Assault Horizon is not your average Ace Combat game. It goes way beyond evolutionary; it is Ace Combat completely reinvented with an entirely new in-your-face attitude. Purists are likely to disown it for that very reason, but to me the series has been getting staler by the game (except for Joint Assault on PSP — I really liked that one!), so I welcome the developer’s clean-the-slate-and-start-anew approach.
Fortunately, Assault Horizon makes the change of direction work fairly well. Well enough to warrant a test flight at least.
A fictional conflict between NATO and an East African rebel faction bolstered by Russian air force defectors over a weapon of mass destruction known as Trinity (no, it’s not a Creole bomb that explodes into a mirepoix of onions, bell peppers, and celery) sets the stage for Assault Horizon‘s airborne war drama, which has you engaged in intense sorties across the globe, from Moscow and Egypt to Miami, Florida and Washington D.C. But don’t expect to gain anything more from the plot than that. The story’s only purpose here is to give you an excuse to blow the hell out of the commie bastards flying between you and a mission accomplished.
Ace Combat has always slanted towards arcade accessibility versus sim realism, but this game pushes that slant even further away from simulation. So don’t bother pulling out your favorite flight stick controller – you won’t need it. Against average enemy pilots, you can soar in pursuit from behind and pelt them with machine gun fire and lock-on missiles in traditional fashion. In general, the fundamental controls and snappy flight physics should feel familiar to anyone who’s played an Ace Combat game before. But that’s where all familiarities end.
Fueled by a new close-range assault mentality, Assault Horizon takes flight combat in a bold new direction. Now, when you’re hot on the trail of a target, close enough for a circle indicator to begin flashing, a double-fingered pull of your controller’s shoulder triggers activates DFM (Dogfighting Mode). In DFM, the perspective zooms in tight and locks down to focus on the current target, and from there the gameplay vaguely mimics a rail shooter as actual flight control becomes largely automated, allowing you to concentrate solely on keeping the bogie in your sights long enough for the ‘Assault Circle’ to turn red while the target evasively dips and darts through the sky.
Bombing ground targets is handled similarly. An indicator hovering above the battlefield marks off an area primed for a bombing run, and once activated your aircraft is pulled into a narrow air corridor and you get one fly-over to purge the terrain below. Any stragglers must be eliminated the old fashioned way.
This sense of being on auto pilot does put greater emphasis on the spectacle of combat and less on full flight control — and less skill is demanded from the player as a result. In a drastic shift for the series, new helicopter (both on-rails door gunner missions and in-the-cockpit missions) and top-down stealth bomber missions have been introduced. These are often more challenging and offer a much-needed change of pace to the traditional jet fighter action. (I’d love to see Namco Bandai branch out and do a dedicated helicopter action game based on this engine, as the chopper missions were my favorite part.) Bombing runs and escort missions provide slight changes, but most of the time you are dogfighting with little variation. Collectively, the chopper and bomber missions account for less than half the game, though, so towards the end of the 16-mission campaign a certain level of been-there-done-that monotony does sink in. Especially in levels that drag on beyond 30 minutes, which is the norm.
However, the thrill of the aerial dogfight is something that never fades. You may not always feel in complete control of the action and you may not always feel like you are being challenged to any great extent, but you will always be entertained by the audiovisual spectacle this game puts on. Engaging DFM and trailing after a target, camera shaking and smoke tracks blowing in your face, is downright exhilarating. Then, once you’ve locked in and fired off the killing rocket, oil, sparks and debris left behind by the downed craft splash the screen, showering you in the glory of a successful hunt. The way the camera so deftly zooms in for DFM and zooms back out after a kill — sometimes with a slo-mo cutaway shot in between — keeps you connected to what’s happening on screen. The music also effectively sets a dramatic mood that builds as missions progress, and then once the action begins the score boosts into hyper-drive to really get the adrenaline flowing.
