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Ace Combat: Assault Horizon |OT| We Will Fight The Fight Since You Won't

PjotrStroganov said:
It's one of the worst though.

So which ones are generally considered the best?

My favorite is still AC4, but AC5 and Zero were pretty good too. And of course AC2, which started it all for me.
 

Pooya

Member
I think the game looks worse than AC6 too, image quality and model were better in AC6. I imagine they had to sacrifice somethings to get all the explosions, particles and all the close range combat working smoothly. It's far more entertaining than AC6 though, I like what they have done.

Framerate is not very good though, it drops quite a bit in heavier scenes. I wish it was 60fps :\
 

Auto_aim1

MeisaMcCaffrey
DXPett1 said:
Trust me, you didn't miss much. Probably the worst AC game I have played
What? Ace Combat 6 was a fantastic game. Yeah I know it's your opinion and all, but calling it the worst AC game is just unfair.
 
I think Dog-Fight-mode would be better if it was just an assist mode and not a full lock-on-mode.
As in, you would still kinda have to follow the target with the stick(s) or you will exit the mode again.

Still, you can't argue that it's damn nice in terms of presentation.



So strange that you need to change basically every single control option to make the airplanes work :lol


Kinda liked the helicopter mission actually, I think it was nicely done how you follow the teams on the ground etc. (while doing... barrel rolls and shooting at the same time). Though I think the mission would work with like half the amount of enemies, felt like genocide and where do they all come from anyway!?



Quite disappointed in the graphics though. Shadows are very blocky and is it really possible that the ground looks worse than in the PS2 ACs? I mean really, it can't be that hard to make it look at least tolerable? Put in the streaming tech of Lair, or google maps, or whatever.
I just hope the bombing/land target missions get a different treatment. Looked ok with the helicopter (also some neat lighting imo, at least in the cockpit perspective).

Btw the demo defaults to 1080p mode on the PS3. IQ was not nice, this kind of game needs to look CLEAN...



Still a buy. Flying felt like AC. I expect the game to be more varied to play than the other AC games (due to the helicopters, bombers, dog fight presentation stuff etc.) and even with the "real" world scenario it seems there will be enough crazy stuff :)
 

Kinyou

Member
Kinyou said:
chara5.jpg


302ctb6.jpg



What about the character models?
Again, character models look a lot better; have to agree though that the rest is pretty much worse.
 

DXPett1

Member
Wow my opinion has truly polarized opinions.

Yes it is best to try the game yourself and form your own opinion.

As for Ace Combat 6; it brought little to the series. Uninteresting missions, shithouse story and generally forgettable. Ace Combat X on the otherhand (which came out around the same time) had a great branching mission/storyline element, customisable futuristic jets, decent story and rocking soundtrack. I'd rather cramp up my hands playing X than go through 6 again.

On the flipside 6 no doubt introduced superior visuals & sound as well as hugely increased AI aircraft count.

Back OT, going off the demo I feel the ground/landscape looks much better than 6 but at the cost of textures for the plane models. Story looks intense even if it is a little CODish in nature (too early to be definitive at this point) and I am enjoying the new gameplay that DFM brings. Doing the classic Top Gun maneuver mid battle was epic fun!
 

Coxswain

Member
The Antitype said:
So which ones are generally considered the best?

My favorite is still AC4, but AC5 and Zero were pretty good too. And of course AC2, which started it all for me.
I think AC4 and/or AC5 still set the bar for most people. The Japanese version of AC3 is usually also a favourite to the people fortunate enough to be able to play it.
Apart from those three, I think the series has been remarkably consistent; in my experience, even for the people who greatly prefer AC4 to AC5 or vice versa think that the other one is still pretty damn good, and that AC0, ACX, and AC6* are all more or less in that same ballpark. AC6 is probably the only contentious one in that lot. The between-missions story was pretty offensively bad, and it had a relatively low number of missions and planes, so a lot of people didn't like it, but it also had way bigger missions than any other game which, for a lot of people, sort of made up for at least one of those complaints.

