Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Is A Big Dumb Action Game...

Oh boy. It’s finally time for us to talk about Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. The undisputed black sheep of the franchise. For those of you who might not have been around, modern military shooters were THE gaming craze from 2007 to about 2016. This is mostly due to how much the average gamer loved the Call of Duty franchise and the way it blended the already existing modern military shooter formula with Hollywood blockbuster action. Everyone wanted a piece of that sweet sweet billion dollar pie, and Bandai Namco Games were no exception. They already had a modern military shooter, albeit set in the skies rather than on the ground, now all they needed to do was add in that Hollywood action and they would have a formula for success right? Right? Well, you probably don’t need me to tell you, but Assault Horizon would go on to be the most reviled entry in the franchise by the vast majority of the Ace Combat fandom, so it didn’t quite work out as well as they might have hoped. But now, 13 years have passed since this game’s initial release, and I’ve been playing every single Ace Combat game in release order for the first time in an attempt to not only finally experience them for myself, but also give the long-time fans the perspective of a first-time player. So is Ace Combat: Assault Horizon really the worst entry in the franchise, or was it simply a knee jerk reaction from fans not wanting the series to move further in this direction? Well, let’s talk about it.
Full Ace Combat Series: • A First Timer's Journe...
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is a spin-off installment of the Ace Combat flight simulation video game series. It was developed by Project Aces and published by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms in October 2011. The game was later released on Microsoft Windows in January 2013 through Steam and Games for Windows - Live, with the latter notably being the final retail release for the platform shortly before its discontinuation.
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#acecombat7 #acecombat #acecombat5 #acecombat2 #acecombatassaulthorizon #acecombat3 #flightsimulator #acecombat4

[@TheRibbonRed]

I think you missed the fact that Assault Horizon's DFM mechanic is forced. The targets are invincible out of DFM & you're forced to initiate the on-rails section to take them down. That's the biggest drawback everyone complained back in the day.

[@mosh.4245]

Wouldn't have so much of a bitter hatred for this game if it wasn't forced. you couldn't change the input too. So as someone who had only one working hand, you can see why I'm so bitter towards ACAH.

[@mosh.4245]

Soundtrack slaps tho.

[@TheRibbonRed]

@@mosh.4245 soundtrack is somehow the thing Namco, Access, & ACES never disappoint on. They all always slap & always fit the theme of the game.

[@Rizkyace118]

I can live with it being forced, it is just a short phase after all... DFM works best if it's applied like the one in ACAH Legacy or Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces.

[@TheRibbonRed]

@@Rizkyace118 those two examples you've listed don't force the mechanic. You can destroy the TGTs without it. Both are also the exact same mechanic.

[@kpchobby9915]

Wish they bring back the paint system from this one. The variety of colors you can paint your plane was insane. Also the inclusion of the Love Live liveries for the PC release is hilarious.

[@TheRibbonRed]

Love Live? You mean Idolmaster?

[@kpchobby9915]

@@TheRibbonRed yeah lol

[@twocontradictions]

Surprised he didn't include it in his AC6 video, because iirc different plane skins have different stats. And from things i've seen, the imas liveries are super cracked.

[@TheRibbonRed]

@@twocontradictions the IM@S planes have one or two quirks, but are definitely OP. A lot of AC6 players hated it in MP & have a "rule" to not use it. Even in campaign score competitions too. Glad ACES didn't follow that trend & followed Access Games' instead in allowing parts to modify aircraft stats. But AC7 does feel like AC5 in how every plane are mostly the same. Hope AC8 with ILCA changes that.

[@twocontradictions]

@@TheRibbonRed glad the idolmaster girls are just relegated as emblems only in AC7. idk if AC Infinity has the same deal too, but would like to know. and as a self-proclaimed idol enthusiast, idolmaster xenoglossia has cursed me. because i cannot ever imagine cute girls doing military stuff because it's cringe imo

[@E36Variance]

Questionable gameplay design choices aside, Assault Horizon, in my opinion, genuinely has one of the best soundtracks as a whole. While the previous games had standout tracks that are almost universally loved by the playerbase, they also had a lot of very forgettable tracks as well; Assault Horizon is pretty much the only entry in the series that I can load up a playlist of the OST and listen to the essentially the ENTIRE THING without getting bored.

