1. SG-17

   9

   While it can take some time for veterans of the series to adapt to the new "Dogfight Mode" the game overall has the stuff to take a place with the other great Ace Combats like Shattered Skies, The Unsung War, and The Belkan War. Now, yes the switch from the fictional universe of Strangereal to our very own Earth is a bit disappointing the story that is told is as wild and imaginative as any told in Strangereal. Mechanically the game is solid as a rock. The flight mechanics on planes are smooth and responsive and Dogfight Mode is surprisingly fun and useful. Things can get sticky when using an attack helicopter, but you don't use one often enough to get angry with it. The graphics are amazing. The planes look sleek and realistic and jaggies are far and few in between. Surprisingly the ground doesn't look like a low resolution composite image anymore, it actually looks realistic. The game has large amounts of replayability when it comes to 3 player co-op and 8v8 competitive multiplayer. Capital Conquest is a base defense game that requires a large amount of teamwork to win at. Overall while the game may have a few quirks, it is still the best Ace Combat game since The Belkan War.… Expand

   • Helpful?

     6 of 12 users said yes
2. USG

   5

   Overall, this game is just bearable and nothing more. The developers ruined the series' foundations while making its inspiration too obvious. A mediocre inspiration does not result in an outstanding rebirth. Some nice features are preserved from older Ace Combat games, but most other features that resemble a horribly average first-person shooter to ruin its value and are extremely illogical and unrealistic. Whenever the "Mission Completed" screen pops up, a great amount of disappointment is felt in retrospect to Namco's previous titles. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon has many flaws that has been introduced in the new title. The story is extremely forgettable, with stereotypical characters that are given a little thought and lack any depth. Missions are just slammed together in order with no pause. This is complemented by some of the worst songs ever composed for an Ace Combat title which feel unfitting at times whose only goal is to resemble, possibly, the culture of the area the player is flying over but adds nothing to the battle. Some music is just noise. Even Namco has dropped the ball on such staples as radio chatter, with nothing interesting going on and voices are often drowned out on default settings throughout the story. The gameplay itself is also broken. The CRA mode and physics are painfully unrealistic. Anything that is airworthy can backflip, go figure. Forget about taking damage too, feel free to crash into the ground and let the plane's regenerative health do the job. The player does not need to worry about purchasing aircraft, they're presented with a selection with unlocked aircraft. Nobody can enjoy the more rewarding system of purchasing aircraft and using any type of aircraft the player desires for any mission. Not even briefings are present anymore, and the only scripted two scripted briefings or so are horribly uninteresting. Only a few times is the player allowed to land, which are during heavily-scripted sequences under stupid circumstances. Helicopter missions are completely mediocre and unrealistic and there's nothing special at all with the gunner missions that do not separate Assault Horizon from the rest of the crowd. In Assault Horizon, the player is bombarded with constant visual effects. They become irritating, distracting, and disorientating very quickly and also break the pace of the game worse than CRA mode. Once the animation ends, the player must re-orientate and wonder the point of the bells and whistles of the game. One very major negative aspect of the game is the inconsistencies in difficulty during story mode. Many sections are are breeze, but then the player smacks a section that is nearly impossible to complete, let alone achieve a high rank on. The missions do not become progressively harder, either. About all that has been an improvement are the graphics which is expected. The multiplayer does not stand out in particular itself, although it has been improved from Ace Combat 6. Overall, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is not an enjoyable game and a failure in retrospect to many previous titles. Namco has also failed at marketing it towards western audiences.… Expand

   • Helpful?

     2 of 2 users said yes
3. FlyBoy8712

   2

   Whee, a flight game where you don't even fly. On-rails "flight" game. Awesome. All it asks you to do ever is hold down the gun button and occasionally fire a missile. Absolute garbage.… Expand

   • Helpful?

     2 of 2 users said yes

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