That sort of consistency is to be expected, I guess, when your core gameplay stays mostly unchanged for 10+ years - that's why it's also not surprising that Assault Horizon seems to be really polarizing.
That and the fact that the demo sucked ass for an Ace Combat game.
 

SkylineRKR

Member
AC2 to Zero are all almost equally good. With AC3 Japan version ofcourse, I still own that very stylish 2 disc set. Its cyberpunk vibe was very different, and defecting was cool.

I thought AC6 was kinda shit. My first problem was the 360 pad with its bumper/trigger setup, and the fact the map isn't pressure sensitive. Those sound like nitpicking, but after playing the Ps2 games for 100's of hrs it does become apparent. Framerate was being halved, which sucked as well. Not many missions and planes, and terribad story sequences. Even for AC standards. I almost missed Choppers banter from AC5.

Dance like an angel! Yeah, lets do that...

As for Assault Horizon, the demo left me a better impression than AC6. Although I don't completely agree with the changes, I can appreciate what they're trying here. After so many similar games they bring in a more cinematic gameplay experience and variation in the form of choppers.
 

Atolm

Member
Tried the demo. Probably the first pre-order I cancel thanks to a demo...the chopper mission is just so awful...
 

Auto_aim1

MeisaMcCaffrey
jett said:
30 fails per second.

why namco, why.
Yeah, it's very apparent during the helicopter mission. Very disappointing. At least, the plane mission was 'fun'. Also the cockpit view looks like it's made out of paper lol.
 

Jonsoncao

Banned
AC6 mission 12, facing a whole battalion of enemy fighters gave me chills like the first time diving into the sky of AC4 mission 08 shatter skies.

Hater's gonna hate.
 

Pooya

Member
I beat the helicopter mission just now; 3rd person (the chopper takes 3/4 of the screen) and cockpit views were really useless to me, I could play comfortably only in the first person view and why do a barrel roll when you can shoot the missiles with machine gun so easily?

I think they are ok for changing the pace of the game a bit but I hope there are not many of them in the full game.
 
miladesn said:
I beat the helicopter mission just now; 3rd person (the chopper takes 3/4 of the screen) and cockpit views were really useless to me, I could play comfortably only in the first person view and why do a barrel roll when you can shoot the missiles with machine gun so easily?

I think they are ok for changing the pace of the game a bit but I hope there are not many of them in the full game.

Cocpit view of the chopper is weird anyway. You can aim all the way down without crashing to the ground.
 
Tried the demo on 360 with Hori flight stick Ex (same that came with AC6 in the us but black) and I can confirm it work ^^ (and pretty well at that :))

w9wTZ.jpg


chopper part was boring as hell though... (had nothing to do with the stick)

I'm toying with the idea of importing the jp limited edition that comes with an AC4-5-0 book but too expensive for now, let's hope the game bombs hard in japan and the LE price drops significanlty (if the same as AC6, NTSC-U+J, english dub and text)
 

Tizoc

Member
Just checking but is 'health regenration' gonna be in the game's final build/release?
Or is it possible to ply the game without your 'health' recovering?
 

LQX

Member
Will anyone be making a OT for this? Comes out next week. Thought there would be more fanfare.
 

heringer

Member
So this is basically the Call of Duty of the genre now. Which may or may not be a good thing.

Demo was fun, but there needs to be a balance between regular fighters and leaders. DFM is cool, but I hope it's not the main way to take out baddies. We'll see how that turns out.

Game looks really bad though.
 

Himself

Member
I'm looking forward to what gaf thinks when the full game is released. I'm on the fence and the demo didn't push me either way.
 

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
Ace Combat is coming out next week, followed by Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters on the 18th, followed by Battlefield 3 on the 25th. When it rains it pours, I guess.
 

Kinyou

Member
According to a review is the game only about 5-6 hours. Not that this is really surprising but that confirms that I'll only pick it up at a budget price
 

DenogginizerOS

BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
Anyone picking this up next week? The Scamco DLC announcement at TGS makes paying full price for this hard to justify (and 30 FPS), but it is Ace Combat.
 
