Preview: Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Demo Impressions

One of my all time favorite game series will be having its latest installment for release next month - Ace Combat: Assault Horizon. Promising a completely revamped game engine and gameplay mechanics,  does it stand out as a true ace in the flight simulation genre? Check out our impressions after the break!

Just like Tekken, Soul Calibur, and Metal Gear Solid, Ace Combat is one of those games that I grew up with. Though I haven't played the entire series (which I might try to do someday), Ace Combat really is that kind of game where you'll really feel in the zone. The awesome music, sounds of the thrusters, and action packed dog fighting sets AC as the benchmark for me in the action flight sim category. Next month, Namco's Project Aces will be bringing all those back in Assault Horizon. Couple that with an all new game mechanic called Close Range Assault; and for the first time in the series, you'll get to pilot helicopters, bombers, as well as playing the role of a chopper gunner. Here's a breakdown of my impressions so far:

Graphics:

There's definitely improvements made in this department, as the new game engine enables damage rendering unseen so far in any AC game yet. Buildings collapse, and debris fly off as you hit structures with your weaponry. The level of detail on the planes is superb with details like vapor effects as you make High-G turns; planes are highly detailed; and mirage effects made by thrusters make playing AC a pretty compelling experience.  But what seals the deal for this game graphically is the high degree of damage modeling, which is  dubbed as "Steel Carnage". In AC:AH, planes shred to pieces as they are blown apart by missiles and gun fire; oil gushes out of the airframe like blood; and bullet holes on the air frame are now apparent and persistent in the body of the aircraft. Explosions look pretty convincing and as explosions shower you with debris and oil, grime will splatter on your screen (doesn't work in cockpit view though). And as planes blow up, you'll even see their pilots eject.

Steel Carnage at its best

 
Camera work is superb is in this game, as it takes you much much closer to action unlike in earlier AC incarnations. Firing missiles and shooting down enemy aircraft sometimes trigger a some sort of "Steel Carnage" camera, zooming in to the destruction you've just caused. The camera sometimes even zooms in onto your missile as you fire it, following it until it hits your target. But the magic in this game comes from the new game mechanic called "Close Range Assault", which delivers a more cinematic view of the action when chasing down the six (tail) of your target. This is triggered by going into "Dog Fight Mode", which locks your view towards your target. In definitely ramps up the cinematic feel to the game as you see buildings collapse in such a close angle, and as you try to shoot down your enemy, you'll see all the little bits and pieces fly off. The camera angle will vary as you fire different weapons, and as your enemy is destroyed, the camera closes in on your destroyed target, making you witness all that awesome, gory steel carnage.

DFM (Dog Fight Mode) in action

Though, the level of detail in terms of designing the ground map feels like a cheat. It looks really detailed from afar, but as you move closer to the ground, it just looks flat, like it's been ripped off Google maps. Hope to see this improved in the final product.


Gameplay

Again, it's the concept of "Steel Carnage" and "Close Range Assault" which transforms the solid gameplay already established by the AC series, into an entirely innovative approach to action flight sims. They definitely add a new layer of fun to the AC brand.

Being able to play as a chopper pilot is a new addition to the game, bringing you closer to the ground with tight air-to-ground combat. The controls may take some getting used to, but having this new game mode will definitely make this game stand out. There's just one thing I really don't like in Chopper Pilot sequences is that when playing in 3rd Person mode, the chopper blocks your view, that it feels kinda awkward and distracting. Aside from that, choppers can perform a barrel roll to perform an evasive maneuver.  Have you seen choppers perform barrel rolls? Yeah, I thought so too. Though I'm excited to see how the chopper gunner gameplay turns out.

One of the most notable changes in this game is that it no longer uses a health bar. Yeah, it also fell victim to the Gears of War, or Call of Duty regen. Planes now magically regenerate their health after not being shot at for a while. It somehow takes away the challenge of the game, but this is probably to make the game feel easy to pick-up and play, and to easily welcome beginners in the series. I don't know, it just doesn't feel right and realistic.

Sounds

I don't know if it's just me, but the soundtrack of AC games always gave me the chills of awe. They fit so perfectly in the atmosphere of the game that it definitely makes me feel in the zone when playing the game. I hope that they also include the music player feature in the game like in earlier AC games.

As to the sounds of dogfights, the level of detail in the sounds are as superb as its graphical counterpart. Sounds are are so crisp and clear that you'll definitely feel like your up in the air shooting down squadrons of enemy fighters. (How I wish I had an awesome sound setup).


Overall

I'm quite impressed with what I've played so far. The new enhancements made for the game are a welcome change in the series. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is combat flight sim redefined, and I'm definitely excited to pick this one up come Oct. 11, 2011. I really have high hopes for this game, and I hope it still is as fun, or a lot more fun, as previous AC games.

Author's Note: I'm starting to hate games with the initials A.C. (Assassin's Creed, Armored Core and Ace Combat) because I just couldn't resist picking them up and playing them.