ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN Thumbnail

ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN similar games & best alternatives

ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN

PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation VR, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch • 2019

Related articles

Quick resume

Become an ace pilot and soar through photorealistic skies with full 360 degree movement; down enemy aircraft and experience the thrill of engaging in realistic sorties! Aerial combat has never looked or felt better!

Global score

88/100

Genres

Action, Simulator, Shooter, Arcade

Similar games

    Pros

    • Engaging and challenging gameplay
    • Beautiful graphics and sound design
    • Strong progression and customization
    • Immersive story and characters
    • Good optimization and performance

    Cons

    • Limited multiplayer modes and no co-op
    • Some missions feel repetitive or arbitrary
    • Lack of joystick support for many devices
    • Short campaign length
    • Story can be confusing for newcomers

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Fellowship, Domination, Status. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose aircraft, weapons, and upgrades; missions allow some tactical planning and loadout customization."

    • Competence
      4

      "Gameplay is challenging with skill-based dogfighting and mission objectives; difficulty ramps and mastery is rewarded."

    • Competition
      2

      "Multiplayer includes PvP modes with leaderboards and skill challenges, but is limited and less emphasized than singleplayer."

    • Continuation
      3

      "Players report replaying missions multiple times for ranks, unlocking planes and skins, showing habitual engagement."

    • Cooperation
      -3

      "Singleplayer focused; multiplayer is PvP only with no co-op; limited teamwork beyond AI wingmen."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Customization of planes and weapons via tech tree and skins; modding community adds new content and personalization."

    • Domination
      1

      "Some PvP trash talk and competitive dominance reported, but overall balanced interactions and mutual respect."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a thrilling escape from reality with immersive aerial combat and engaging story."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment; no reports of obligation or pressure to play."

    • Experimenting
      3

      "Players try different planes, weapons, and strategies; modding community encourages experimentation."

    • Exploration
      1

      "Some mission variety and environmental changes, but mostly familiar combat zones and scripted events."

    • Expression
      3

      "Customization of aircraft skins and emblems allows player self-expression; modding enhances this."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Arcade-style unrealistic flight maneuvers, sci-fi weapons, and anime-inspired story create strong fantasy experience."

    • Fellowship
      -2

      "Mostly singleplayer experience with limited social interaction; multiplayer is competitive rather than community-focused."

    • Growth
      4

      "Players develop skills through challenging missions and improve by unlocking planes and upgrades."

    • Health
      -4

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity; typical of PC gaming."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention during missions; not suited for casual or background play."

    • Intimacy
      -4

      "Limited social bonding; interactions mostly surface-level or competitive rather than close relationships."

    • Leadership
      1

      "Players lead their own squadron in singleplayer; limited leadership roles in multiplayer."

    • Progression
      5

      "Strong progression system with unlocking planes, upgrades, and skins through gameplay and achievements."

    • Relaxation
      2

      "Gameplay balances challenge and flow; some missions are intense but overall enjoyable and rewarding."

    • Sensation
      4

      "High sensory stimulation from graphics, sound effects, music, and fast-paced aerial combat."

    • Status
      2

      "Recognition through ranks, achievements, and multiplayer leaderboards; some social visibility."

    • Story
      3

      "Engaging narrative with characters and cutscenes; some players find it confusing but it adds immersion."

    • Strategy
      3

      "Players plan loadouts and tactics; mission objectives require problem solving and situational awareness."

    • Thrill
      4

      "Exciting dogfights, missile warnings, and high stakes missions create suspense and adrenaline."

    • Value
      3

      "Generally considered good value especially on sale; some complaints about DLC pricing."

    • Violence
      5

      "Core gameplay involves combat, destruction, and shooting down enemy aircraft and ground targets."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players must avoid failure and survive challenging missions with limited checkpoints."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026