22 Best PC Air Combat Video Games That You Can’t Skip Out On

PC air combat games come in all shapes and sizes, but which really is the best one? They can be judged on several things like the realism of the game, how many aircraft are available to us, and how aesthetically pleasing is it to play. There have been countless air combat games over the years, so much that you might not have heard of some on this list, but there will also be some classic kings taking their place too. Why don’t we narrow it down a touch as well? Here are the best PC air combat video games of all time.

#22 Superflight

Superflight is without a doubt the most unique game on this list, but it’s not just a winner because it’s different, quirky, and stunning, it is a truly brilliant game. You don’t use aircraft in Starflight… you are the aircraft! Players must attempt to control themselves whilst wearing a wingsuit instead, and this bizarre concept is why the game is so wonderful. It is great fun, incredibly vibrant, and like no other game before or after it. Some say you can’t play this for long sessions. Who are these people? We’ll argue with them until the sun sets because this game is a riot.

#21 Warplanes: WW1 Fighters

Another brilliant VR game to grace this list is Warplanes: WW1 Fighters from 2021. It situates you in the middle of the battle and behind the controls of a plethora of planes to choose from. Build a squadron and switch between planes to maximize the potential of each aircraft. You can buy and upgrade planes with the in-game currency that you earn from missions and the multiplayer mode is elite, consisting of brilliant Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Last Man Standing modes. This super immersive game isn’t just a fantastic PC air combat game, it is one of the best VR games to grace us with its presence in recent years.

#20 Warplanes: WWI Fighters

Warplanes: WW1 Fighters turns you into a pilot in the middle of World War I aerial battles. The game features 18 different planes, from scout planes to bombers. The flight models are fully customizable to make flying either realistic or more like arcade games. But the real difference between Warplanes: WWI Fighters and other air combat video games is its compatibility with VR headsets.

You can cruise through the singleplayer campaign or multiplayer modes as if you were in the cockpit with the VR support. Warplanes: WWI Fighters works on various headsets, from HTC Vive to Oculus Rift. The game also supports crossplay, so you can team up with your friends even if they don’t play on the same platform.

#19 Century: Age Of Ashes

Most air combat video games feature either planes or helicopters. Century: Age Of Ashes is way cooler than that and offers to fly a dragon into battle.

If you ever dreamt of yelling “Dracarys” to burn down your opponents, Century: Age Of Ashes might fulfill that fantasy. This multiplayer dragon battle game features four different classes, each with their own abilities. You can customize your dragon and rider to remain classy while you engage in deadly dogfights against other Dragoneers. Century: Age Of Ashes offers several game modes, from 6v6 team deathmatches to Capture the Flag and a survival mode for up to eight players.

#18 Comanche

Comanche is a series of air combat video games that started in 1992. Thirty years and nine games later, Comanche remains one of the most iconic video game series when it comes to flying an attack helicopter – no matter if you identify as one or not.

The latest entry in the series came out on Steam in 2021. Simply called Comanche, this game set in an alternative future features a solo campaign and two multiplayer modes. The singleplayer campaign follows an helicopter warfare where the US army needs to defeat its enemies. If you would rather face other players, Comanche offers two multiplayer modes: 4v4 battles and Team Deathmatch.

#17 War Thunder

Man, people did not like this PC air combat game one bit. War Thunder was a strange one because the game itself was actually pretty decent (apart from the bugs), it was the studio behind the game that faced most of the criticism. The Hungarian developer Gaijin Entertainment did not care about this game at all, and players noticed that; they claim that no matter how much money you spend on the game to help you progress, the game itself wouldn’t change, and nothing would happen – scam alert or what? The amount of money fans had been throwing at this game was not being used to fix the bugs or the gameplay issues either. That’s one way to lose your whole fanbase. Tough break.

#16 Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X

One of the many games to be released under the Tom Clancy umbrella was not exactly the greatest. The story of this PC air combat game takes place during the time of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, and is set in the near future where private military companies have essentially replaced government-run military countries – sounds heavy doesn’t it? This forgettable member of the acclaimed Tom Clancy series was released in 2009, and even though the satellite mapping was fairly authentic, it fails due to its own pixelation – something that becomes massively noticeable at times – and the multiplayer mode lacks any form of depth.