[@JohnSmith-ip6kc]

Ya know? This wasn’t a game I was put off by when I played it. I remember seeing the slogan for it where they used a very action eccentric “Make metal bleed”, and… I made a lot of metal bleed 😆. I’d love to see another game like this. Not saying that I want the features that brought this game down to come back for another title, but adding helicopters and bombers and other air based technology like this would be pretty cool. I always hoped they’d add those kinds of vehicles into Ace Combat at some point, and when they did it in Assault Horizon, it felt fresh and unique and that pushed me to play the game so many times over. If Project Aces made another game like this, or oppositely, made a game that takes place during a “World War 2” setting with older prop planes, I’d probably spend months wasting my free time on it, lol

[@mrb692]

I know Ace Combat is all about the magic future tech, but holy crap a WWII era Ace Combat could be fun as hell

[@Rizkyace118]

Well... Google this then, Sky Crawler: Innocent Aces

[@TomitaGregorias]

@@mrb692 Innocent Aces

[@JohnSmith-ip6kc]

@@TomitaGregorias what’s your take on a prop plane based Ace Combat game?

[@TomitaGregorias]

@@JohnSmith-ip6kc I mean, Innocent Aces is literally Ace Combat with props. It was even made by Project Aces.

[@mbe102]

Okay, I legit put this game off, but, frankly, this looks like a lot of just dumb fun, and I'm totally okay with that! And that Dog Fight mode totally looks like a response to Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.

[@TheRibbonRed]

Which is odd since HAWX itself is Ubisoft's attempt on Ace Combat.

[@dudebro484]

@@TheRibbonRed Which is doubly odd, since HAWX sucked ass and Project Aces had no reason to respond.

[@thatextraguy21]

First time I did a barrel roll on demand in a helicopter. #physics/10

[@arifxddx144]

Yeah I first got to that section I immediately laughed and said "lmao this is probably the only Ace combat stuff inside Assault Horizon"

[@thatextraguy21]

@@arifxddx144 Indeed this was the Ace Combat moment of all time 🤣🤣🤣

[@o9arceneaux]

I'm so glad you mentioned the soundtrack, especially "White Devil". I still listen to it occasionally to this day, along with soundtracks from other games in the series.

[@yoshida.azumi.]

I think the problem with DFM, or at least in my case, is that you completely loose control of the plane, and I found myself crashing several times and dying constantly because the AI is horrible at flying the plane, and I couldn't compensate for its shortcomings when it comes to maneuvering (especially on narrow, tight spaces like cranes or buildings). Also, the enemy which is supposed to remain within the circle somehow flies all over the place except inside of the circle, so you don't even get to do anything. Or it might have been just me and my spastics, but I remember the system was a complete nightmare, and forced myself into consciously avoiding it at all times.

[@valravnsshadow9422]

You don't lose all control of your aircraft and you can compensate for the movement of the aircraft you are behind. You had a skill issue because you assumed it was entirely on rails amd you didnt have to do anything. That being said, dfm in the campaign was pretty bad.

[@glitchy_weasel]

This was actually my first AC game, and I was blown away to see such graphics on the PS3 at the time. The intense, scripted dogfights at near ground-level were definitely the best moments of the game. I'd say that this is the least replayable game of the franchise, since after you experience the main story there's not much else to do and just feels repetitive. But hey, it was the game that introduced me to the franchise! So I guessa change of pace is nice once in a while.

[@bloodgripen2257]

I love just how violent this game is. It's like playing Brutal DooM, or Doom Eternal, but with fighter jets and oil and scrap metal in the place of blood and guts. Along with that, I love the ragdoll physics enemy aircraft have when you shoot them down 😂, just falling or spinning and twisting in.. ragdoll-like ways honestly 🤣. I REALLY hope they bring back those elements at least. This game made my early teenage hood. I never knew such a beauty, and wish for some similar. Overall, I'm glad you had fun 😊 (6.8 OUT OF 10, YOU MONSTER!!!!!😡)

[@arandompotato8187]

Man if only AC infinity was still with us after this one.

[@Karter_Blackpaw]

I'm disappointed you never included the song "Dogfight" in your music section. Such a missed opportunity to show the blend of music.

[@mrandrossguy9871]

Aka Mission 1 song ?

[@princeblasian3735]

While the campaign was wack, l did really enjoy the multiplayer’s Base game mode. In most AC games, its only Air-to-Air combat so there’s no reason to use A-10s, Su-34s and SuMo-25s unless you really wanted to challenge yourself. It lead to about a third of the game’s roster of planes being useless in multiplayer. With the multiplayer Base game mode, A-10s can carpet bomb an enemy base while a friendly F-22 needs to escort him. Or fly an F-18 or F-15 as multirole planes to switch between Air and Ground targets. It adds a cool layer of teamwork and strategy. Also flying the bombers in multiplayer is super high risk high reward and both stressful and exciting

[@morphozr032]

Yeah Capital Conquest, the paint hangar, as well as the use of helicopters and bombers were features I would have loved to see return for AC7's multiplayer. One thing the helicopters could do in this gamemode was to act as flying CIWS / anti air missile launchers to cover the bases, as they had the ability to shoot down enemy munitions and their Air to Air missiles were very effective against bombers / attackers.

