Four years is the development time needed by Project Aces to design this ambitious new title. Originally planned for 2017, the studio has finally revised its plan following some unexpected difficulties: the fateful hour has finally arrived and the PS4 and Xbox One are finally ready to welcome their first real military aviation game. Knowing the substantial liabilities of the Japanese studio and the golden aura of the license, there are many hopes and, fortunately, this Ace Combat 7 turns out to be as solid as an AC-130. A celestial climax that relies on a cleverly maintained pace, first of all thanks to a rather well-crafted campaign that deserves all the attention of fans and novices alike.
"ALL UP, AMONG THE CONSTELLATIONS"
Ace Combat is not only an aerial action game renowned for its ultra-dynamic confrontations, it is also a unique universe and frankly well built by its narrators. The story thus takes place in the fictional world of Strangereal, in 2019, thus following the fourth and fifth opus. On this planet which is perfectly similar to ours, except that the continents differ, an asteroid crashed violently twenty years ago, causing an unprecedented crisis but also the emergence of new technologies. Only here, the Osean federation and the Kingdom of Erusea are not the most friends and the first declares war on the second after having noticed the intrusion of drones in its territory. Separated by water, the two nations come to fight essentially by the skies: the player, he embodies Trigger, an experienced pilot in the service of President Oséen. A damn tense geopolitical context and based on interesting bases, well exploited throughout the good twenty missions that make up the main campaign.
Indeed, the narration of Ace Combat 7 surprises somewhat since it allows, in parallel with our actions, to follow the story of a mysterious mechanic, Avril Mead, prisoner of war and the ass between two chairs. These two stories are served by cutscenes that are more of a nice slideshow than anything else, but whose words are, surprisingly, rather pleasant to follow. However, the staging is summary and, most of the time, we follow the progress of this war through briefings and debriefings. The strength of Ace Combat 7 is elsewhere: first by its small appreciable reversals in the middle of combat and its many dialogues, then by its progression which leads, in the long term, to the crossing of these two main characters. Honestly, the scenario is much less soporific than what one could expect and, without proving to be extraordinary, has the merit of providing an effective common thread. It's still worth noting.
DRAGONSTEAI FROM LIME
For the rest, the single player campaign offers rather basic objectives but sufficiently well renewed not to fall into total repetition. Depending on the evolution of the conflict, the player will have to follow the more or less ungrateful orders of his superiors, from the elimination of an enemy group to the protection of a convoy, through the absolute cleaning of a military base, the neutralization of airborne aircraft carriers (the famous Arsenal Birds), the infiltration of adverse areas or a diversion from an enemy camp. Above all, the title of Project Aces varies the situations enough to encourage the player to optimize his arsenal according to the demands and environments. The latter are also rather diversified, sometimes flirting with gigantic lagoons, sometimes urban cities, deserts or even snow-capped mountains. Different climatic conditions are also present to add a great spice to the action, leading to sincerely captivating new scenes. A frenetic action which is however prepared in advance: it will therefore be necessary to adapt in order to hope to accomplish certain specific missions.
FLY BY NIGHT LIKE ST. EXUPÉRY
The other great strength of the software is, undoubtedly, to offer an enjoyable and relevant evolution. Over the course of his actions, the player will unlock PAM which he will have to spend in the Research Tree, a skill tree allowing access to new weapons, new accessories and new planes. A section that allows you to progress intelligently in the story, especially if it is used wisely. Three categories then exist for better orientation, favoring air-air, air-ground or multi-role situations, and thus coming to marry certain missions rather than others. It will thus be necessary, according to the complete and precise briefing provided by his superior, to choose the model of the most adapted plane and to allot the favorable elements to him. The customization is quite precise and gives rise, after several hours of play, to a real personal pleasure. The desire to obtain all these vehicles on offer – around twenty, all real planes – soon came to an end! Only, in the ten hours of play required by the campaign in Normal mode, it will be necessary to farm a little to hope to buy the last gliders. An honorable lifespan for a single player mode and which also requires a certain composure. It is not uncommon to start over many times before finding the best method to achieve your goal: in this regard, we would have frankly liked the possibility of resuming your game at the last checkpoint crossed if you turn off the console or leave the mission. In the state, we are forced to start again from the beginning of the section and, some proving long and difficult, it is not the most ergonomic. Regardless, the campaign really offers good times, including the PS4 version can also boast of having a new VR mode.
