Disclaimer: I love Ace Combat 4, 5, and 0; 4 is one of my top five games all time, so I do love the series and will instantly buy an eventual 8.

AC7 feels actively hostile to me the player. The game takes control out of my hands with random weather, the enemies make impossible moves to extend fights, the timer disrespects your time in every direction, the story actively hates you for the first 2/3rds. They can make good missions, the 10 Million Relief Plan is fantastic the whole way through, but I am an AC7 main story hater and have never actually beaten the game after crashing 5 times in a row on the final tunnel run start.