Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

by Namco

• Dramatic realistic storyline - Written by New York Times Best Seller and military author Jim DeFelice, players will experience an engaging war drama spanning real-world locations across the globe
• Steel carnage destruction - Incredible detail and visual reaction for every explosive attack (aircrafts are shredded to pieces, enemy troops annihilated, buildings shattered, machines bleed)
• Entirely new aircrafts to pilot - Experience split-second maneuvering and positioning, pinpoint targeting, hovering attacks and other gameplay diversity through the introduction of the Attack Helicopter, Door Gunner and more
• Revolutionary Close-Range Assault system - Delivering high-speed acrobatics, dizzying one-on-one encounters, satisfying visceral low-altitude and high-flying death from above
• Ace Combat online reinvented - Take to the skies and engage hostile forces in a variety of modes
• Take 'em down with the Attack Helicopter!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0042GW7BI
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 11, 2011
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,320 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #49 in Video Games > PlayStation 3 > Games > Action > Fighting

Product Description

Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

From the Manufacturer

Sit in the pilot's seat and take flight, soaring across real-world locations and experiencing an engaging and dramatic wartime storyline! View larger.

STEEL CARNAGE
Developed by the Project Aces team, ACE COMBAT® ASSAULT HORIZON intensifies the franchise, escalating combat to the next level with aircraft that are literally torn apart, spewing oil and debris across the sky. Players will engage in combat across the globe, dodging skyscrapers, and turning their enemies into fiery supersonic debris in both single player and online multiplayer. Never before has combat been so fast and in-your-face.

Key Game Features

• Dramatic realistic storyline – Written by New York Times Best Seller and military author Jim DeFelice, players will experience an engaging war drama spanning real-world locations across the globe
• Steel carnage destruction – Incredible detail and visual reaction for every explosive attack (aircrafts are shredded to pieces, enemy troops annihilated, buildings shattered, machines bleed)
• Entirely new aircrafts to pilot – Experience split-second maneuvering and positioning, pinpoint targeting, hovering attacks and other gameplay diversity through the introduction of the Attack Helicopter, Door Gunner and more
• Revolutionary Close-Range Assault system – Delivering high-speed acrobatics, dizzying one-on-one encounters, satisfying visceral low-altitude and high-flying death from above
• ACE COMBAT online reinvented – Take to the skies and engage hostile forces in a variety of modes

Additional Screenshots:

Watch planes explode and shred to pieces in amazing detail! View larger.

Deliver defeat using an arsenal of weapons and aircrafts! View larger.

Take 'em down with the Attack Helicopter! View larger.

Play with your friends to determine the king of the skies! View larger.

Product Description

Developed by the Project Aces team, ACE COMBAT ASSAULT HORIZON intensifies the franchise, escalating combat to the next level with aircraft that are literally torn apart, spewing oil and debris across the sky. Players will engage in combat across the globe, dodging skyscrapers, and turning their enemies into fiery supersonic debris in both single player and online multiplayer. Never before has combat been so fast and in-your-face.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

113 of 127 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Ace Combat's New Coke moment - Boring & Annoying. October 14, 2011

By Phoenix

Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 3.0 out of 5 stars   

The New Coke moment at NAMCO: Take a winning formula and screw it up! Why take a risk with a winning formula? Why try to fix something that is not broken? If you have a new idea, why not produce a new game with that new idea and leave the winning stuff alone? Very elementary Mr. Watson!

First off, I was expecting Ace Combat.. the well known, true and tested success story. But bigger and better. With more aircrafts, with more missions, better online play, better graphics and sounds, better replay options... More aircraft carrier landings, more team work. more options of how to play the game ., solo or team work. a better and mature Ace Combat. I Got none of this..instead I got a new game that seems like a dumbed down version Hawk/Apache.

The impact Ace Combat for the PS2 had on me was amazing. I loved the AC in PS2 and then I went on to MS flight sim..and then got my Pvt Pilot license for real. I went on to get my Multi engine Rating and trained in Trail draggers (Citaberia and American decathlon). I even got to fly some old WW II aircrafts (Steerman) for real.. All because of Ace Combat on PS2 that started it all.

Then these blokes signed on to MS on Xbox and dumped us. Now, after all these, I was all excited about the AC series coming back to PS3.

Last night I played with it for a couple of hrs...and today I did the same for a couple of hrs and my initial impression is one of disappointment.

The initial mission and campaign was just drudgery of point shoot, turn, point shoot... turn point shoot. What about the thrill of flying an aircraft? Where is that? None. I felt like I was flying a giant air balloon or something. Yes. Yes, this was after maximizing the sensitivity to its max of 3 (Sensitivity level 1,2, 3..ooooh, how thrilling). There is no feel of flying an aircraft... it's like flying a lethargic bi plane.... this is a big booboo! It's totally unacceptable for something titled "Ace Combat". Anyway, after a while I was reading some blog on my laptop and totally tuned out of it.

