Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

About

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is the 14th game in the combat flight simulation series, taking place in a real-world setting with a different timeline. Players join Task Force 108, led by William Bishop, in a single-player campaign to stop the threat from Russian rebels, including Andrei Markov. The game also offers a multi-player mode for even more aerial combat action.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,695 reviews

story274 positive mentions

grinding44 negative mentions

Engaging dogfighting mechanics with DFM mode that adds cinematic flair to combat.
Visually impressive graphics and sound design that enhance the overall experience.
Variety of aircraft and missions, including helicopters and bombers, providing a different gameplay experience.

Forced use of DFM mode makes combat feel scripted and takes away player control.
Bland and generic storyline that lacks the depth of previous Ace Combat titles.
Helicopter and turret missions feel out of place and detract from the core flying experience.

story
1,620 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
71%
12%
The story of "Ace Combat: Assault Horizon" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic and clichéd, often likening it to a typical "America vs. Russia" narrative reminiscent of modern military shooters. While some appreciate the attempt to introduce real-world elements and a more grounded plot, others criticize the lack of depth and character development, feeling that it detracts from the engaging storytelling found in previous entries of the series. Overall, the missions are varied, but the reliance on scripted events and the introduction of helicopter and gunship gameplay have left some fans feeling disappointed with the overall narrative experience.
- “The story is pretty generic and forgettable, but then I never played Ace Combat for the story, so it's not that big of a deal.”
- “The story is entertaining and I really enjoyed it.”
- “The game presents an impressive level of detail on a macro, mid, and micro scale as you soar through the sky, run low altitude helicopter missions, and listen in on first person cutscenes presented in real time.”
- “The story is hardly a story other than 'Russia is bad and you are good.'”
- “The story is so bad it hurts, and since I said the gameplay lacks, then the conclusion is that this is not really worth playing.”
- “The story is a cookie-cutter big bad weapon seized by Russian extremists to attack the West, and most of the cutscenes are pretty incoherent.”
gameplay
627 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
67%
15%
The gameplay of "Ace Combat: Assault Horizon" has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the new dogfight mode (DFM) for simplifying combat and detracting from the traditional flight mechanics that fans expect from the series. While some appreciate the cinematic elements and variety of missions, including helicopter and gunship gameplay, others find the controls clunky and the overall experience repetitive and frustrating. Overall, the game is seen as a departure from the classic Ace Combat formula, appealing more to casual players than to long-time fans of the franchise.
- “Nice gameplay twists like flying a helicopter or a lancer with bombing runs.”
- “The chance camera you get when engaging specific targets allows for basically seamless cutscenes mid-mission and keeps the gameplay fluid. The fact you can try out helicopters too gives you a nice break from the typical style of combat you see in the game series.”
- “The gameplay is good and the levels are varied enough to interest the player.”
- “The core of Ace Combat gameplay is replaced with a crappy on-rails minigame that you're forced to engage with that constantly teleports you around, fills your screen with garbage, and makes enemies unkillable until some setpiece happens.”
- “The dogfighting mechanic is absolute trash. It turns what should be adrenaline-pumping, fast-paced flying action into simple point-and-click gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is hard to evaluate when the frame rate randomly begins chugging, both in the in-engine FMVs and during actual gameplay itself.”
graphics
407 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
42%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising their quality and detail, especially for a title of its age. While some players noted impressive visuals and effects, particularly in aircraft design and explosions, others criticized the lack of graphical options and the overall blandness of ground textures. Overall, the graphics are generally considered a strong point, though they do not fully compensate for gameplay shortcomings.
- “The graphics are beautiful, if more than a little overdone on the HDR front, and the game is not limited to 1920x1200 like the trailer says; you can crank it up to any resolution you want, including surround view / eyefinity resolutions.”
- “The graphics are amazing and I don't even much care about the whole 'dogfighting' thing, but the controls ruin the game.”
- “The graphics are great (it's not the prettiest game ever but it runs smooth as butter and the overall detail level is high; explosions and plane models look exceptionally great), the gameplay is fast and frantic, there is rarely a dull moment in the entire 16 mission campaign.”
- “The graphics are subpar to the point that Ace Combat 6 has exceptionally better graphics; the music is forgettable except for a couple of tracks.”
- “The graphics are bad even for a game from 2011, and the music might as well not even be present.”
- “The graphics look like the original Half-Life.”
music
176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
46%
6%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its orchestral and rock elements that enhance the gameplay experience. While some tracks are considered standout pieces, others are viewed as repetitive or less memorable compared to previous titles in the series. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as the game's strongest aspect, making it a significant draw for players despite criticisms of other game elements.
