Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Crimson Desert
  • Pokopia
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Starfield
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
Star Wars Zero Company
Strategy Games Star Wars Zero Company lets you explore like it's a third-person action game outside of combat
Arc Raiders automaton in a headset
Third Person Shooters I asked about Arc Raiders' mystery ships and a dev told me the same thing Embark is now teasing
Two raiders brandish big funs and strike poses
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders' big Flashpoint update is bad news for raiders as vaporizer drones arrive and shredders escape confinement
Arc Raiders best weapons
Third Person Shooters "Will this blow up the server?": Arc Raiders players are so good at killing Arc that Embark eyes ways to "escalate" PvE
Menace pre-launch screenshots
Strategy Games After losing 92 soldiers in Menace, I'll never call XCOM brutal again
Arc Raiders Flashpoint
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders's new map condition is "hell on Earth" and it's giving players "flashbacks" of Helldivers 2
Arc Raiders best weapons
Third Person Shooters The Arc in Arc Raiders have multiple "brains," and they all love pursuing you because Embark gives them "rewards"
Arc Raiders trailer screenshot of woman holding a rifle
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders just pulled a Helldivers 2: players spot enormous, unannounced UFOs after Shrouded Sky update goes live
Arc Raiders Shrouded Sky teaser
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders fans suspect the new Arc from the roadmap is hiding in plain sight in the Shrouded Sky teaser
Two characters standing on a glowing battlefield during Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
RPGs "Parrying was not easy": Clair Obscur devs had to turn to sound to fix an integral part of the J'RPG's combat
Silent Hill Townfall screenshots from the reveal trailer
Silent Hill Silent Hill Townfall looks like the most Silent Hill game in years, and I never thought that could be a bad thing until now
Up close shot of a character from Echoes of Aincrad
Action RPGs New Bandai Namco Sword Art Online action RPG is "not a Soulslike," dev says, but it's still "very easy to die"
A guitar player in KISS-style makeup stands on stage in Stage Tour
Action Games Guitar Hero vets return with Stage Tour, a new rhythm game coming this year with a closed alpha playtest launching soon
Cordura
Survival Horror Games "Break in, take it, get out" - Cordura is the new psychological survival horror of a Victorian burglary gone wrong
Gears of War: E-Day gameplay screenshot showing a blood soaked Marcus and Dom
Gears of War The Coalition believes that Gears of War: E-Day "has the potential to be one of the best stories in the Gears franchise"
  1. Games
  2. Ace Combat Assault Horizon

Intense Ace Combat: Assault Horizon trailer BRINGS THE ROCK

News
By Brett Elston published 3 March 2011

Namco's re-imagined flight series gets crunching guitars, explosions aplenty

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

As we explained in ourrecent preview, the latest Ace Combat is a modern-era departure from the series' fictional, melodramatic roots. Where there was once a made-up army fighting in a made-up country, there's now a battle taking place over a besieged African city. Real-world locations, helicopters and close-quarters combat highlight the game's many new points, but this trailer emphasizes the gritty, darker tone of Assault Horizon, which roughly translates to "make it look like Modern Warfare" and soak that sucker in guitars!

I'm an absurdly huge fan of Ace Combat, but acknowledge the series is in need of a fresh take. While this approach does seem overly influencedby Call of Duty, and tries distressingly hard to make Ace Combat seem rough and tough, it IS certainly more energetic and exciting than trailers for prior Ace Combat games.


Above: But it's no Puddle of Mudd, as heard in Ace Combat 5

Article continues below
You may like
  • Ace Combat 8 screenshot Ace Combat 8 wants to take the franchise to even greater heights, and that ambition has a cost
  • A plane in the air in Delivery Must Complete The comically long name of this Steam publisher led me to the discovery of a sick Ace Combat and DMC-inspired roguelike
  • Key art showing cliff with sword and shield in hand with supporting characters behind him and a lush world filled with ancient ruins behind him, with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame Crimson Desert's hack and slash boss bottles "play a crucial role in shaping the game’s intensity", but there's more to the open world adventure – like fishing, cooking, and dragon-riding

For a good sense of where the franchise has come from, check thisretrospective from 2007, which posted just before the last console Ace Combat launched.