Beyond the campaign (and free play mode), Assault Horizon’s up-close-and-personal dogfighting spills over into the multiplayer arena. Like the rest of the game, the multiplayer isn’t all that deep, offering eight co-op stages for teams of two to three players, three basic competitive modes for up to 16 ace pilots at a time, and a basic rank and unlock system based around a currency of points to be used for purchasing new skills (increased missile capacity, faster cooldown rates, boosted firepower, etc.). Capital Conquest and Domination are flight combat versions of typical attack/defend and base capture FPS matches, and of course there’s standard Deathmatch for free-for-all sorties.
Multiplayer is as fast and bombastic as the solo content, and so far performance has been reliable…when I’ve been able to find competition. Unfortunately, right now the online community (on PS3 at least) is dead. Trying at all different times of day, I have still yet to see more than 3-4 active matches in any single lobby at one time, and for some reason no one seems to be playing co-op. In the past week I’ve found one person to play co-op with – and they quit out on me a few minutes into the mission. I don’t believe in knocking a game for a lack of player support, but if you’re looking into purchasing a flight combat game for multiplayer you should know that you may not find the consistent competition you crave.
Ultimately, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is like a trick pilot who only knows how to perform one trick. The one trick is spectacular, but before long it loses some of its pizzazz. Similarly, Assault Horizon blazes across the virtual skies with a sense of close-quarters aerial action unmatched by any other game in the genre. However, the uninspired mission objectives and heavy-handed zoom lock-on usage result in an extremely straightforward, one-note action experience that doesn’t quite reach the sky-high potential it appears to be destined for after the first few adrenaline-pumping hours. It’s a tremendously fun ride that’s well worth taking, but once it’s over I’m not sure if there’s enough here to make you want to ride it again.
Pros:
+ Intense close-range flight combat
+ New helicopter missions are worthy of expanding into a standalone game
+ Graphical and aural assault on the senses
Cons:
– Not enough mission variety
– DFM doesn’t require much skill
– Bomber and door gunner missions drag on a bit too long
Affiliate Links:
Buy from Amazon
Game Info:
Platform: Reviewed on PS3; also available for Xbox 360
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Project Aces
Release Date: 10/11/2011
Genre: Flight Combat
ESRB Rating: Teen
Players: 1-16 (2-3 co-op, 2-16 competitive)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
[nggallery id=1746]
]]>
Formerly known as Ace Combat 3D, Namco Bandai’s Nintendo 3DS flight combat game is now going by a new call sign.
Flying in the exhaust trails of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, which ships for PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 11th, Ace Combat 3D is now known as Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy.
Assault Horizon Legacy will be out a month later than its console counterparts, landing on retailer shelves on November 15th. Ace Combat‘s debut 3DS mission will feature the series’ trademark dogfighting action, now with intuitive touch screen targeting and commands.
“The three dimensional screen of the Nintendo 3DS really captures the immediate and visceral thrills of aerial combat and ACE COMBAT ASSAUL HORIZON LEGACY is the perfect showcase for that,” said Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing, NAMCO BANDAI Games America. “Every barrel roll, fiery explosion and heat-seeking missile will bring players closer to the action than ever before.”
[nggallery id=2075]
]]>
The latest installment in Namco Bandai’s Ace Combat franchise took flight on PSP this week. I reviewed it earlier in the week and loved every second of it — and would love for you to be able to play it as well!
So, we’ve teamed up with Namco Bandai to give away two UMD copies of Ace Combat: Joint Assault. To enter, please do one of the following: leave a comment below (with valid email), follow us on Twitter @vgblogger and retweet this message, or email us at contests@vgblogger.com with the subject line “Ace Combat: Joint Assault Giveaway.” Any ace pilot should be able to handle that, right?
Beginning today, you have through Tuesday, September 7th — the game’s PSN launch date, as a matter of fact — to enter. Then on Wednesday, September 8th, two winners will be randomly selected to each receive a retail copy of Ace Combat: Joint Assault for PSP. You must reside in the US to enter.