[@zephyr8072]

Bishop is the best argument the series ever made for playing as a mute psychopath.

[@FilipBurovski]

Ahh I remember the DFM the bane of my existence the number of times I crashed into the ground or in a building is far more then I have been shoot or crashed in Electrosphear(AC3),Unsung War,Zero and Shattered Sky and I had at least 2000h on each game my frustration led me to abandon DFM completely on maximum difficulty I resorted to use the basic AC strategies along side my fav one fir this series the counter-manuver instant lock on and fire during the CM there's a brief period almost a second during CM that the missile makes a instant lock on not needing to waste time getting a full circle by firing both missiles they are guaranteed to hit it was either I shoot it at first try or abandon the DFM if I miss or hit the enemy but not terminating it. *note the CM I'm referring too isn't countermeasures but counter-manuver

[@eevee6930]

I actually want Apaches to make a comback, but as a vehicle you can use on a number of missions with the ability to select different attack helicopters and special weapons. So you start with a Hind A, but can purchase a Hind D, Cobra, Apache, ETC. They would Excel at air to ground as well as slow moving planes and flying fortresses while being much less effective against Jets.

[@alarictheredboi276yearsago4]

Same. I really enjoyed the much closer feel of the attack helos.

[@nong333]

I honestly loved this game. Part of it was because I was forced to because as a longtime fan of the series who permanently switched to PC and away from consoles because I couldn't afford both, this was the only way I could get my AC fix for a long while. Still, I learned to love it for what it is and not hate for what the fandom wishes it was. It helps that I'm also a longtime fan of CoD and regularly go back to the original Modern Warfare trilogy for kicks. Honestly, my one real complaint about this game is the fact that the mc is a named character and not the usual silent, faceless protagonist like the rest of the series. Bishop is an ok character on his own, but give me that self-insert, escapism fantasy over him any day.

[@Princeofbelka]

I HATED this game when i came out, but since ive come back to it last year i found that it wasnt nearly as bad as i remembered. I feel like if they hadve released it under a different title and not ass an Ace Combat it wouldve been praised. Awesome video glad ive found your channel!

[@bit_ronic]

small spoiler for ac7, dunno if you've played it hearing you talk about it, it feels weird seeing how they took some stuff from assault horizon, the black sheep of the series, and applied then to ace combat 7, which is one of the series' best games, namely the flares and fighting under ridiculous weather conditions, and maybe the ridiculous amount of missiles they throw at you, except in 7 you don't have regenerating health lmao

[@Derivedwhale45]

Because AH really isn't the black sheep you were told & whoever said it was are bullshitting ya at all, it was really testing the waters of new stuff & features to make the ac feeling more realistic than ever before. Plus the REAL black sheep AC games would be AC3 American port & AC Infinity and the majority of the Fandom should rip on those moreso than AH no doubt about it

[@definetlyachessmaster]

@@Derivedwhale45 It is the black sheep, that doesn't mean the game was bad. The community just didn't like it because it wasn't ace combat. ACAH completely threw away everything that made an Ace Combat game and used a formula to get another fanbase, that is why it's the black sheep.

[@Spartan_Jackal]

@@Derivedwhale45 I'll never play 3 because of what they did to it for NA

[@blackbyrd7171]

​@@definetlyachessmaster threw away what exactly? Sure the new features were unique but it how did it take away from what ace combat was?

[@hunterjones225]

The biggest problem with Assault Horizon as a whole is it was such a stupid direction to take the series in, it nearly killed it entirely. Its easy to say, "oh its just a fun little action game," NOW, after AC7 has come and revived the series from the grave that AH left it in

[@Derivedwhale45]

Infinity said hello bud

[@diobrando2575]

@@Derivedwhale45 I'd argue AC7 revived the franchise because while Infinity did spark enough interest by Bamco to make a new mainline game, AC7 was a true return to form, something Infinity wasn't being a freemium game. If AC7 didn't succeed the franchise would be dead, Kono himself said the game went through development hell and was very close to cancelation.

[@BarbatosGamer]

Stupid direction? It's a spinoff it wasn't a continuation of the older games. It's not perfect, but I mean, they tried something different. Bandai makes spinoff of main games. All the Monster Hunter is a prime example. DFM was a unique concept for cinematic dogfighting it wasn't perfect but it was the first time making the mechanic.