March 2, 2011

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PlayStation Xbox Platforms
Brett Elston
Brett Elston

A fomer Executive Editor at GamesRadar, Brett also contributed content to many other Future gaming publications including Nintendo Power, PC Gamer and Official Xbox Magazine. Brett has worked at Capcom in several senior roles, is an experienced podcaster, and now works as a Senior Manager of Content Communications at PlayStation SIE. 

Read more
Ace Combat 8 screenshot
Action Games Ace Combat 8 wants to take the franchise to even greater heights, and that ambition has a cost
 
 
A plane in the air in Delivery Must Complete
Action Games The comically long name of this Steam publisher led me to the discovery of a sick Ace Combat and DMC-inspired roguelike
 
 
Key art showing cliff with sword and shield in hand with supporting characters behind him and a lush world filled with ancient ruins behind him, with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 frame
Action RPGs Crimson Desert's hack and slash boss bottles "play a crucial role in shaping the game’s intensity", but there's more to the open world adventure – like fishing, cooking, and dragon-riding
 
 
A guitar player in KISS-style makeup stands on stage in Stage Tour
Action Games Guitar Hero vets return with Stage Tour, a new rhythm game coming this year with a closed alpha playtest launching soon
 
 
Big in 2026
FPS Games Hell Let Loose: Vietnam wants to be a tougher, smarter FPS where kills hardly matter: "We sit in a specific space where we're not COD or Battlefield, but also not military simulation"
 
 
Aaron Wei battles a bug monster in Trails Beyond the Horizon, cropped for a closer view of the action
JRPGs Trails Beyond the Horizon review: "This JRPG's thrilling real-time and turn-based hybrid combat is finely balanced"
 
 
Latest in Games
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Games The best PS3 emulator is getting massive improvements on PC handhelds
 
 
Misty behind her counter in Cyberpunk 2077, the NPC who tells you about tarot cards.
Cyberpunk Cyberpunk 2077's best shopkeeper was originally a side character devs had no idea what to do with
 
 
Gabe Newell in an orange shirt
Games "Gabe really had a great vision": Steam became a PC icon because Valve built community, dev says
 
 
Fortnite Chapter 7
Fortnite "Fortnite's cultural moment is starting to fade," games analyst says amid mass layoffs
 
 
Arknights Endfield operators
Action RPGs Arknights Endfield lead says good gacha systems don't hurt "player's ability to enjoy the gameplay"
 
 
Animal Crossing characters look up at the moon
Animal Crossing Animal Crossing helped me process grief, and I'm not alone: "Visiting her island has brought me a lot of peace"
 
 
Latest in News
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Games The best PS3 emulator is getting massive improvements on PC handhelds
 
 
Tom Holland and Zendaya in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Movies Spider-Man star Zendaya says she wants to work with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler
 
 
Misty behind her counter in Cyberpunk 2077, the NPC who tells you about tarot cards.
Cyberpunk Cyberpunk 2077's best shopkeeper was originally a side character devs had no idea what to do with
 
 
Gabe Newell in an orange shirt
Games "Gabe really had a great vision": Steam became a PC icon because Valve built community, dev says
 
 
Key art for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet showing bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun with a cyber sword in front of a crumbling planet
PlayStation Sony buys machine-learning company to help "unlock new levels of visual fidelity" in PlayStation games
 
 
Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Fantasy Movies Elijah Wood appears to confirm Aragorn recasting rumors in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Misty behind her counter in Cyberpunk 2077, the NPC who tells you about tarot cards.
    1
    Cyberpunk 2077's best shopkeeper was originally a side character devs had no idea what to do with
  2. 2
    "Gabe really had a great vision": Steam became a PC icon because Valve built community, dev says
  3. 3
    Frodo actor Elijah Wood says he regularly gets mistaken for fellow '00s movie icon Tobey Maguire: "Hey, Spider-Man!"
  4. 4
    Sony buys machine-learning company to help "unlock new levels of visual fidelity" in PlayStation games
  5. 5
    Elijah Wood appears to confirm Aragorn recasting rumors in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...