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Available on: PS3, Xbox 360

Ace Combat Assault Horizon review

Makes other games feel shame for being so boring in comparison

Words: on October 11, 2011
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32 comments

  • X5&K - April 16, 2012 11:54 a.m.

    2 things i don't like about the game 1: is customization we all know u can unlock color options but there isn't many and i get very angry when i cant get a the shark face on all my jets I also don't like having that one guy in every match with a pink f-22. 2: Ace Combat loses it Xbox live luster because of its stupid membership so when its like 34.99 at Game stop there's no co-op and if im lucky i run into a capital conquest match. Overall its fun but i wish more people would go on xbox live so then there's more activity on the good games that are not bf3 or mw3

  • miningguyx360 - October 15, 2011 1:42 p.m.

    Watched the GiantBomb Quicklook. I never play FlightSims but this looks pretty cool. I might pick it up next year when its 20 bucks

  • chen-everest - October 26, 2011 10:20 a.m.

    Good idea. This game really only worth for less then $20, no more then $20. Got in on Friday, finished it on Tuesday, played 3 more days, sold to gamestop.....spent $62 (with tax) but only got $26 back (no time to do online sell...so just go with easy method). Compare to this game, I rather spend my time to play Ace combat 6 and 5 for 2 more times. The only reason I purchased it was for the online play. Just wanted to see how the new system and story could be and both factors were failed. If you want to enjoy using gun to shot down an airplane, then go ONLY with this Assault Horizon. Never in the past versions that gun shoot can be used as the main weapon. So easy to get shoot man madel within 6 hours of play. It used to be the hardest thing to do as gun shoot only works well when within 600 meter (I use km, not mile).....now, just use the FDM, you can be within 600 meter so easy....||| Totally lose the excitment of DOG FIGHT----> ACES' COMBAT.

  • chris-lafer - February 2, 2012 10:28 p.m.

    You can use only the gun in 6, it's just a pain in the ass. But there's an achievement for it and everything.

  • RReDDoGG17 - October 15, 2011 12:33 p.m.

    An unwelcome and disappointing deviation from a formula carefully crafted over decades to produce near perfect gameplay for fans of the franchise, resulting in a $60.00 slap in the face. This installment preserves all the frustrating aspects of it's predecessors, while simultaneously stripping the game of almost everything you've come to enjoy about the series. What once was unparalleled freedom of movement is now on rails. What once was responsive, and at some points even made you sympathetic, AI to the point of being integral to the storyline, has now been reduced to simple onlookers taking up valuable space in the sky. I recall being engrossed in the storyline of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, eagerly awaiting the outcome of each mission to progress the story. In the case of Assault Horizon; I've so far tolerated the lather, rinse and repeat actions of each mission to be rewarded with a quite predictable and uninspired tale. Even the Replay viewer has suffered from austerity, losing almost all of it's features. Save yourself the time, money and irritation. Continue to play Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, until project aces produce a worthy heir to the air supremecy genre.

  • chen-everest - October 14, 2011 12:05 p.m.

    Well... some typo...retype my comment --------------------------------------------------- Just want to say out my "UNHAPPINESS" with this new game.......Assault Horizon is definitely one of the best new concept/system.....and I got it on the released day from Walmart, which is the seller with the best present for buyers other then Gamestop. Well...got in my had, and I tried the online mode as first thing .....only one though....What the HELL!! CRAP design!!! The preset controller system was so SUCK. I never feel vomit when playing games, except FPS games. In Assault Horizon ......I could not turn the flight upside down and do sharp turns...which led to the situation that I was attacked by enemies VERY frequent and hard as I could not escape as usual----as in the previous versions. The control of the airplane was sensitive, which was good....but when you have sensitive but lack of the motions/actions that you want to perform the whole screen just turned to FPS situation and I felt so sick...almost wanted to puke......same feeling as when I play FPS games..... I have no idea why the designer took out the spin/rotate motion from the default control. Later I found there was setting for advanced gamers.....I will try tonight and hope I can get my 360 degree spinning/rotating back....

  • chen-everest - October 14, 2011 12:06 p.m.

    By the way...because the default setting, I felt I was such a super bad newby ever.....never felt like this when playing ACE Combat games.

  • chen-everest - October 14, 2011 11:46 a.m.

    Just want to say out my "UNHAPPINESS" with this new game.......Assault Horizon is definitely one of the best new concept/system.....and I got it on the released day from Walmart, which is the seller with the best present for buyers other then Gamestop. Well...got in my had, and I tried the online mode as first thing .....only one though....What the HELL!! CRAP design The preset controller system was so SUCK. I never feel vomit besides playing FPS games. In Assault Horizon ......I cannot turn the flight upside down and do sharp turns...which led to the situation that I was been attacked by enemies VERY frequent as I could not escape as usual----as in the previous versions. The airplane was king mumbling...... I felt so sick.....same feeling as when I play FPS games..... Later I found there was setting for advanced gamers.....I will try tonight and hope I can get my 360 degree spinning/rotating back....

