I understand is that Ace Combat is much more arcadey and crazy in its gameplay while Hawx tried to be somewhat realistic.

Granted I played it years ago so my memory could be wrong. I do know it was dull though.

Edit: Also goddamn that launch trailer had amazing music

 

[JamboGT]

You won't believe this Jean-Louis, they all have ribbon insignias!

Click to shrink...

Literal chills hahaha

 

[DrFunk]

Literal chills hahaha

Click to shrink...

Maaaan...the sheer panic in their voices upon seeing Mobius I's squadron made me feel like such a badass

 

[JamboGT]

Maaaan...the sheer panic in their voices upon seeing Mobius I's squadron made me feel like such a badass

Click to shrink...

A game has never ever made me feel more of a badass than that moment.

 

[KomandaHeck]

I'll echo the positive opinions on the series in this thread. I understand the concern about the core gameplay loop becoming repetitive, but ignoring that most games can easily be boiled down to "do x every 30-60 seconds", something Ace Combat does better than a lot of titles is tie together its individual components to make them all feel essential to the thrill of the action. Yes, you'll be spending the majority of your gameplay time manoeuvring to open up a lock on air targets so you can take them out with your missiles or cannon, and performing strafing runs on ground enemies, but the audiovisual experience of it all is exhilarating as hell. Plus, the best games in the series have always had an engaging enough story to actually make you care about the stakes of the action.

Also, buy it just for the rad soundtrack.