#15 Iron Conflict

Released in 2021, Iron Conflict is an online competitive real-time strategy game that features both modern and WW2 aircraft and tanks. Players must optimize several military-grade tactics and have the difficult decision of choosing between hundreds of units to help them win. The real-time tactics are great, and the choice of all the different aircraft and tanks is a wonderful one to have. But there’s something not right about this game; along with its clunky controls and it being very rough around the edges, this game feels like a weird crossover of World of Tanks and Command and Conquer, one that falls way short of the requirement.

#14 Heliborne Collection

This PC air combat game features some of the best helicopters ever made, from the classics of the 1950s to the terrifying gunships of the 21^st century – there is a wide array of wonderful flying machines. That reason is why helicopter enthusiasts especially will adore Heliborne Collection, but apart from that, it’s a very average game that struggles to get its propeller spinning. Another game that feels like a copy of World of Tanks (so far, the most popular game on this list it seems) but consists of extremely poor gameplay and feels incredibly repetitive. It is a cool concept though, and the maps are a shining light too, so there is that.

#13 Rise of Flight United

This PC air combat game from 2013 is the definition of marmite. There are people that swear by it and claim that it is epic, but there are others that say how terrible it is with its god-awful controls as well as suffering from a small case of the boring. It features single-player modes where you must complete missions, or you can participate in multiplayer dogfights, the latter being much better at least. The biggest issue is the fact that it was supposed to be a free-to-play game, but you need to buy all the DLC to actually progress passed the one mission available, which is surely a cop-out for sure.

#12 Warplanes: WW2 Dogfighter

Originally released in 2019 it offers players the chance to take control of various warplanes and nosedive into the depths of the World War 2 battlefields. This is a great little PC air combat game for sure that lets you control a pilot from five different countries to get a sense of perspective. It features user-friendly gameplay, simple flight mechanics that consist of intuitive controls to ease the adventure for yourself, and a wonderful selection of planes with some tidy special effects. Dare we say it though? Okay then, it does suffer from being far too easy. Now, we all like a challenge, but this game doesn’t offer one.

#11 Air Brawl

Air Brawl is a fast-paced multiplayer PC air combat game that focuses on players maximizing the most out of all the creative weapons, as well as the in-game mechanics that reward you for your awesome flying skills. Released in 2015, Air Brawl is a lovely little game that becomes very easy on the eye due to its quirky aesthetic. Although, for all its great qualities it is let down by the fact no one has heard of it which will probably result in you playing on your lonesome. Is it mean to mark it down because it’s not well known enough? It clearly lacks some form of pulling power and engagement because… where is everybody?

#10 Arma 3

Arma 3 is an open-world realism-based, military tactical shooter game from 2013 developed by the good people over at Bohemia Interactive. This game takes place in the mid-2030s on several fictional islands in the Mediterranean, South Pacific, and Eastern Europe, with all the islands featuring photo-realistic terrain and exceptional water environments. Even though the modifications that the developer has made with the engine, the animations, and the sound have all greatly improved the game compared to its predecessor, its single-play content was pretty… how do we say this? It was terrible. There is a plus though, the online community is still going strong after all these years, which is great to see.

#9 Sky Rogue

One of the most unique-looking PC air combat games on this list is Sky Rogue with its beautiful vibrancy. This is a great little flight simulator that allows players to blow as many things up as they want, whether it be over land, seas, in the air, or on an infinite number of procedurally-generated islands. This is the definition of a flight game that doesn’t require too much skill or concentration and can be played at the most leisurely of paces. And yes, it can be a little easy at times, but it’s still a game that you and your friends will enjoy playing for a few hours at a time.

