ACE COMBAT 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition (Switch)

As a fan of the series since a young age, this port has been my most anticipated release of the year. Having received my copy the day after release and completed the campaign after 10 - 15 hours, I’m extremely happy with my purchase.This is a superb port of one of, if not, the best game in the Ace Combat series. Bandi and the team behind the series and port should be applauded for taking the time and effort to develop this port over the last two years.Pros:+ Runs flawlessly - during my 10 - 15 hours of playtime, I haven’t encountered a single technical issue, bug, crash etc of any kind, which is extremely rare nowadays especially for third party ports on the Switch.+ A visual treat - obviously the game isn’t going to look as glorious compared to its release on PS4 & Xbox One, but this is a real treat visually. Very crisp and clean. I have attached some photos which are a mix of in-game cutscenes and gameplay so please take a look :)+ Short, snappy load times+ Stellar soundtrack - the series has always had stellar music and Skies Unknown is no different. Grab a pair of headphones and turn up the volume as this OST is wonderful.+ UI & sound effects in general - very clean and uncluttered. Sound effects are great and authentic, rockets and explosions are loud and crunchy, weather effects are a real cool touch especially the lightning in one level.+ Cutscenes & mission briefs - there are not many cutscenes but these run smooth and are enjoyable. Mission briefs are what you’d expect but have some entertaining dialogue, especially in the second half, and are pretty authentic which adds to the immersion.+ Enjoyable single player - the story is not the best nor going to win any awards obviously, but what is there is decent and enjoyable with a few memorable moments.+ Great cast of characters with some genuinely memorable lines - there is some cheese but that’s the norm for the series. Voice acting is solid and fits perfectly. The dialogue between the various characters helps add to immersion especially as you progress through the campaign and go from being just some cast away, unwanted unit to being the spark of hope for a nation.+ The little details - such as scenes at the beginning of a mission where you sortie and get to take off from the runway, line yourself up to re-fuel mid flight, or position yourself to land at specific moments, the glare of the sun, rain on the outside of the cockpit, the aircraft freezing up going through the clouds or shifting as you hit air turbulence etc are great touches. Each aircraft having its own cockpit view is lovely also - there’s a few of the these in the photos - go to show how passionate the team behind the series and port are. If you have ever wanted to ‘experience’ flying a F14 Tomcat just like Maverick and Goose in Top Gun then the cockpit view is the coolest way to do it!+ Replayability - tons of aircraft’s to unlock and upgrade, medals (achievements) to earn, missions to S rank, various difficulties, 3 special missions which can be attempted at any time and are an excellent challenge, online multiplayer etc. Loads to do!+ Difficulty options - there are four difficulty modes available upon starting the campaign which is a nice option to have if you just want to chill with a few missions here and there and enjoy the gameplay and story, or if you prefer a challenge and want to really test yourself. As the other reviewer mentioned there are some difficult missions because of the time limit or points threshold required to be passed in a given time. I may be bias being a fan of the series, but I would say the game is never frustrating or unfair. Some missions are challenging but majority of the time just require a different approach to the mission or using a different aircraft with different weapons and or parts.+ Fully playable off the cartridge - no mandatory updates or accounts to sign in, just insert into the Switch and you’re good to go! So refreshing to see given the way game preservation is going these days.+ Value - absolutely packed with content.Cons- Some missions are not as enjoyable as others (thankfully they don’t last too long).- There is some pop in with ground textures but this is not major. A lot of the time you are either going too fast or are thousands of feet up in the air dogfighting to really notice except for the missions where your objectives are ground based and need to slow to hit the targets.- No interior artwork - this is me nitpicking but it would have been great to see something at least, whether that’s artwork of The Scrap Queen herself, Mister X, Count, AWACS Long Caster, or emblems of the various squadrons, or a little physical flight manual.- No physical release in NA - whilst this has no bearing on how the game performs, it is a shame that this game did not get a physical release in NA. The series has a passionate and strong fan base but like with many games nowadays, especially Bandis own IPs such as Klonoa, do rely on sales to survive and get another entry. Whilst I and many others understand the convenience of digital, I much prefer to have a game physically in my hands (& fully playable off the cartridge!) if possible and will pay the extra money provided it is done right. Understand companies are out to make a profit but Bandi, please do not shaft fans of the series and newcomers with specific region releases, even if the Switch is region free.- Taken this long to finally get an Ace Combat game on the SwitchFinal thoughts:Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this game to both fans and newcomers. I know £40 is an awful lot of money nowadays but this game is honestly worth it. If you’re a fan of either of the Top Gun movies, an aviation nerd like myself, have a passing interest in fighter jets, or are after a fun arcade-y like experience with a decent story and cheesy yet memorable characters, please consider this game.

An incredible port that looks and plays beautifully with great graphics and gameplay on the ageing switch handheld.

Great game

This is another one of those "impossible ports" from PS4 to Nintendo Switch that is far better than it has any right to be. Easily and by far the best and most in-depth flight / aerial combat sim on the platform. Highly recommended. A shame the physical release is limited to EU and Japan, as I (American) had to import this copy.

Good Port to switch. Good performance and highly enjoyable if you like this kind of games.

Happy Son

Top quality game.

Can confirm this is a Cartridge in a box (unlike North america who got a code in the box) and the DLC the game comes with is on the cartridge, not a separate Eshop download.Downside is that, despite being the deluxe edition, there is still a few DLC aircraft not included, and which can be purchased for extra from the Eshop.