Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

Our analysis

A strong, aggressive entry that revitalizes the flight-combat genre with the new close-range DFM dogfight mechanic, which shows off beautifully modeled planes and breaks up the monotony of long-range missile spam. Mission variety is excellent, spanning fighters, bombers, and inventive set pieces, and the multiplayer offers genuinely fresh modes like Domination and Capital Conquest. The derivative Russian-rebel story and the clunky, overlong helicopter sections hold it back, and forcing DFM-only kills on top aces can frustrate.