]]>
Namco Bandai’s legendary flight combat franchise returns to the portable skies for another PSP sortie with today’s retail launch of Ace Combat: Joint Assault (the PSN download version takes flight next week), and it is yet another standout title in what has quietly turned into a banner year for Sony’s handheld console.
Ace Combat: Joint Assault has all the single-player trappings of previous Ace Combat games – a full story campaign, nice graphics, intense flight combat gameplay, cinematic (and savable) video replays, and unlockables out the wahzoo – but multiplayer, both cooperative and competitive, is clearly the game’s defining feature this time out. And thankfully the game delivers on both fronts.
As a multiplayer game, Joint Assault is a rarity on the PSP in that it supports Ad Hoc and Infrastructure play for all modes. Locally or online, you can take on the complete campaign with up to three friendly wingmen by your side, or you can turn the tables and engage in aerial combat against other ace pilots in VS Mode, which supports a max of eight players in six different match types.
Both are tremendous fun, but co-op is the real star. At any time during the campaign, you can choose to play a mission by yourself or in co-op, and the mission structure is designed to cater to both styles. During co-op play, there are two types of missions you will face. The majority of the missions simply throw all four players into the same theater to complete the same set of objectives in unison. However, there are also special joint assault missions that split the four players into two teams of two, with each team playing on a different map from the other and completing unique objectives which, in turn, impact certain events in the other team’s mission. These joint missions aren’t as frequent as I would’ve preferred, but it is a neat setup nonetheless, and hopefully a concept Namco Bandai expands upon in future releases.
For online play, Namco Bandai has solid net code in place to keep performance silky smooth. In the co-op and competitive matches I’ve played so far, I haven’t been booted from a game or experienced a hitch of lag playing on the “Global” and “Japan” servers (servers are also available for North America and Europe). I also appreciated how when I got a good team together I could continue mission after mission from the same lobby rather than having to search for new teammates every time.
There are a few caveats to the multiplayer though. First, the lead-in to co-op missions, between loading times (data install helps some, but isn’t a cure), the preliminary setup each player has to go through, and the occasional pre-mission takeoff/refueling “mini-games,” is a fairly tedious process to endure. And this problem can be compounded depending on who you are stuck with. You can skip through briefings and mini-games all you want, but if other players choose not to, you have to wait for everyone else to finish before proceeding. One bad egg can spoil the fun for everyone.
Another annoyance I’ve come across is not always being able to join into games. I’ve been playing an early copy of the game since last week — when it also was released in Japan — and already it seems like there are a lot of players online from overseas. When creating my own rooms for other players to join, I’ve had no problems getting missions started. However, for some odd reason I’ve had a tough time joining existing games. I find a room I want to join and click OK, but get a timeout error shortly thereafter booting me back to the search screen. This happens to me regularly, and I can’t figure it out. Hopefully it’s something that will work itself out as the servers are broken in for each region.
Co-op is the centerpiece of the Joint Assault experience, but the game is plenty enjoyable for solo pilots too. The campaign can be completed in less than three hours and the story is a complete throwaway – something about an insurance company bigwig conspiring with terrorists to drive up his company’s stock price. However, the game is bursting with replay value, and, even though Ace Combat games usually have decent storylines, I really don’t play flight combat games for in-depth narrative, so I was happy to ignore the plot and just have fun with the gameplay. And have fun I did!
Taking to the skies by yourself, the campaign offers a few branching mission paths, so you do need to replay multiple times to unlock every single mission in the game. Also, you are always free to replay any previously completed mission to increase your mission rankings, earn medals for your pilot profile, unlock new aircraft, weapons and parts, and amass enough cash to purchase all those extra goodies you’ve unlocked. The game features over 40 real-life aircraft to collect, each one modeled in incredible detail — from wings and flaps that move realistically as you fly to impressive afterburner effects that kick in at full throttle – and between missions you can tune and customize planes with upgraded weapons, engines, wings, armor, avionics and decorative emblems.