[@Nexuish]

Call this game Assault Horizon and drop the Ace Combat, and I think this game would’ve been way less harshly remembered. There’s some good mechanics worth polishing, like DFM. Overused in this game, but could be a good tool to make Ace encounters more cinematic and unique in future titles

[@TheSnaveeelPlaysGames]

I think a good balance for DFM, would be to restrict it to only being available after performing the tail switch, where the player can flip to behind an enemy when they’re being tailed. This would make the move retain its satisfaction while maintaining the combat’s general integrity

[@DunDum728]

ACE Combat AH was my first Ace combat game and my childhood favourite , comparing it to other games it feels more restrictive but it will always have a special place in my heart.

[@APerson-ni1gb]

Ha ha jk 😊

[@WwZa7]

I remember playing it 10 years ago, and personally, my biggest and honestly only issue was not that the DFM existed, but that it was NECESARY. I played almost every game since AC3, and fighting aces was one of the most exciting part of older games. Here, they were hard-coded to just dump flares, automatically dodging all the missiles, unless you used DFM. Same was for boss fights. I loved the camera work, and it worked for strafing runs, but what was bad is that you had no choice. They did fixed that in AH Legacy, DFM was still there, but it was more optional. Oh and one more thing - If you hold the missile fire button, you will always get the camera following the missile or bomb. *In ANY ace combat game since 3* I think.

[@StarPilot87]

Are you going to do Assault Horizon Legacy (aka Cross Rumble)? It's a 3DS game so it would be hard to record footage for it but it came out about the same time as AH. If you do, I would recommend the Plus rerelease as its controls would be easier. They are effectively the same game on the same platform, Plus just takes advantage of more buttons.

[@notcole]

It's the next AC video 🙂

[@OverDriver05]

@@notcole Oh, you can do that with the Citra Emulator. Unfortunately, it was taken off due to being a collateral casualty to a take down of another Nintendo emulator. Ask your fans on how to get them!

[@cptncutleg]

It's definitely not the same game, it's actually set in Strangereal!

[@Rizkyace118]

​@@cptncutlegYeah, it is the remake of Ace Combat 2.

[@glitchy_weasel]

From what I understand, it has nothing to do with Assault Horizon, rather it is a remake of AC2. They even "back-updated" the story to fit in Strangereal, since the lore wasn't completely established back when the original AC2 came out.

[@Ikcatcher]

Tbh compared to most other flight arcade games, Assault Horizon isn’t THAT bad as people make it out to be. It’s just that every other Ace Combat game is so good that a mediocre one like AH looks bad in comparison

[@Mobius118]

Criminally underrated point. It really is a fun game, we’re just used to celestial tiger games like Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies

[@salveritual]

I was really dissapointed with the flight model for the helicopters in this game. Felt like I was dragging it around like a puppet instead of actually piloting a war machine. Imo the co-op mission for BF3 in a cobra is a great example of how to do it right, with the pilot responsible for full control of the helo and rockets while the gunner can shoot and launch guided missiles. If they do decide to bring back helicopters it would be nice if they looked at that mission for inspiration and build a more engaging gameplay system.

[@ka-50withsaams36]

Yes, exactly! So much wasted potential in the flight mechanics of the game.

[@miller_de]

Just found you through this series. Binged watched every video today and can't wait for the last video on AC7!

[@cptncutleg]

It's SUPER important that you don't skip Assault Horizon Legacy, despite the name, it's a Strangereal game and it's fantastic!

[@randallmart92]

The 3ds one? If so its amazing. The remake of the 2nd game right and it has dfm but on the 3ds it works really well on a handheld system 👍

[@SA-mo3hq]

"Hey kids, do you love white-knuckle dogfights with enemy aces? Well tough shit, say hello to On Rails Training Wheels Mode!"

[@giveashot8763]

Dfm is worst thing in this game it takes away so much freedom from player.

[@Mobius118]

DFM is cool. FORCED DFM is not

[@notani3533]

The missed opportunity is the fact that they didn't put any experimental Belkan fighter or any of the huge superweapon.

[@legomania2427]

Something I think is very interesting, is that less and less people are actually trying assault horizon due to the extreme bad press and just parroting what everyone else says Also you didn’t mention that the protagonist isn’t silent?

