If you’re aiming to wreck enemies on the ground via an overpowered aircraft or blast your opponents out of their own plane, the powerful PlayStation 5 console offers an impressive selection of air combat games. From big-budget games to off-the-radar indie releases, there’s something on this list for everyone who loves soaring high in the sky.
#10 Marvel’s Iron Man VR
Marvel fans won’t want to miss the opportunity to become Iron Man. Sony’s virtual reality shooter tells the story of Iron Man’s conflict with a mysterious computer hacker and terrorist named Ghost, who seeks revenge on Tony Stark for the deaths caused by the weapons made by Stark Industries.
Between the VR headset and the motion controls, you’ll get to control Iron Man’s suit to fly through the air, shooting repulsor blasts and more. Ready to suit up?
#9 Air Conflicts: Secret Wars
Air Conflicts: Secret Wars puts an interesting spin on the war fight genre. The title puts players into the shoes of a female pilot named Dorothy Derbec. Nicknamed DeeDee, the fighter pilot embarks on an adventure to find out who killed her father. Players set out on an adventure incorporating seven different campaigns and 49 different missions, all of which take place during World War I and World War II.
As you progress, you’ll get to choose from a variety of aircraft, each of which has different skills. Will you be the scout that ensures the mission can succeed? The bomber that drops the payload? The fighter who protects the convoy and shoots down the enemy aces in the air? Fly through the story mode and then take on the multiplayer to see just how far your skills can take you!
#8 Bomber Crew
If you’re looking for something a bit more cartoony but with a lot more strategy, then you should give Bomber Crew a look. Tasked with managing everything from navigation and weapon selection to defense and repairs, getting the hang of the gameplay can take a little maneuvering. Once you do, however, the rewards are worth the time, with progressively better weapons and planes becoming available in this WWII romp.
Every mission is different, and each becomes progressively more intense as players will have to ensure that the team gets to their target, drops the payload, and gets back safely, all the while fighting enemy craft and trying to keep their crew alive. It’s a challenging title, but that’s what earned it a place on the list.
#7 The Falconeer
This is an ‘air combat’ list, not an ‘airplane’ list. There are plenty of other ways to fly, as The Falconeer will show you.
In this game, you’re taken to a world that has been poisoned by the decisions of those who live in it. Players must take to the skies as a mighty warbird in order to try to take back the world they love.
As you play through this game you’ll not only experience gripping free-flying combat but a story and world that is rich in lore and mystery. You’ll play a number of different characters throughout the campaign and by the end, you’ll know just what happened to the world and its people. Players can also freely explore its large open world and take on plenty of side missions. With plenty of weapons to unlock, this one will keep you busy.
#6 Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut
Further breaking your expectations of this list, Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut takes players to the year 2299, where they’ll be fighting with aircraft that are space-capable and able to transform into mech suits! The game has you fighting for the Earth across a variety of battles and battlefields. A whopping 17 missions await you as you try and save the planet and survive the firefights to come.
Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut features a massive graphical overhaul and improved content across the board. It also added in bonus content. Head out into space and see if you can be the one to save the planet!
#5 InnerSpace
InnerSpace began as a Kickstarter success story. The magical title invites players to embark on an ethereal pilgrimage through a mysterious place called the ‘inverse.’ Direction doesn’t exist–there is no horizon to tell you whether you are up or down. As a Cartographer, players will help the Archaeologist to recover priceless relics, all of which can be found amongst the ruins of extinct civilizations. While the inverse is dying, the demigods found within it are still alive. Players may find a way to use their abilities if they fly carefully enough. If you want something with a bigger focus on exploration, this one’s for you.
#4 SkyDrift Infinity
A classic arcade-style racing game, SkyDrift Infinity is an upgraded version of the 2011 title SkyDrift. With slick controls, tricky turns, and plenty of weapon and shield pick-ups, it’s an easy title to pick up whenever you have a little extra time. Those looking for a challenge will be thrilled with this title, which is available to play solo, with four friends in local mode, or with eight players in online mode. Choose from Power Races or Speed Races, the latter without power-ups, to really test your skills.
#3 Eagle Flight
If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to be a bird in the sky, here’s your chance. Ubisoft’s title Eagle Flight is set in a world where humanity has been gone for 50 years. The title utilizes VR technology to pull players into a post-apocalyptic version of Paris. While controlling an eagle, players must travel around the deserted city and defeat rival animals to build a nest on five different landmarks. To control the eagle’s movement, players must tilt their heads in the correct direction while using sonar waves to defeat their flying goes. The game also features a six-player coop Capture the Flag-styled mode, and it is possible to explore the city without interruption in Free Flight mode.
#2 War Thunder
For those wanting to try a game before grabbing their wallet, the free-to-play War Thunder is worth a shot. Despite being almost ten years old, the award-winning multiplayer title remains one of the most addicting flying simulation titles out there and has grown to support crossplay across nearly every platform on the market. The game’s Aviation mode is divided between fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and players can choose between many different modes of combat, from more realistic to more over-the-top.
#1 Ace Combat
Anyone with a passion for flight has likely played one or more of the Ace Combat games. The team at Bandai Namco has done everything they can to make each entry to the series feel and look as realistic as possible, despite adding in a more arcade style of combat to the game. The latest entry, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, features VR support, allowing flight enthusiasts to feel as though they’ve truly stepped into the cockpit as they control one of 28 different aircraft.
The combat itself is known to be fast and intense, and you’ll need to use your senses and awareness of the battlefield to come out on top. If you’re looking for realism, award-winning sound design, and high-speed action, look no further.