The closeup, shoot out on rail mode (DFM Dog Fighting? Really) did not add anything.. It was basically, handing over the aircraft to an autopilot or an invisible gerbil in your pocket to fly the plane...sort off. IT doesn't exactly take over the flying 100%, you have to move the controls 30% by yourself..so not exactly sure who is in control...or who the Pilot in command is here. It's you and the gerbil in your pocket having the controls at the same time sometimes and then the movie mode where you have no control at all sometimes., while you also take over the guns... and then it was just a closeup of the enemy aircraft breakup. Why not put this as part of the replay like in the old AC on PS2. So by pressing L2 R2, it takes you away from what you are doing..that is flying. Then when the gerbil is flying the aircraft half and half,, on a whim it suddenly gets out of that DFM mode and lets go of the controls you are thinking the gerbil still has got the control... you then realize you now need to fly the plane again. Imagine doing this every few seconds while you have so many air crafts firing at you. Is is fun or what? The supposedly eye candy gets boring after the initial blast.. all other blasts seem the same with some oil stuck on your windshield.

I have seen the improvement of GT5 (Grand Turismo) on PS3 and its amazing online play ... so my expectation for AC on PS3 was high. GT5 is also constantly updating with new racing stuff and continues to delight us. The best game on PS3 by far is the GT5. Its a gift that keeps on giving. Now, imagine if Bob from Spec-B in GT5 is mixed in with Spec-A. Imagine, you are racing and when you get very close to the other car, you have to give control to Bob from Spec B, who would then do a bunch of maneuvers on his own so you can enjoy the alleged eye candy crash and then all off a sudden Spec-B Bob hands you the controls for you to continue, possibly at the worst moment when you are between two buildings or towers and then you are not exactly sure if the Bob/Gerbil has the control or you.... and this happens every few seconds. Oh the thrill of it all. Oh Lord! LOL Hee Hee... That's what this is like folks.

I then tried online. I was clueless as to what was going on. I just flew around a bit and get out of it. The whole Menu was amateurish... it was like the 80s Apple IIe game play menu. I have no idea, how far I am into the game. 1% or 25%? Where is the overall picture of this game? This is like a blind man walking around the room feeling each part as he moves around. I cannot know where everything is and choose and go where I want to. Someone in NAMCO Thought that would be part of the thrill of this game? Really?

The first chopper campaign,.., WTF? I am a gunner.. not flying the chopper.. just blowing stuff up. IF I wanted blowing stuff up, I would have bought a First person shooting game which I loathe.

NAMCO needs to give us a major update that would give us our AC and take back the first person shoot em up and the new cartoon storyboard that sucks!

This review is not based on finishing the entire game.. its based on very initial stage of it.

I suspect this is how the meeting went at NAMCO

1) The new team boss: Whelp! We have had success before. We raked in a lot of money for the customers who were very happy to give us their money for which, we gave them what they were looking for. However, this time, I have brought in some marketing consultant who is going to tell us, how to make even more money. So here is our Marketing dude ,,,,,

2) Marketing dude at NAMCO: Well, we have established credibility with our AC series... so no matter what we put out, they are going to get to the store on the first day and get the new AC just based on reputation. Our marketing research shows that First person shoot out is doing very well and makes lot more money than our AC series... so we are planning to do a Bait and switch. Give them a first person shootout instead of flying around which shooting folks don't care about. This way, we can fool the flying folks into buying this in the first week and rake in their share of the dough and then go on to bring in the Shoot em up folks as well.. This way, we can rake in a lot of money

3) The old AC team member: But But, can't we give them another game for the shoot em up and not call it Ace Combat? this way, we can have an updated Ace Combat + a new game for shoot em up.

4) Nah! that makes way too much sense for me. So we are going with our plan of Bait and Switch! Took out the flying and replaced it with first person shooting to please the ground-pounders.

5) The usual sycophant suckup in the office: I so agree with management here. Good decision sirs. In fact, I would suggest that you go one step further and try to bring the Pokemon crowd as well to make even more money. Lets add Pokemon to the flight crew as well in the next version!

So there you have it folks! Next version for the Pokemon crowd with PS "Move"..where you stretch both your arms and go weeeeeee around your living room.... and you can fly the aircraft this way. Pffffft!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Frustrating Skill-less Nonsense October 27, 2011

By Ryan C. Tolentino

Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3

Fun: 2.0 out of 5 stars   

I've played every Ace Combat and this one is a waste of my time. The new Dogfight Mode (DFM) eliminates the need for skilled piloting. When you are close enough to the enemy, you can hit your controller bumpers and the plane goes into an autopilot dogfight on rails. During DFM you attempt to lock-on with a missile or shoot your opponent down with guns. I want to fly the plane, not ride it like a taxi. Also, the shift to the real world, oppose to the Eurasia Ace Combat universe added nothing to a fairly boring story. Also, the typical Ace Combat surreal super weapon (Jet Super Fortress, Island Attack Base, Death Star Run) was not there. You end up fighting something that we could actually have right now. The helicopter, AC-130 and Blackhawk gunner levels were unnecessary. All the imagination and surprise is gone from this iteration. I'm not into Online Multi-Player so I have no opinion on that. Buy every Ace Combat, but this one.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Too different from previous titles October 16, 2011

By I Like Juice

Platform for Display:PLAYSTATION 3|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 2.0 out of 5 stars   

This game tries too hard to be action packed.
It forces you to follow invincible planes to through scripted paths so they can die in a dramatic fashion.
The 3rd person camera sucks (cockpit view is better)
The new attack chopper levels/on rails minigun levels are not fun at all.

I hear some people enjoy this game but I am just not having fun with it. Every mission feels like a chore.

Ace combat is one of my favorite series, and I am saddened that this is what will probably be the either last Ace Combat game on a home console, or the format of other Ace Combats to come.