DenogginizerOS said:
Anyone picking this up next week? The Scamco DLC announcement at TGS makes paying full price for this hard to justify (and 30 FPS), but it is Ace Combat.

Not anymore, it's Ace Combat: Modern Warfare, 3DS game looks way better.
 

LQX

Member
DenogginizerOS said:
Anyone picking this up next week? The Scamco DLC announcement at TGS makes paying full price for this hard to justify (and 30 FPS), but it is Ace Combat.
YES. I have yet to miss a Ace Combat game. I might make the OT being that no one is though I have no skill for those pretty art.
 

Effect

Member
Kinyou said:
According to a review is the game only about 5-6 hours. Not that this is really surprising but that confirms that I'll only pick it up at a budget price

I've never really had a reason to get GameFly before but this continued practice is pushing me more and more in the direction of signing up for it for a least a few months. Might actually start doing that this weekend. There are a number of games that have come out recently I want to play but I can not justify purchasing them because of their length and I only see that getting worse and worse when it comes to non-RPGs, non-Nintendo and non-Blizzard games. If I get into multiplayer it's going to be a MMO or one or two FPS and that's covered by games I already have.

That or I'll see how much Blockbuster is. I have one in an area I tend to go to at least once a week.
 

SarBear

Member
Seeing as how this is one of my favorite franchises.....all the news I"m taking is is REALLY disappointing.

Ugh, man.
 

DenogginizerOS

BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
I read there are 18 missions. That is 20 minutes per mission. However, if like previous Ace games, there will be new planes to fly to try and improve your score. I am more concerned about the cost and amount of DLC that doesn't come with the $60 package. Unless the multiplayer has longevity, $60 is too much.
 

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
This is the MP mode that looked the most interesting:

Capital Conquest:

Basic Rules

1. Players are divided into 2 teams and attempt to destroy the other team’s HQ within the time limit.

The team that destroys the other team’s HQ first within the time limit wins.

If neither team destroys the HQ within the time limit, the team with the most remaining on their HQ durability gauge wins.

Each HQ is defended by NPC ground objects and is resistant to non-ASM attacks (Attack power is increased when in ASM).

2. Secure TGTs to earn the right to go into ASM (Air Strike Mode) against the opposing HQ.


Destroying all of the TGTs on each map gives players the right to go into ASM.

Once the right has been obtained, an ‘ASM box’ for the enemy HQ will be displayed and the player can enter ASM via that point.

In the initial state, the right to go into ASM is given to the first team to destroy all applicable enemy TGTs.

Once one side gains the right to go into ASM, all enemy units are revived.

The right to go into ASM is transferred when all of the revived TGT enemies are destroyed.

3. Respawning lets you sortie again in a different aircraft, recover from all damage and replenish ammunition.

Players will return to the sortie screen if shot down or if Respawn is selected from the Pause Menu.

Respawning allows players to change aircraft, recover from all damage taken and replenish ammunition for weapons.

Players can respawn from their own HQ or any of their own bases.

4. Capturing respawn bases increases available respawn points.

They must belong to one of the teams, and they change sides if they are destroyed.

In Capital Conquest, the following rules can be set up / adjusted:

  • * Map: Washington D.C., Paris, Moscow, Miami, Tokyo (DLC), Hawaii (DLC)
  • * Time limit: 10min. / 15min. / 20min. / 25min. / 30min.
  • * Players: 4vs4 (one squadron in team) / 8vs8 (two squadrons in team)
  • * Selecting teams: Automatic / Manual (if manual is chosen, the players can choose their squadron)
  • * HQ durability: High / Medium / Low
  • * AI aircraft: ON / OFF (When ON is selected, AI aircraft will be put into play)
  • * Aircraft limitation: (Can limit the aircraft usage of Jet fighter / Multirole / Attacker / Attack helicopter)
  • * Skill usage: With skill / Without skill

Respawning

After being shot or crashing, players have to wait a certain amount of time before respawning as a penalty.

