Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Review

It didn't hit me until I started getting into the current game, but it's been too long since we got an Ace Combat. Some of you may have got your fix with the PSP version last year, but for console gamers (especially PS3 centric ones), Ace Combat has been off the radar for years. So Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is a nice answer to our distress call, though it's not really the game you may have been hoping for.

For the first time on consoles, Ace Combat moves away from the bizarre alternate reality setting and lands on Earth. Amid a largely desert and mountain based terrain are famous cities like Miami and Paris, all of which look gorgeous. You fly over and through these areas in a variety of aircraft, including dozens of different jets. Ace Combat keeps its more arcade-like controls (it's realistic, but this is not a flight sim by any means), and is easy enough to jump into, even if you haven't played many flight games.

Ace Combat Assault Horizon Video Review

Variety and simplicity define the Assault Horizon experience. Mission objectives are presented one at a time, and usually amount to "blow everyone up." Instead of surprise boss battles and bizarre storylines, Assault Horizon focuses on expanding its gameplay with Apache helicopter strikes, and bomber missions that feel lifted from Call of Duty (in a good way). The variety works well, offering nice diversions from the core Top Gun-esque gameplay, but comes at the cost of turning Ace Combat into something different.

I don't particularly mind the changes. I think a real world setting and different gameplay elements work well for a spinoff title (this is not a numbered Ace Combat afterall). Dog fights are an exciting change of pace, and the semi-on-rails setup works when you're dodging collapsing oil refineries or skimming through canyons. My biggest issue with the game stems from the overuse of all the new elements. Each mission drags on too long, and as the campaign progresses the gameplay is concentrated down into a constant series of dogfights and reversals. The new elements are good, they just need a bit more in there.

Still there's plenty to like in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. Online and co-op modes are a blast, offering multiple game mode types ranging from standard deathmatches to base destroying games. The drop in/drop out system for matches keeps the game going even if multiple players leave, and doesn't penalize you if you need to suddenly jet (see what I did there?)

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