- “The music does not disappoint; it still has its iconic Ace Combat orchestral music.”
- “The soundtrack is the shining gem in this title and really complements the insane action, crazy dogfights, and non-stop fast-paced theme of this game.”
- “The music (especially the dogfight music from the intro level, which evokes old musical cues from the past games) is mind-shatteringly good, the explosions and screeches and sputtering of dying aircraft, all accented by the lovely cacophony of both friendly and enemy radio traffic.”
- “The soundtrack is just unworthy of being paired in any way with the brand name of Ace Combat.”
- “The only pro is the soundtrack, and it still is easily one of Kobayashi's weakest scores.”
- “Initially I wanted to praise the soundtrack but it becomes repetitive fairly quickly, especially that it plays one chosen track during each mission and hearing it over and over again during missions that can last over 30 minutes makes you sick pretty fast.”
grinding
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, with many missions feeling artificially prolonged due to frustrating mechanics and clunky controls. While some initial combat experiences are enjoyable, the later stages often devolve into monotonous tasks that detract from the overall fun, leading to a sense of boredom and frustration. The forced use of specific combat modes and the lack of engaging gameplay mechanics contribute significantly to the perception of grinding as a major drawback.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The duration of the game is artificially lengthened by the ridiculous tediousness of gameplay.”
- “The missions are fun and the storyline is decent; unfortunately, though, as the game progresses through the main story, the missions become more and more tedious and repetitive.”
- “Good graphics and music, gameplay is fun at times (the air-to-air combat) and tedious and frustrating as hell at other times, even on easy difficulty - trust me, the easy difficulty ain't easy at all.”
stability
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
3%
88%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and freezing issues, particularly during critical gameplay moments like dogfights. While some players experienced smooth performance without technical problems, others noted that troubleshooting was often necessary to enjoy the game. Overall, the game appears to be plagued by inconsistent stability, making it a frustrating experience for many users.
- “The game runs great.”
- “I had no glitches and no crashes during the campaign.”
- “The game is not buggy.”
- “The dog fighting feature they added doesn't work half the time, and even though this PC can play Starfield and Doom Eternal on high graphics, this game just can't figure it out and glitches constantly.”
- “It has locked up every time I have tried to play it, usually at the worst time possible (during a dogfight), and when it unfreezes after about 10 seconds, you have normally crashed into the ground.”
- “The 'dogfight mode' is very clunky and glitches out very frequently, making the screen spaz.”
replayability
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited by many reviewers, primarily due to a lack of diverse missions and the absence of multiplayer support. While some players appreciate the customization options and find value in replaying for unlockables, the linear mission structure and unskippable tutorials detract from the overall experience. Despite its engaging storyline and polished gameplay, the consensus is that the game does not offer significant replay value compared to other entries in the series.
- “Thanks to the sets of skills used for modifying your aircraft performance, which you reward by meeting some special and mostly harsh requirements, the game is highly replayable after beating its campaign.”
- “I beat the game in 12 hours, but there's multiplayer and some replayability for plane skins and unlockables.”
- “But if you can look past these rather small flaws, you'll enjoy a fun game with great replay value (and co-op missions).”
- “Great game, not much replayability; customization is cool, unfortunately this is the only Ace Combat on Steam.”
- “The multiplayer is dead, and doesn't have support for offline bots, so replayability is very limited.”
- “The lack of technical depth in each mission offers little to go back to in terms of replay value.”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
50%
29%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag, with some players praising its performance on high-end systems, reporting smooth gameplay at high resolutions and frame rates. However, many users criticize the control schemes, particularly for keyboard and mouse setups, as poorly optimized, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. Additionally, the limited graphic settings and issues with joystick optimization detract from the overall experience for some players.
- “Thanks to the sets of skills used for modifying your aircraft performance, which you reward by meeting some special and mostly harsh requirements, the game is highly replayable after beating its campaign.”
- “Performance-wise, there aren't any jarring issues and it is optimized wonderfully.”
- “Awesome game with great optimization.”
- “Terrible optimization.”
- “On the subject of controls, I strongly advise against using a keyboard and mouse setup, as it proved to be inadequately optimized, causing further frustration during gameplay.”
- “While this game is properly optimized from my experience, the graphic settings menu is a joke; there are only four available options to 'tweak': antialiasing (can only be turned on or off), fullscreen, vsync, and resolution.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
14%