[@StellarGryphon]

You know, I just realized while you were talking about the DFM mode, that you missed an Ace Combat game… well, an “Ace Combat” game. It’s made by Project Aces, and plays exactly like an Ace Combat game, but it’s not, technically, an Ace Combat game. It’s “Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces” for the Wii. Yes really. It’s honestly really good while also being different from all the other Ace Combats. It has a mechanic similar to DFM but implemented a lot better in my opinion. Check it out maybe!

[@TheRibbonRed]

Thing is, Innocent Aces' mechanic is only flipping you to the back of your target & nothing else. You're not forced to use the mechanic to take TGTs down. 3DS' Cross Rumble/Assault Horizon Legacy had the exact same mechanic. Assault Horizon's mechanic is "worse" in the sense that you're forced on-rails to take the targets down. That's the biggest drawback.

[@SuperDracula1992]

I love this game mostly, and it actually was my first ace combat ever) Now when i played it and played a few other ac games, i can say that main problem of this game is how they changed gameplay Its became way too much linear with this new dogfight mod and new air to ground assault mod Game simply don't give you any freedom in terms of how you move It feels more like on rail sections And its funny when you realise that only missions when game doesn't take too much control of your movements is apache missions)) And this onrail dogfights actually feels more like qte gameplay And everything else in this game is just good or even awesome, i love the story, love the characters, they act and talk more like humans, not like in ac6 or any other ac game, when dialogues felt a little bit too strange for me I love the russian villain, he's one of the coolest russian villains in videogames i think, and music in this game is awesome Especially love that sad song which plays when you fight the villain in the end, if you don't know its actually written in pure accurate russian language and its resembles story about his dead wife Also ending credits song was also awesome, still have it in my playlist)

[@Plaidman86]

Think you did a great job giving this game a fair review. Oh yeah, everyone is so quick to bash to hell BFM - I mean seriously, why do you have to BFM bombers? Way to mention the music - you picked the same tracks I woulda picked!

[@timoneway]

Just recently discovered your channel while watching your Metal Gear series. Great videos man

[@LongTimeAgoNL]

Oh man, I completely forgot about the soundtrack! I was so let down by the rest of the game (even though I had a blast in coöp with a friend), I guess the soundtrack was forgotten with that as well... You putting up the soundtrack gave me goosebumps. damn.

[@Tman2bard]

Not even the worst game. Its story is serviceable, gameplay is fine if you can get over the weirdness, and it had some actual neat ideas with jts Multiplayer and customizations. Its sad, the fanbase was so vicious they bullied the author of the side book to pull his side novel down. Its actually sad to see how it went down. I remember how much this game was hated, but idk. If it didnt have Ace Combat on the name and they just called it Assault Horizon and let it ride, it might be hates less.

[@DarkGraid]

Somehow this game reminds me of a Wii game called The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces. It had a somewhat similar mecanic where you could do different maneuvers like the 180º flip and I remember having some intense ace fights. It was not as good as an AC game, but it's pretty fun and it has an amazing ost too.

[@legomania2427]

That’s because it was developed by project aces and access games (the psp and 3DS Ace combat guys)

[@AnzelmK]

It's not surprising since "Sky Crawlers" was co-developed by Acces Games (makers of portable Ace combat games), and Team Aces. It's kind of an unofficial Ace Combat game.

[@TheRibbonRed]

Thing is, Innocent Aces' mechanic is only flipping you to the back of your target & nothing else. You're not forced to use the mechanic to take TGTs down. 3DS' Cross Rumble/Assault Horizon Legacy had the exact same mechanic. Assault Horizon's mechanic is "worse" in the sense that you're forced on-rails to take the targets down. That's the biggest drawback.

[@DarkGraid]

@@TheRibbonRed Yeah, I played both and I agree that Assault Horizon's mechanic is worse. In fact I think that Innocent Aces is better than Assault Horizon. At least I liked it more.

[@jvanguarddragon]

After you do Ace Combat 7, I highly recommend you give Project Wingman a try.

[@DpNemo]

its finally time for call of duty the planes edition , oh boy

[@m.sydneyvern2260]

Personally Assault Horizon has one of my favorite soundtracks in the series behind AC7 and AC Zero. The music especially for the OST "Dogfight" just makes you feel like your going head to head with you opponent in an epic duel. Just two modern day knights in a clash where only one shall be the victor.

[@solowing1840]

A question now: will you make a video about AC Infinity? Have you had a chance to play it before servers shutdown?

[@marksayosmejia7251]

I hope that ac7 is a long detailed video hahah. Every ac upload gets us closer to the ac7 review.