RED SKY
With an exclusivity linked to PlayStation VR, Ace Combat 7 thus sets foot in the fabulous world of virtual reality through a dedicated mode only available on the Sony console, at least for now. Very clearly, this one promised to be exhilarating and offers the formidable experience that we expected: to put yourself in the shoes of a fighter plane pilot, it's a real childhood dream for some and the three combat missions thus make it possible to touch on these wonderful sensations. From takeoff to landing, we find ourselves opting for these aviator reflexes, twisting our lever and gauging the throttle by turning our heads in all directions. VR obliges, the entire HUD – moreover quite ubiquitous in the normal game – is embedded here directly on the dashboard for maximum authenticity. An exciting feeling of freedom is thus offered to us, inevitably causing some giddy upheaval. Surprisingly, the whole thing turns out to be very playable and even more precise. In addition to these three small missions, free flight is also available as well as the possibility of attending a choreographed show, directed by you and assisted from the ground. The only defect that we could note ultimately comes from a real lack of finesse, most models proving to be quite coarse. The fault with the resolution of the helmet?
MAKE SKY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH?
The developers of Ace Combat 7 boasted a few months ago of offering a totally unbridled PC version for a most impressive rendering. If we will have to wait for its release on February 1 to be sure, on the side of home consoles, the software is ultimately quite mixed. Some of you may be familiar with the proverb "beautiful from afar, far from being beautiful": in this case, the saying is quite appropriate since if you start digging, the technical realization quickly reveals some weaknesses. Starting with the ground, which we must nevertheless graze many times, which is more a heap of textures than real modelling. A Google Map effect not the most pleasant: moreover, clipping is also present with many small elements appearing over our passage. In general, the textures are quite runny and you shouldn't get too close to 3D models if you want to avoid some disappointment, including airplanes. That said, given the size of the maps and the speed of the action, we understand the choice of developers to focus on other aspects to ensure efficiency. And, at this level, Ace Combat is doing very well. Its 60 FPS – a real necessity – are constant, the effects of speed and explosions sensational and the whole thing still offers very nice panoramas. A mixed report, therefore, but we cannot totally blame this choice of favoring execution. Special mention to the OST, oscillating between punchy Rock and melodramatic music, finely composed and greatly reinforcing the staging.
WEIGHTLESS
This hectic action fortunately does not spare the multiplayer mode, a real boon for Ace Combat aficionados who would like to put their talents in competition. Offering a few classic and modern rules – individual deathmatch, team deathmatch or even a battle royale – it is well structured with its own upgrades and the possibility of configuring the games to suit your needs. such type of driver. The icing on the cake: the PAM obtained can also be spent in the single player mode. Undeniably, even if it doesn't break three blades at an Apashe, multiplayer is monstrously effective and even essential to the Ace Combat experience. This is also where we realize our (in)ability to handle all the piloting techniques offered by the Japanese. From the start of the game, you will be asked to choose between two types of gameplay: the first is simplified for newcomers, thus ensuring constant playing comfort, while the other rubs shoulders with realism for much more advanced playability. It is obviously the latter that we recommend to you out loud because, after some experimentation and training, it allows you to perform real antics that command respect. And, incidentally, to clearly have the upper hand over your opponents. Ace Combat 7 therefore succeeds in being suitable for both newbies and regulars alike and it is undoubtedly a major argument to add to an already well-developed CV. Project Aces has therefore, overall, not failed in the task: the wait was worth it.