#8 Guns of Icarus Online

There really does need to be more steampunk-themed PC air combat games like Guns of Icarus Online. Not only is the setting a memorable one, but this game allows you to assemble your crew and take to the skies and compete in PvP airship battles. The key is to work together in a perfectly structured team of allies – there is no need to fight this battle alone, you won’t win! This game is epic in every sense of the word, and when it came out in 2013, it was the first of its kind and hasn’t been replicated since, at least not to the same quality. It is quite old now though, and the online mode that was the game’s shining light is basically as dead as it gets these days.

#7 Bomber Crew

A strategic simulation game, where picking the perfect crew and keeping your bomber aircraft in pristine condition is what will separate you from succeeding in your mission or crashing and burning. Released in 2017, Bomber Crew is a great little game that plays as it looks; very quirky and extremely vibrant. Like other games on this list, it doesn’t break any new ground, and it surely isn’t realistic in the slightest but that takes nothing away from the end product because this is just one of those solid games that can be played for hours on end, with no frills and nothing fancy.

#6 Project Wingman

Project Wingman features two game modes, a campaign one, and a conquest mode. The campaign mode follows the story of the war but is set on an alternate Earth, between the United Cascadian Republic and the Pacific Federation, through the eyes of the silent protagonist, a skilled pilot. The conquest mode features more customizing and different missions while buying new planes and recruiting allies. The action is like many other first-person shooters out there, and it does look top draw with some great in-game mechanics too. If you can move past the fact most of the missions are basically search and destroy objectives (repetitive indeed) then you will have hours of fun with this.

#5 Ace Combat Series

Ace Combat Series is one of the longest flight combat series around, and that alone deserves credit. Stretching all the way back to 1995, Ace Combat is a hugely enjoyable series, with some of the games – according to some people – intertwining with one another. It features a great selection of aircraft from over the years, including some that were just mere prototypes, and includes many real places too, even if they are heavily fictionalized. The series emphasizes fast-paced action and dramatic plots with some semi-realistic gameplay that has gone from strength to strength over the years, and with over 15 games in the series, you can see what the fuss is about.

#4 I1-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad

This entry in the series offers all you wannabe pilots out there an even more accurate simulation of the most famous air battles of the second world war. Featuring better quality of content, a much bigger scale, better physics, and more realistic aerodynamics than its predecessors. Some say this series sets the standard for PC air combat games, and that this installment, in particular, is one of the best air flight simulation games on the market. It also looks great in VR as well, which gives it a few more gold stars, but the standard game does look a bit tired due to its age, but we’ll let it off for that.

#3 Lock On: Modern Air Combat

One of the original flight simulation games (even though the Ace Combat Series beats it by nearly 10 years) and what many people consider to be the daddy of them all. Released in 2003, this game was unreal for its time – it really felt like you were flying, honestly it did! Don’t get me wrong, a game that was released so long ago will always suffer from the sickness of time, but the impressive thing is that it still holds up more than you would think. It is slick, refined, and consists of a great selection of vehicles and maps. There is no doubt about it, this is a game that you will have hours and hours of fun with, even to this day.

#2 VTOL VR

We are now getting into the juiciness of the VR games, and as you would expect – when made correctly – the VR games should be towards the top of this list. VTOL VR is a near-futuristic air combat game that is truly epic. The game consists of piloting advanced multi-role jets, and lets you use your hands to flip switches, press all kinds of buttons, and manipulate the virtual flight controls. You’ll enjoy a myriad of challenges that will put your flight and combat skills to the test. All we ask from VR games is that they are immersive and somewhat realistic, this ticks all those boxes.

#1 DCS World

This list was always going to be tough when we got to the interesting numbers, but one thing was always going to be clear, and it’s the fact that DCS World is the clear number one. It is unquestionably the most detailed game on this list; the attention to detail is phenomenal, the realism is unmatched by any other game, and it actually feels like you’re controlling an aircraft. Bear in mind though that this game is not for the faint-hearted because it is very difficult and will definitely take some time to get used – inexperienced pilots will need to persevere. Once you do get the hang of things, you will be treated to an air combat game like no other, and an experience that is hard to equal.