  • IceBlueKirby - October 13, 2011 9:58 p.m.

    I had trouble getting into the other Ace Combat games, but this sounds like it does away with everything I didn't like, so I'll certainly have to try this out soon.

  • FoxdenRacing - October 12, 2011 1:59 p.m.

    So what you're saying, GR, is that this follows a recently-budding industry trend of taking exceptional games that could have easily stood on their own and/or kicked off entire franchises and instead bank on name recognition, no matter how inappropriate? That's the best review I could've hoped for. I'll have to give it a whirl on the demo station when I pick up Forza 4, and see about plunking cash down on it too. Count me as swapping from skeptical to excited. To wax philosophical for a moment, I don't get it. Shift didn't need the Need for Speed name. Neither does 'The Run'. I'm sure if I put in more than 30sec of thought, I'd be able to come up with a pile more. From the sounds of this glowing review, Assault Horizon doesn't need the Ace Combat name [and let's face it, 'Assault Horizon' would've been a lot effin' cooler as a title rather than a subtitle!]. Does the industry think we're so stupid that name recognition is the only thing that decides whether or not we'll buy?

  • FoxdenRacing - October 12, 2011 2 p.m.

    What the...it deleted all my formatting. BAH.

  • ThatFanInThePeacoat - October 12, 2011 5:48 p.m.

    I'm feeling something similar. As a longtime fan, I was very skeptical at first, but this article has really turned me around. Thank you, GamesRadar! I rolled my eyes at regenerating plane health and barrel-rolling helicopters, but I'm willing to accept those if it means I get to play another Ace Combat, especially with this new DFM. I was very skeptical with it at first, but GR has me convinced that it can't be all that bad. As for the multiplayer, I'm really interested to see how it has grown since Fires of Liberation. I'll take Assault Horizon for a spin, but not until after Skyrim and Dark Souls have had their turns.

  • FoxdenRacing - October 13, 2011 9:45 a.m.

    Multiplayer-wise, I'd be happy with just more maps and some decent netcode. Getting blown out of the sky without even getting the warning lights got old fast. Especially when I know my flying isn't exactly poor; I'd thread the needle [between upper and lower decks, between the vertical supports] on the bridges in AC6's 'WMD' mission at full burn to keep the first half of it from getting boring...and to duck missiles in the second half. Either way...I'm looking forward to this one now; it sounds like a very good flight game, and a really good flight game is worth playing regardless of whether or not the Ace Combat title is inappropriate.

  • Teaspoon - October 12, 2011 11:19 a.m.

    It's a shame that this game has to come out this year, close to the release of Forza 4, Arkham City, Skyrim, Halo CE Anniversary, Assassins Creed Revelations, Saints Row 3, and of course BF3 and MW3. All of those games are casting their big, meaty shadows over this little gem... It's for that reason alone that I won't be buying this, although I wish I could. God dammit, why are games so expensive?!

  • Revolt189 - October 12, 2011 8:14 a.m.

    I have but one concern: is there a story to this game? That's what has always drawn me into Ace Combat.

  • Gahmah - October 12, 2011 8:30 a.m.

    As someone who picked it up last night, yes I assure you, and it's moving pictures this time! Surely "I saw my death in my dreams" tipped you off that this was most definantly ace combat. I'm loving it so far.

  • Plan10FromOuterSpace - October 12, 2011 3:36 a.m.

    im so glad to hear this game is good, ive always had a bit of a interest in flying games having played a lot of them on PC when i was younger but a recent trip to HAWX 2 put me off the idea of trying to regain that love for them on console. Ill defiantly look into picking this up at some point....

  • TheZigMan - October 11, 2011 10:16 p.m.

    So this is better than Halo Reach? hehehe

  • SideOfBeef - October 11, 2011 8:31 p.m.

    This kinda worries me. I loved the crap out of AC6 because it offered so much variety that I could replay it over and over. This sounds like I'd play it once or twice and be done, and that's not worth my money.

  • ClusterShart - October 11, 2011 7:46 p.m.

    But it isn't Ace Combat.

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Excellent
YOU'LL LOVE
  • DFM is the bleeding edge of fun
  • Great variety of missions
  • Super epic music makes everything even more exciting
YOU'LL HATE
  • Missions aren't as open as Ace 6
  • Vets may think it's been dumbed down
  • Regenerating plane health?
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More Info

Release date: US
Q4 2011 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Available Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
Genre: Flight
Published by: Namco Bandai
Developed by: Namco Bandai
Franchise: Ace Combat
ESRB Rating:
Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
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