Per usual for an Ace Combat game, Joint Assault strikes an even balance between flight sim realism and fast-paced arcade approachability. Two control options are provided for pilots of varying flight experience: Normal type streamlines flight controls to ease beginners along, while Expert type removes the training wheels, errr…wings I mean, so veteran aces can manually roll, pitch and yaw for greater precision. And there are three camera views to choose from as well, including HUD, cockpit and third-person.
Whichever scheme/camera combination you decide on, Joint Assault’s flight controls are effortlessly smooth (a few of the early, weaker planes do feel a bit stiff, but that’s to be expected), and the aerial dogfights, complimented by booming sound effects and a surprisingly emphatic soundtrack, are fast and intense. Save for a boss aircraft that’s recycled what seems like five times (at least) throughout the game, the mission objectives are also diverse and interesting, whether you are eliminating all targets in the area, bombing ground installations, protecting/escorting ally targets, taking out a giant laser cannon while avoiding its periodic, screen-spanning blasts, or safely piloting a weaponless airliner through a valley swarming with enemies.
There really is so much to love about this game, and very little to criticize. Getting a co-op game going can be a chore at times, and I do think Namco Bandai could’ve taken the joint assault concept even further. But on the whole, Ace Combat: Joint Assault pushes portable flight combat into a new stratosphere of excellence.
Pros:
+ Strong mix of solo, co-op and competitive play
+ Steady online performance (once you get into a match)
+ Smooth flight controls and engaging gameplay
+ Tons of replay value and unlockables
+ Detailed plane models
+ Booming sound effects and music
Cons:
– Lead-in process for co-op is fairly tedious
– Joining other players’ multiplayer games is hit or miss
– Throwaway campaign storyline
– More “joint assault” missions please!
Game Info:
Platform: PSP
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai
Release Date: UMD – 8/31/2010, PSN – 9/7/2010
Genre: Flight Combat
ESRB Rating: Teen
Players: 1-8 (2-4 co-op, 2-8 competitive; supports Ad Hoc and Infrastructure play)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
[nggallery id=1199]
]]>
Valkyria Chronicles II and Ace Combat: Joint Assault, two of next week’s biggest releases — and both PSP games — arrived a littler early here at VGB HQ. I also just cleared up enough Memory Stick space to finally download Ys Seven, and I’m still playing catch up on MGS: Peace Walker and Persona 3 Portable. So yeah, looks like I’ve got hours and hours of PSP gaming to do this weekend. Not too bad for a portable that supposedly has no good games…
Well, off to play now. I’ll let you know how VC2 and ACJA turned out next week.
]]>
Namco Bandai today announced that it has relaunched the Ace Combat 6 Flightstick Bundle for the holiday season, so if you missed it last year now’s your chance to pick it up (or add it to your Christmas list and hope it’s under your tree come December 25th). It’s even got an extra bonus that wasn’t included before, an exclusive DVD of the flight combat documentary Speed & Angels. So for $150 you can get the Ace Combat 6 game, an excellent ACE-EDGE flightstick from HORI, a custom AC6 Xbox 360 faceplate and the new DVD. The catch is that the bundle has been released back into retail exclusively at Best Buy stores.
]]>[gv data=”/wp-content/uploads/Games/AceCombat6/Trailers/A_F16_2.flv” width=”416″ height=”352″][/gv]
[gv data=”/wp-content/uploads/Games/AceCombat6/Trailers/F16.flv” width=”416″ height=”352″][/gv]
[gv data=”/wp-content/uploads/Games/AceCombat6/Trailers/Su33.flv” width=”416″ height=”352″][/gv]
]]>
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation and Beautiful Katamari, two of the biggest Xbox 360-exclusive titles of the fall/holiday season, have officially gone gold. Shipping first will be Beautiful Katamari, which is set to release on October 16th for $39.99. One week later on October 23rd, Ace Combat 6 will soar onto store shelves for $59.99, or in that sweet ACE-EDGE Flightstick Bundle for $149.99. Playable demos for both are available on the Xbox Live Marketplace if you’d like to give them a test run before the full versions ship.
]]>