[@cikame]

I started with Ace Combat 6 and just absolutely adored it, so for them to immediately change the gameplay up like this with the next entry was really disappointing because i thought the game was already amazing, that being said i didn't hate it, i love action bulls*** and this game has tonnes of action bulls***, i hated the FOV though it's so zoomed in and hard to watch sometimes but i put up with it. With hindsight i appreciate it more because there were many more entries before 6 which played like 6 so it's not like they shouldn't have tried mixing it up after so many games, and thankfully this ended up being a one off eventually leading to a massively successful return to form, the soundtrack also rocks. Project Wingman has been brought up a lot and i'm sure you'll be covering it, but i'd also like to shout out another game that came out between AC6 and Assault Horizon and that is Tom Clancy's HAWX, yes, Ubisoft made their own Ace Combat game and... i actually think it's very good, it ain't Ace Combat good but it's close and has its own action bulls*** in the form of an "assistance off" mode which lets you do crazy acrobatics to get the edge in combat, it's a lot of fun, they made a sequel i didn't play and the last time i played the first on PC it would crash sometimes, but people should definitely check it out if they're into these games... also it's just crazy that Ubisoft made games inspired by Ace Combat.

[@troyp467]

Best review and take on this game I've seen yet. I agree with most of what you said. As that 14 year old call if duty kid I loved this game over ac6.

[@DoggerZero]

Hey man nice video as allways! I was wondering, are you going to do Ace Combat 3D/Cross Rumble aswell? It has one of my favorite tracks from the franchise: Gravity. If you are not doing it and jumping to 7 from this one, please have a listen to the song, it slaps!

[@notcole]

It's the next AC video 🙂

[@SorcererLance]

4:30 - As a soon-to-be former Florida Keys resident, no offense taken because I also agree :P

[@Rizkyace118]

Will you be doing Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces? It's not Ace Combat, but made by PA.

[@SgtPotShot]

I thought this game was okay when I played it. I love the music, especially White Devil. I'm not sure if you can review this at all, but the Ace Combat related arcade game, Mach Storm, had similar gameplay.

[@dylangaletti395]

I still like Assault Horizon but would never try and say it's one of the best in the series but I do find Assault Horizon to still be very fun.

[@Sm00k]

Oh, Naval Warfare is my absolute favorite track of all AC games. It's just...fly.

[@briganhopkirk508]

i have an issue where my game will black screen repeatedly and will open the terminal whenever i launch the game does anyone have a solution for this (i am on windows 11)

[@alarictheredboi276yearsago4]

Maaaan this game was weird, but I loved flying an Apache in an ace combat game. I’d love to have more games on consoles where I could focus on that kinda stuff.

[@mrandrossguy9871]

All This Game has to do was Keep the Graphics and Visuals of Ace6 but even polish it some more..

[@blackbyrd7171]

Honestly Ac:Ah was my intro to ace combat games, this game was a solid game for me imo id give it a 9/10. The fact that im only finding out now that a lot if ppl disliked it made me sad lol. I still think this is cool as hell

[@Axle0Bullitt019]

I wonder how Ace Combat Infinity is going to be handled. Likely just a footnote in the the next video I expect. Aside from that, really surprised you enjoyed the DFM so much. I simply chose to not engage with it as much as possible. Granted though it made the game much more difficult. I honestly would like the choppers, bombers, and gunships to come back personally as I did enjoy those mix ups to the overall flow of the game. But they certainly can do with a bit of polishing in the future.

[@TheRibbonRed]

Well, you can't play the game because it requires server connection to play, and the servers has been down for years. So yeah, it'd be a footnote at best & ignored at worst.

[@osakanone]

The issue is that BFM isn't really "a game", but a QTE with analogue inputs. The fix for it would be adequately game-ifying it with proper win/loss conditions, and reasons why it either works or doesn't work. A big part of this the planes start moving like starwars instead of like fighter-jets, so as a result it stops feeling like a dogfight and feels like a chase scene.

[@FalconAC]

Good review and fair. So much to like, but enough to put me off completing it.

[@CatGoon67]

I want more hurricane missions

[@windowsguy3614]

I've wanted to play this game for some time now, how would I go about buying a Steam key for myself?

[@WwZa7]

It was a really fun game. It just wasn't really a good "Ace Combat" game. But that being said, reaction of hardcore fanbase was a bit exagerrated, mostly powered by the fact, that it was the first Ace Combat released on PC, and it remained such for years.

[@Eboreg2]

Honestly, I'm just surprised how many of AC7's mechanics started off in AC:AH.

[@mrandrossguy9871]

Oh yeah ? Go on ..

[@mrandrossguy9871]

Because Ass7 couldn’t be Original ?

