This game has been out for a while now but I thought I'd start a thread for it anyhow. basically, this game is very different fro previous games in the series. It takes place in the real world instead of the fictional world that previous games had been set in. Anyway, here is my opinion of the game.
What I like about this game:
You have an actual character in this game instead of just a nameless, faceless silent fighter pilot.
The graphics, special effects, and scenery are absolutely spectacular. They're some of the most beautiful I've ever seen in fact. Cities like Miami, Moscow, and Dubai are absolutely stunning.
The music is epic as always. It is not quite as epic as the soundtrack from Ace Combat 5 or Zero but it is still fresh and new and I enjoy listening to the tracks.
The Dogfight Mode sequences, while tedious and overused, are awesome to look at.
The bomber mission was awesome. Flying a B-1 Lancer right above the terrain while dodging enemy radar and then executing a low altitude bombing run was incredibly fun. It was interesting to fly something other than a fighter jet for a change.
I hear the multiplayer in this game is pretty solid but as I don't play multiplayer I can't back that up.
The steel carnage effects are awesome. Watching an enemy aircraft tear into pieces with oil and parts flying everywhere is very satisfying.
What I don't like about this game.
It's too short.
The helicopter missions were clunky and had awful controls. I mean, who had the bright idea of assigning the same button that you use to fire weapons to the "evade missile" command? I can't tell you how many times i have accidentally wasted my weapons while trying to dodge a missile. On top of that, they just dragged on for way too long. If done right, these could have been great.
The in-your-face camera angles were annoying.
Dogfight mode was overused. It would have been fine if it were only used once in a while or it it were just optional, but no, you have to use it for almost every single dogfight! This takes all the fun and strategy out of dogfighting, and in the process robs Ace Combat of one of its best elements.
The story was lame. Just more US vs Russia crap. However, I did like the fact that at least some of the Russians were good guys.
The gunship and Ac-130 missions were cheap Call of Duty knockoffs. They weren't even that good.
There is no free flight mode. Previous Ace Combat games had a feature where you could just fly around with no enemies or mission objectives and explore the map. As stated before, the maps in Assault Horizon are incredibly detailed and beautifully rendered. During missions you either have lots of enemies trying to shoot you down or you have a time limit to worry about. Since there is no free flight mode, it means you never get the chance to just fly around and enjoy the scenery. Dubai and the Caucasus Mountains would have been especially fun to explore.
There is no music player. Another feature previous Ace Combat games had was a music player that allowed you to listen to the games background music. That feature is sadly missing from this game.
It was interesting to see an Ace Combat game set in the real world but I miss the fictional countries. I hope this isn't a permanent change for the series.
All the planes are unlocked on the first play through so there is little reason to reply the game. Also, I was disappointed with how the aircraft selection is limited from mission to mission. There were only two ground attack missions in the whole game where planes like the A-10, F-2 Viper Zero, Su-34, and Su-25 were available. Many players liked to take on the final boss in previous games using planes like the A-10 because it made it more challenging. This game prevents you from doing that though by not allowing ground attack planes to be used in dogfighting missions.
Well, despite all the things I disliked about the game, I did enjoy it for what it is. While I don't think it is as good as previous titles in the series, Assault Horizon is still
leagues beyond most other flying games in terms of story, graphics, and gameplay and it is definitely worth checking. I'm not sorry I played it. I just wish it hadn't been so reliant on scripted dogfights and it had more of the features seen in previous games.