The humor in this game is described as inconsistent, with some players finding it genuinely funny, particularly in the banter between characters and certain cutscenes, while others criticize it as unfunny and lacking the charm of previous franchise entries. Highlights include amusing dialogue and over-the-top scenarios, but many reviewers also point out that the humor is overshadowed by gameplay flaws and a lackluster story. Overall, while there are moments of humor, they are often mixed with frustration regarding the game's mechanics.
- “The cutscenes are fairly funny since I've never seen a guy moan that much, as well as the great voice acting and character models.”
- “All of the banter between the pilots and command was really funny, dramatic, and had actual emotion to it.”
- “And that trinity mega bomb is simply hilarious, much more in multiplayer.”
- “The humor feels forced and falls flat, making the dialogue tedious to listen to.”
- “Most of the jokes are outdated and fail to land, leaving the game feeling dull.”
- “The attempts at humor often come off as cringeworthy rather than entertaining.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Reviews highlight a lack of emotional depth in the game, with many players feeling no attachment to the characters and criticizing the boring storyline. While some appreciated the immersive experience of piloting and dogfighting, others felt it resembled a passive viewing experience rather than an emotionally engaging narrative. Overall, the emotional impact is mixed, with some moments resonating but largely overshadowed by dissatisfaction with character development and storytelling.
- “Seeing these bad reviews about this game is heartbreaking me.”
- “So the storyline annoyed me a little but I gave it a chance at the time, trying to find something to love in this game, along with that, your player character is no longer an enigmatic pilot who you only know the callsign of, and also that he/she only flies jets (the addition of helicopters made me want to cry).”
- “It did not have a touching moment like in mission 27 'Aces' in Ace Combat 5; it was more of an intense action movie that you can't pull away from.”
- “Once you get past the horrible default controls or you plug in your controller, you get a game that has a boring storyline and apparently no online players.”
- “Ace Combat was an okay game with a relatively boring storyline.”
- “- boring storyline.”
monetization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
The monetization aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users criticizing it as a poorly executed cash grab focused on microtransactions and DLC. While some appreciate the absence of in-app purchases, many feel that the game prioritizes profit over quality, leading to disappointment among fans of the series. Overall, the monetization strategy is viewed as exploitative and detrimental to the gaming experience.
- “Basically a mobile game without microtransactions.”
- “It has no limits on anything because there aren't in-app purchases.”
- “With flashy graphics (but not as good as if the game was aimed at PC primarily) married to oversimplistic flight modeling, and a huge focus on microtransactions and DLC, the focus here is 100% on monetization overall.”
- “With flashy graphics (but not as good as if the game was aimed at PC primarily) married to oversimplistic flight modeling, and a huge focus on microtransactions and DLC, the focus here is 100% on monetization over all.”
- “All in all a poorly ported cash grab by the developers; if you're into flying games and have a joypad and a latest spec system, you may have some fun with this.”
- “As a fan of the series, I'm disappointed that Project Aces had to push out a title that was more than likely a cash grab to monopolize on the current trend of modern military shooters, not of their own volition, but by their parent company.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its engaging visuals and unique mission settings, including thrilling dogfights and space missions that enhance the overall experience. While some players find the atmosphere compelling and reminiscent of classic titles, others feel it may not fully satisfy long-time fans of the series. Overall, the combination of intense sound design and varied environments contributes to a captivating battlefield atmosphere.
- “The atmosphere is great, the visuals are good, the dogfighting is jarring, but does a good job predicting what you mean to do (although it looks sloppy at times).”
- “Interesting dogfights and really photogenic, nice storyline, and the outstanding battlefield atmosphere; the noise of missiles launching can accelerate my heartbeats every time.”
- “Measuring this as an action game, I have to say I enjoyed the atmosphere created by this combination.”
- “If you're an avid Ace Combat fan who truly misses and wants the iconic Strangereal elements in terms of story, atmosphere, and gameplay feels from AC1, 2, 3, 04, 5, Zero, X, and 6, then maybe this game isn't for you.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
Overall, the game suffers from a lack of meaningful character development, leaving players feeling disconnected from the characters and their stories. While there are some attempts at character depth, such as a cameo by a fan-favorite, the narrative is criticized for being shallow and formulaic, ultimately detracting from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, some players still find enjoyment in the gameplay itself.
- “As a fan of the series since 2004, I can say this game is good, but not in a traditional Ace Combat type of game. The story is the typical 'Murica always wins, Russia loses' narrative. There is character development to some degree and a cameo appearance by Kei Nagase. Overall, I would give it a 7/10.”
- “There wasn't a strong character development process that went into the game where I never had a real connection with the characters.”
- “Dfm ruins everything, story mode is boring, no character development and conversations between units is also boring.”
- “The story could have been a lot better, but the writers decided to go with the most severely ADD pilot I have ever met and to have no depth with character development.”