[@Eboreg2]

@@mrandrossguy9871 Flares, DFM being refined into the PSM mechanic, and dogfighting an enemy ace in a massive storm.

[@arifxddx144]

Such a fun game... And tbh kinda glad this is my latest Ace combat game. When i said latest.. it's like a little bit of a fresh air after only play arcady style game (4,5,0,X,JA,6 & 7). I always open into something different then the main core gameplay. And i really love playing the most hate fandom game because it give you that "I'm built different" feeling lol

[@arifxddx144]

And kinda glad what the fandom did with this game. I really can't imagine future Ace combat game using all of this mechanics

[@mrandrossguy9871]

Because the Famdom are a Bunch of Hypocritical Gatekeeping pricks

[@mrandrossguy9871]

@@arifxddx144 so what’s so arcade about Ace04 in particular ?

[@arifxddx144]

@@mrandrossguy9871 isn't all ace combat game are arcady?... The gameplay movement still the same as air combat 1.. Ace combat 2 they try put the physics a little bit and in Ace combat 3 where you can see they base the core gameplay on

[@azulaspencer]

I can empathize with the benefits of DFM but personally I hated it cause it took most of the control away from me during those moments and stuck it on a rail. If I could have turned that off rather than being forced to play with it for the first playthrough, I might have actually played beyond the first mission or two rather than uninstalling the game.

[@f14uubercat]

Honestly, the biggest issue with DFM and Ace Combat AH is the constant camera movement. It was something extremely disorientating for me playing it back on launch. It made the game a hundred times harder for me to deal with. That and DFM controls were fucking awful, combined with a personal hatred of rail shooters in general.

[@madkabal]

The Dogfight Mode KILLED this game. If we could have turned it off i would have enjoyed it more. I also still prefer the fantastical ridiculous anime world of strangereal over our boring depressing world but it wouldn't have been as annoying if the gameplay was more "traditional"

[@project-gladiator]

Honestly, I think that the dog-fight mode looks realy cool. I wonder what would happen if someone combined the way it looks while still manouvering yourself

[@ryanstallard1160]

Trying to 1000pt this game was an absolute nightmare. S ranking every mission on Ace (or whatever it’s called) was a slog and I absolutely hated it

[@TheLaur200]

No matter how much shit this game gets, WHITE DEVIL and DOGFIGHT will always be some of the best fucking songs in any game.

[@Xaito]

I'm a huge AC fan. I couldn't stomach this game. I've tried playing it like 3 times and always abandon it somewhere around after that heli mission.

[@loneelementalcross]

In recent days, the fandom has slowly but surely warmed up to Assault Horizon and no longer consider it a "black sheep". Time and maturity brings wisdom, so those taking a second look at this game now would call it an experimental spin-off. There are moments in the game where you can shoot down enemies without using DFM or ASM, with the mission White Devil allowing you to not use the ASM sequences altogether and just play it like a normal Ace Combat game. Personally, don't hate the game but wish that it could've utilized more of it's potential. Unfortunately, that was not to be so.

[@lilragexox]

Bought the game key for 45$ I tought that it wouldn't even work but denm it worked and i acutally manged to have fun even with the control in this game and the infamous machanic issue

[@Maya_Ruinz]

Just got done playing the first three missions and it’s wild to say the least… I’m going to say it… I actually liked it lol.

[@junehalog024]

A lot of people say this game sucked but I also see people wishing a lot of stuff from this game be brought back. Personally, I liked this game. Both as an Ace Combat fan and an aviation geek.

[@Holo1470]

I could be wrong, but I feel like this game wouldn’t have been hated as much if it wasn’t part of the Ace Combat franchise. It’s just too different compared to the rest of the games especially in terms of gameplay and setting

[@GuiVianaBR]

When MGS 4 video will be released?

[@KillerOrca]

So what your telling me from your comment on Miami is; you are, intrinsically, making the city LESS shitty by making large fuel-filled aircraft wrecks smash into its downtown, and also blowing up a large portion of its stadium. Makes sense to me.

[@aircdutchef]

Why does this feel like a top gun movie

[@timeis247]

Personally I also think they saw which way the market was turning as well. People wanted more simulation style flying games instead of arcade. Ace has always been an "arcade" game so they put all their chips in on last full arcade game. Yes combat 7 is an arcade game but definitely turning far right to the simulation side. Horizon is a "fun" game as long as you like thay old-school arcade style play.

