Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

[Pete for President]

It's out pretty much everywhere except in Europe, so guess who's gonna have to be patient till friday? It's actually one of the very few games I'm looking forward to.

Reviews seem to be mixed between exceptionally good, average and even bad. However, everyone is positive about the multiplayer, and that's what I'm looking for. Ever since HAWX I have not witnessed a greater multiplayer thrill than flying mach 2 and scoring kills against human pilots. Plus, I can't help being an aviation fanatic.

So who has it? Who wants it? Anyone on EoFF looking for a wingman?

Discuss! Or not :0

[Slothy]

What console will you be getting it for? I'll be getting it for Christmas on the PS3 myself so I won't be playing it for awhile. But damn am I looking forward to it after the demo. I don't have a 360 so I haven't played a next-gen Ace Combat before, and while graphics aren't everything, they certainly make dog fighting more badass.

[Mirage]

I might get this game. I enjoyed Ace Combat 2 on the PS1 a lot.

[Pete for President]

What console will you be getting it for? I'll be getting it for Christmas on the PS3 myself so I won't be playing it for awhile. But damn am I looking forward to it after the demo. I don't have a 360 so I haven't played a next-gen Ace Combat before, and while graphics aren't everything, they certainly make dog fighting more badass.

I bought it yesterday for PS3. Let me know when you get it, I'll probably be online in this quite a while!

Some impressions:
Story/campaignHate to say it, but I'm not really digging it a 100%. Mechanics work well, helicopters are fun, Dog Fight Mode works, the presentation is nice, but I can't shake the feeling we're kind of on a brainless mode here. It's a problem I have with many many games from the last few years; with a few exceptions enemies are hordes of mindless zombies throwing themselves at you waiting to get shot. And since when do "rebels" have enough money to buy and supply those hundreds of Su-27's and MiG's?

In short: the story is ridiculous and well, it's just there. It's not the epicness we had in AC4 or Zero, where every battle gave you the feeling every character involved was fighting for a cause. All I got now is: "the rebels just want to destroy everything". Right.

There are some epic battles with enemies who have character though, so don't freak out just yet. There are just not that many of them.


Online multiplayerYES YES YES YES YES. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Bagging a human controlled bandit is very very satisfying, but there's a perfect balance between engaging enemy players and pounding on the objective. Capitol Conquest (a sort of Destroy the HQ type of mode) is where Assault Horizon absolutely shines. All aircraft - be it helicopter, fighter, attacker or bomber - play their parts in a well crafted, well balanced game of sly thinking and pure brawling.

Rushing past enemy players pinching through the attack flight path to bomb an HQ is just as satisfying as countering and shooting down an enemy pilot in a tense dogfight. So far this mode has had me on the edge of my seat all the time. Seriously, this is what makes ACAH worth it, and this is where you will find me online the next couple of months.

So there you have it. For me, it's a small meh and a very big yay!

[erikramza]

"the rebels just want to destroy everything"
Lol. Acceptable premise for an early 80s action flick.

[Mirage]

Nothing wrong with 80s action flicks!

[erikramza]

Nothing indeed.
I think its a perfect setup for any game really.

[Pete for President]

Some more impressions
The last few missions are epic. That's when we see the classic AC return, though some of it is on rails. Still enjoying the hell out of multiplayer though. Oh, and did I mention customizable planes in colours and skillsets? I'm diggin' that. Nothing beats shooting down an F-22 in Capital Conquest using a ridiculously coloured low-tier plane while the camera shows it to his face. Muhaha!