Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Review for Xbox 360

System: Xbox 360, PS3
Dev: Project Aces
Pub: NAMCO Bandai Games America
Release: October 11, 2011
Players: 1, 2-16 online
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Alcohol Reference, Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

Although most of the game will be spent chasing down enemies in jet fighter aircrafts, these missions are punctuated with some new content, including a helicopter flying mode and a door gunner mode. These aren't terribly difficult, but they provide a nice contrast to the regular search-and-destroy type missions. Though you probably won't get much strategic value from these modes, they are fun and expand the game's already generous roster of aerial aircrafts.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Screenshot

Planes look incredibly detailed, and the gritty battlefield in the sky is wonderfully realized. The game has a minimalistic hub interface, which is in line with its overall arcade feel. Though certain stages do look a little bit flat and explosion animations are a bit repetitive, the game looks good overall.

The audio in Assault Horizon is a bit more of a mixed bag. Though the soundtrack itself features a beautiful score, the game's sound effects are extremely repetitive and can become grating very quickly. Some of the dialog in the game also suffers from this issue, and allied buddies end up being quite the annoyance after repeating the same remarks over and over again.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon isn't without its flaws. The game is a little bit on the short side, and doesn't have a very deep multiplayer component. However, as an arcade-style aerial combat simulator, the game gets the job done and should provide a great experience for fans of the genre. With a great story and fast-paced strategic gameplay, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon has plenty going for it, and is a worthy entry in the Ace Combat series.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Senior Contributing Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.3

Graphics
The skies are highly detailed and planes look beautiful.

4.0

Control
Controls are standard flight simulator fare and work very well.

3.9

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The soundtrack is great, but sound effects can be grating after awhile.

3.5

Play Value
There's not too much post-game content, but the story mode is plenty of fun and multiplayer modes are a nice diversion.

3.9

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

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