[@TheTemplar127]

This AC game is fine and all but it lacked 2 core mechanics -Big-ass superweapons -Experimental aircraft

[@Jedisage909]

The game felt more like a Call of duty

[@adlibbed2138]

you knew modern CoD and BF games had lost their way (as in making either terrible campaign or not having one at all) when the same audience Assault Horizon caters to started to appreciating it better than modern CoD & BF games lmoa

[@johndoe62804]

The game was above decent as a spinoff and almost the entire fanbase still denies the fact Sure, the forced DFM sequences in main campaign are kinda tedious, the obviously-not-from-Tom-Clancy writing has zero appeal on the series fans, who love Strangereal, the talking protag... rarely talks much even with a paper thin character, and everybody has forgotten all those happened due to the sales decline on the series, and the devs thought they needed a change Also people totally ignore the goodies that this game provided, such as the bomber missions, "Steel Carnage" visual design, even fun multiplayer contents AH almost killed the franchise and that is totally worth to get blamed, but people are too harsh on this poor soul

[@bulletbartender76]

My only issue with this game was the helicopter missions and we should've have one more bomber mission. Other than that i actually like this game. It got a lot of my friends into the series.

[@swngn]

Y’all complained about the dogfight mode but it was more legit than 7s and on top of that 7 didn’t have a dog fight mode you just lined them up and aired them out I liked This AC bc the maneuvers you can do in dogfight mode made more sense in 7 you can do two back flips without stalling

[@Estuardomendez13]

Naval warfare goes so hard i hate the mission but love the song so much i kept playing it when i was a kid

[@DpNemo]

Assault Horizon was the very first AC game on the PC so naturally i got it without a second thought, not gonna lie, during my first playthrough i had a silly green plastered on my face, but then something odd happened, when i wanted to replay it i suddenly changed my mind, i remembered the game mechanics, the on rail shooting, the bosses, the story and all of the sodden i didn't want to play the game anymore. it took some time but eventually i came to the realization that i don't like the game, i actually found an AC title i don't want to play, it felt so weird but with time i learned to live with it.

[@Daimo83]

Steam says I've played this for 56 minutes. That means I should have refunded it.

[@scott2100]

I have to ask, are you covering Ace Combat Infinity?

[@notcole]

I wish I could, but it is legitimately impossible to play in any way, shape, or form 😭

[@TheRibbonRed]

@@notcole gotta thank the microtransactions. That's the only reason why that game constantly requires server connection, even for it's short 8-mission singleplayer campaign.

[@Rizkyace118]

I'm just gonna say it out loud, DFM didn't deserve the hate. Everybody is just hopping on a hate wagon for some reason. I've been waiting for this ever since I was a kid back then. If DFM was applied on Ace Combat 3, that would make perfect sense since Nemo is an AI. I hope I can see DFM return on future installments with better settings.

[@DZA3051]

I enjoyed ACH.. it was dumb fun😂. For what it is, i get that Project Aces was just jumping on the COD bandwagon just like , medal of honor, Battlefield.. etc. They were trending and that what developers do, it was a risk.

[@AlexanderLindo-je5oz]

Honestly dfm isnt on rails as i once thought going back to it seems like it only stays when you follow the enemy aircraft accurately and if you dont keep up with them you will lose dfm

[@Estuardomendez13]

So i loved this game be ause of the online play, they had a lot of gamemode from just dogfighting eachother to rush and domination which had you trying to destroy the enemy base wile defending your own, you could even use chopers in multiplayed and bombers,

[@Fuzon-S]

It's like watching a Michael Bay movie, you just turn off your brain and enjoy the bombastic ride. lol Also, playing it on Ace difficulty can sometimes be infuriating, the worst being the AC-130 gunner mission, the naval fleet mission, and the final boss fight.

[@scott2100]

I didn't so much hate the final boss, but man, the ending passed me off so much

[@Swattii]

YESSSSSSS, LETS GOO!!! ASSAULT HORIZON REVIEWED!!!!!!!!!!

[@watsonwarrior8002]

Honestly you should consider playing tom clancy's HAWX. I cant remember much about it but it was the first flying game i ever played.

[@Lyvein1]

outside of the helicopter, and ac130 missions I'm relatively un offended by this game. some enemies are incredibly difficult to kill outside of dogfight mode, but i did finish the whole game without using it unless forced. also this was the last one that had Idolm@ster skins. its also a shame you can't play infinity. i somehow managed to put over 100 hours in it with out spending a dime on fuel.

[@bongmedallo3153]

But to me. Ace combat assault horizon was the reason I bought ps3. And I can't deny that this is my favorite game in the series

[@mrandrossguy9871]

It’s was First Multiplatform also