Bandai Namco revealed a new Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown trailer today as part of their E3 2017 reveal. The action may be arcade but the aircraft are absolutely jaw dropping in their visual appeal.

Set in an alternate yet familiar version of Earth (the developers call it Strangereal) multiple fictional countries have vied for control of the skies using modern military hardware.

Ace Combat 7 is a return to form for the series having branched out into a free to play PS3 version and the multi-platform Ace Combat: Assault Horizon title which was set on Earth (rather than Strangereal) and featured familiar nations.

With the return to Strangereal, the series returns to its anime inspired roots with a near future vision where countries have built space elevators, rail guns and laser systems, and geopolitical conflict has been stirred by a natural disaster involving a meteor shower that caused widespread devastation.

The gameplay is certainly arcade and simplified for console use but my previous experience with the series tells me that the authors absolutely love aviation and aircraft. They have fine tuned that into an entertaining experience.

Check out the trailer!