The better the aircraft’s performance, the more penalty time the player incurs.

There is no penalty time if the player selects Respawn in the pause menu.

Respawn in the pause menu is not available if the player’s aircraft is in DFM (Dog Fight Mode) or ASM

Use of Bombers

Once the durability of a team’s HQ falls below 20%, that team can then choose to sortie in bombers (B-1B / B-2).

Once the right to use bombers has been obtained, bombers will be added to the aircraft list when players return to the Respawn Screen.

Bombers are used under the following conditions.
  • * They have no attack power during regular non-ASM flight.
  • * Bombs cannot be used until in ASM flight. Only flares can be used during regular non-ASM flight.
  • * Once in ASM, the MUGB (multi unguided bomb) can be used.

Capital Conquest is the only online mode in which bombers can be used.

How long were the previous AC games? Someone said the longest one in the franchise took 6 hours to beat.
 

ctrayne

Member
Lostconfused said:
I don't think it's possible to make an arcade flight game that's worse than HAWX2. So I'll probably enjoy this one.
I'm curious, not criticizing: what is so awful about HAWX2 versus HAWX1? I have the first one on PC and I haven't played a lot of it yet, but it's fun enough. I watched gameplay from 2 and it looks no different to me. Why do people hate it so much?

SapientWolf said:
How long were the previous AC games? Someone said the longest one in the franchise took 6 hours to beat.
Yeah, the games aren't exactly long, but they have replay value. 5-6 hour campaign seems in line with the rest of the series. ITT: over-reactions. Assault Horizon looks fun. :) Also, let's be honest - half the reason people love AC is because of the music, on Assault Horizon is no different.
 
ctrayne said:
I'm curious, not criticizing: what is so awful about HAWX2 versus HAWX1? I have the first one on PC and I haven't played a lot of it yet, but it's fun enough. I watched gameplay from 2 and it looks no different to me. Why do people hate it so much?
HAWX one is a passible Ace Combat clone. HAWX 2 is a terrible game. You don't get to pick planes for your missions, you get a specific one for that mission. They include shitty missions where you pilot a UVA, dumb and annoying. There is an AC-130 mission where guess what you do in a flight game? Not fly the plane, its the same rail shooting section you got in Modern Warfare. Enemy fighters can constantly spam flares so to force you to use the guns to take them out just because game designers thought it was a good idea. Missiles will appear and track you out of nowhere at set intervals even if there are no other planes or ground targets, or at least that it wouldn't be possible for other planes to attack you. I think their flight model might be kind of screwed up as well and the enemy planes rubber band and pull of maneuvers that might not be realisticly possible.

Sorry for the word spam. I haven't bothered to organize my thoughts on the game other than that I hate it. I paid $20 for it on steam and after 3 or 4 hours uninstalled it and never looked back.

Edit: Also thanks to SapientWolf for linking the MP info. Structured objective MP is way more fun for games like this. Instead of dumb nonsense death match. That's why I never play DM in Space Marine.
 

ctrayne

Member
^ Thanks for the info on HAWX 2, sounds terrible. Too bad, I am enjoying HAWX well enough for what it is. Nothing special (no AC5 for sure) but fun.
 
ctrayne said:
^ Thanks for the info on HAWX 2, sounds terrible. Too bad, I am enjoying HAWX well enough for what it is. Nothing special (no AC5 for sure) but fun.
Hey I liked HAWX too. HAWX2 made me forget how fun the first game was. Later I had to fire it up for one reason on another and I played the first mission for fifteen minutes and had way more fun than I did at any point in time when playing HAWX2.
 
Still day 1 for me. If I love the campaign I'll play it again, if it's as fun as the demo I'll enjoy playing it to completion. I'd rather not have tedious, me-too missions.
 

ElyrionX

Member
Didn't even know a demo was released for this.

Reading through this thread tells me that Scamco remains as shitty as ever.

Such a pity. Ace Combat was one of my favourite franchises on the PS2.
 
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