Back in 2019, Ace Combat came back in a big way, as Ace Combat 7 was the first proper Strangereal instalment in years. So how does this new Switch version hold up?
Having played and finished both the PlayStation 4 and PC versions of Ace Combat 7, the most obvious place to start is the performance on this Switch version and whether it impacts gameplay.
In short, the performance both visually and in terms of the framerate is surprisingly good and doesn’t affect how the game plays. The framerate is very solid for the most part and rarely dips at all, even in the heat of dogfighting, and the visuals are also handled well.
On the latter, you get a bit of aliasing on some of the edges of your plane and the levels of detail are more basic, with the “pop in” more like a fade in at close range with things like trees on the ground.
However, for the most part, this Switch version holds up very well and is basically the same game that was released back in 2019.
That alone is an impressive achievement. The Switch is no slouch, but Ace Combat 7 was definitely a high-performance game in 2019, so to have a comparable Switch version 5 years later is unexpected but very much welcomed.
If you’re new to Ace Combat 7, it’s a major mainline release in the series and based in the Strangereal setting. In that, it uses planes from the real world, but the setting is entirely separate from our reality.
The gameplay is a mix between simulation and arcade, with more emphasis on the latter. Missions are long and involved, as well as varied. Combat is based around using your missiles, of which you have a lot, guns and whatever special weapon you have equipped. The latter ranging from special missiles, to bombs as well as railguns and lasers. So, yeah, more arcade than simulation.
With a story penned by Sunao Katabuchi, Ace Combat 7 is quite understated in the narrative department. It covers multiple viewpoints from characters on various sides of the conflict, all of which end up meeting and working together by the end.
Katabuchi’s storytelling is still very well delivered here, across the various cutscenes between missions as well as in the missions themselves. You still have the silliness of ace pilot’s Mihaly’s insanely long name and the wondrously lovable JPEG dog. However, none of that detracts from a solid story that underpins an already very good game.
This version, called the Deluxe Edition, also includes some of the previously released DLC as part of the package. This includes things like the three SP missions and a few special aircraft. You also have four additional DLC packs that can be purchased separately.
Online multiplayer, with up to 8 players, is also present and correct, with the netcode working well on the Switch. Admittedly, I seem to playing against mostly Japanese players (as I am based in Tokyo), so I can’t say how well the netcode does with more international players and greater lag times. For me, it worked fine and matches were fun as well as suitably intense.
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.
Ace Combat 7: Deluxe Edition
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: 11th July 2024
Price: $59.99
Score: 9/10
Disclosure: I was sent this game for the purposes of this review.
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