The major new gameplay feature is a system called "Close-Range Assault" (CRA), which aims to increase the intensity and bring the action closer to the player, without the feeling of "shooting at faraway dots" commonly seen in flight games. In the game, it is named "Dogfight Mode" (DFM) for air-to-air battles and "Air Strike Mode" (ASM) for air-to-ground targets.[4] They are not optional, as certain planes cannot be destroyed without CRA. To initiate DFM, the player taps LB+RB on the Xbox 360 and L2+R2 on the PS3 when they have gotten close enough to the plane they are targeting. ASM is initiated by pressing the same buttons at specific points around the map.
Also new to the series are attack helicopter missions, stealth bomber missions, and levels where the player controls a Black Hawk door gunner and an AC-130.
A new multiplayer mode called "Capital Conquest" involves two teams of 8 vs. 8 where each team takes turns either defending or attacking a world capital, such as Paris and Washington, D.C.. In this mode, fighters, attackers, attack helicopters, and bombers can fly together simultaneously. Each type of aircraft will have its advantages and disadvantages, having specific roles in the battlefield.
