Look, let’s be real. Flying games are usually either too "spreadsheet-heavy" or way too arcadey to feel cool. But then there’s Ace Combat 7 Xbox One. It’s this weird, beautiful, high-octane mix of Japanese storytelling and pure, unadulterated dogfighting. Honestly? It shouldn't work as well as it does. You’re playing as a pilot named Trigger, caught in a war involving giant space elevators and drone swarms, and yet, the game keeps you grounded with some of the best flight mechanics ever put on a console.
It's been years since Project Aces dropped this on us.
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The clouds. That's what everyone talked about at launch. They weren't just background art; they were actual objects. You fly through them, and your cockpit fogs up. Your HUD glitches. If you stay in them too long, icing becomes a literal death sentence. It changed how we played. Suddenly, you weren't just chasing a red triangle on a map—you were hiding in a storm front to shake a missile lock. It felt like something new, and on the Xbox One and Series X|S via backward compatibility, it still looks shockingly good.
Why Ace Combat 7 Xbox One Still Dominates the Skies
Most people think flight sims are dead. Or at least, they think they're niche. But Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown proved them wrong by leaning into the "Strangereal" universe. It’s not Earth. It’s a world with different continents and a massive, terrifying history of superweapons.
If you're playing on an original Xbox One, you might worry about performance. Don't. It holds up. The frame rate stays remarkably stable even when there are fifty missiles and a giant "Arsenal Bird" wing-craft on the screen. If you've upgraded to a Series X, the auto-HDR makes the explosions pop in a way that’s almost distracting.
The Flight Model: Sim vs. Arcade
There's a massive debate in the community about the "Standard" vs. "Expert" controls.
- Standard is basically a racing game in the air. You tilt the stick, the plane turns. It’s fine for beginners, but it's kinda boring.
- Expert is the real way to play. You actually have to roll the plane and pull back on the stick to turn. It gives you the freedom to pull off High-G turns, which are essential for staying behind an enemy Ace.
You’ve gotta master the High-G turn. It’s basically a drift for fighter jets. You hold both the decelerate and accelerate buttons while turning, and your plane just snaps around. It drains your speed, though. Do it too much, and you stall. Falling out of the sky while a Su-30SM is on your tail is a vibe you don't want to experience.
The Weirdness of the Story (And Why It Works)
Let’s talk about the plot. It’s insane.
You play as a disgraced pilot sent to a "spare" squadron—basically a penal unit where the planes are made of scrap and the pilots are expendable. It’s gritty, but then it’s interspersed with these long, poetic cutscenes about an old scientist and a princess. It’s very Japanese. It’s very melodramatic.
Some people hate it. They just want to blow stuff up. But the story gives context to the missions. When you’re flying through a narrow canyon in a thunderstorm to avoid radar, knowing that you’re doing it to redeem a bunch of convicts makes the tension way higher. It's not just a mission; it's a desperate play for survival.
The music? Keiki Kobayashi is a genius. The track "Daredevil" that kicks in during the final battle with the Arsenal Bird? It’s probably one of the best pieces of music in gaming history. It’s operatic. It’s intense. It makes you feel like you could take on a whole air force by yourself.
Customization and the Aircraft Tree
You don’t just get planes handed to you. You have to earn them. The Aircraft Tree in Ace Combat 7 Xbox One is huge. You start with an F-16C, which is fine, but eventually, you’re looking at the F-22 Raptor, the Su-57, or even the fictional X-02S Strike Wyvern with its folding wings.
Buying a new jet feels like a major milestone. You also have to buy "parts." These are small upgrades—maybe your missiles track better, or your engine cools faster. It adds a layer of strategy. If you’re going into a mission with lots of ground targets, you might sacrifice speed for better bomb capacity.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Multiplayer
The multiplayer gets a bad rap. People say it's just "circles."
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Yeah, if you don't know what you're doing, two players will just fly in a circle trying to get a lock until someone gets bored. But high-level play is different. It’s about energy management. It’s about knowing when to pop flares and when to use your special weapons.
The "Post-Stall Maneuver" (PSM) is the secret sauce. Certain planes, like the F-35 or the Su-35S, can literally flip over in mid-air without moving forward. It looks like something out of The Matrix. If you can master the PSM on an Xbox controller, you will dominate the lobbies. It takes practice. A lot of it. You have to drop your speed below 500 knots, tap the triggers, and yank the stick. It’s a rhythmic thing.
Technical Performance: Xbox One vs. Series X
If you are still on the base Xbox One, the resolution is around 720p. It’s a bit soft. But the art direction carries it. The lighting is phenomenal.
On the Series X, you’re getting a much sharper image via back-compat, and the loading times are basically non-existent. In a game where you might fail a mission and have to restart several times, those SSD speeds are a godsend.
One thing to note: the Xbox version doesn't have the VR missions that the PlayStation version has. That’s a bummer, honestly. But since most people don't use VR anyway, it’s not a dealbreaker. The core game is identical, and the Xbox community is still surprisingly active, especially on Game Pass.
Survival Tips for the "Long Day" Mission
Everyone hits a wall at Mission 6: Long Day. It’s a score-attack mission. You have to destroy a certain amount of stuff in a time limit.
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- Don't just go for the big targets. The small AA guns and trucks add up.
- Use the LACM (Long Range Air-to-Ship Missile) if your plane has it. It has a massive blast radius.
- Refuel and rearm at the return line. Don't be a hero with three missiles left.
The Future of Ace Combat
Bandai Namco has already confirmed that the next Ace Combat is in development using Unreal Engine 5. They're partnering with ILCA. But until that drops, Ace Combat 7 is the gold standard.
It’s a game that respects your time. The campaign is about 12 hours long—perfect for a weekend binge. It doesn't have a bloated open world. It doesn't have 500 map icons. It’s just you, your jet, and a sky full of things that want to kill you.
Honestly, the "Skies Unknown" subtitle is perfect. Even after 50 hours, I still find new ways to approach missions. Maybe this time I'll use only A-10 Warthogs. Maybe I'll try to beat the whole game without using flares.
The game is a masterpiece of niche design. It knows exactly what it is and doesn't try to be Call of Duty or Microsoft Flight Simulator. It’s a high-speed soap opera with explosions.
Actionable Steps for New Pilots
If you're just picking this up on Xbox, do these three things immediately:
- Switch to Expert Controls: Do not let the game trick you into using Standard. It'll be hard for 20 minutes, then it'll click.
- Invest in the DLC: The three "Unexpected Visitor" missions are actually better than some of the base game missions. The "Alicorn" submarine boss fight is legendary.
- Watch your G-meter: If you see "STALL" flashing on your screen, pitch down and hit the afterburners. Most new players die because they try to turn too tight at low speeds.
- Focus on the Russian Branch: While the US planes are cool, the Sukhoi (Su) line of jets in this game has much better maneuverability for the campaign's boss fights.
Ace Combat 7 is one of those rare games that feels like it has a soul. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s one of the best experiences you can have on an Xbox controller. Just remember: keep your eyes on the clouds and your finger on the flare button. You're gonna need it.