Ryan Scott, Executive Editor: How does the new Ace Combat look? This is a series that I've always looked at with passing interest, but never actually picked up.
Will Tuttle, Editor in Chief: I'm with you. I definitely find something appealing about flying games, but -- outside of Crimson Skies -- I was never really able to fully give myself over to them. It's definitely too early to say if Ace Combat: Assault Horizon will be the one to turn that around, but it looks promising so far. The biggest reason for this is the fact that, for the first time in the series' storied history, the game actually features a complete, start-to-finish story mode. I'm a sucker for a good military story (my collection of Tom Clancy novels is testament to that), so I'm hopeful Namco Bandai delivers the goods.
Ryan Scott: So is this a big caricature of Top Gun? What goes on in this game?
Will Tuttle: I believe it's more like Iron Eagle than Top Gun, although I can't deny that it's going to take players into the Danger Zone in a big way!
Seriously though, the actual story hasn't been revealed, but it sounds like a rogue Russian fighter pilot (named Col. Markov, whose nickname is "The Shark") is leading his squadron on attacks against American forces around the globe to stir up trouble. While this basically makes it sound like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in the skies, it's notable because the Ace Combat series always took place in made-up locations. Now, you'll engage in dogfights over cities like Miami and countries like Dubai, so hopefully that means some real-world political intrigue to keep the story grounded (pun intended). Said story is being penned by New York Times bestselling author (so I assume that means he's pretty good at what he does) Jim DeFelice, which is good reason to be hopeful about this new direction.
Ryan Scott: What's the actual game like? Do you fly some F-17s, or whatever the cool jets are called?
Will Tuttle: Well, it's definitely still a flying game, if that's what you're asking. You'll still spend most of your time dogfighting and barrel-rolling through the skies, although the developers played up few new features. One of these is referred to as "steel carnage destruction," which means that you have to deal with falling debris after you blow up an enemy plane, (I'm not totally sure if that's just a cosmetic thing or if it actually damages your plane). During the trailer, I saw some crazy air battles that occasionally dipped in-between Miami's skyscrapers, blowing chunks off of the buildings in the process. The development team is also striving to focus on close-range dogfights, as you actually need to engage the opposing squadron's ace if you want any chance of shooting them down. No more launching a barrage of rockets in their general direction and hoping for the best. Oh, and you won't just be flying planes...
Ryan Scott: Flying DeLoreans? Dragons? A TARDIS?
Will Tuttle: Man, I wish! While all of those would definitely be awesome (dragons versus jet fighters is a million-dollar idea), this Ace Combat is grounded in reality. However, while previous games in the series only featured standard planes, Assault Horizon flips the proverbial script by letting you control a much wider range of aircraft, including Apache helicopters and B-2 bombers. In some missions, you man a chopper's gunner seat, which I assume briefly turns the game into an on-rails shooter. I had the chance to play one of the helicopter missions and actually found that I enjoyed it more than I did the air combat missions. I was tasked with clearing out a village in the desert country of Dubai, and the attack chopper controls were precise and surprisingly easy to master. In a matter of minutes, I was circle-strafing SAM units while pummeling them with rockets and taking down RPG-brandishing rooftop enemies with my chain gun. I don't know about the hardcore Ace Combat fans out there, but I'm glad to see some variety this time out.
Ryan Scott: Did you get to see any multiplayer stuff?
Will Tuttle: Nope, they weren't talking about Assault Horizon's multiplayer at all, but I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that it'll have a number of different game modes. Previous entries have had solo and team battles, as well as a handful of objective-based game types, something I'm all about. I believe Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation had an attack-and-defend mode, something I really hope makes a return in this one. I think it would be really cool if the development team could figure out some way to do a variation on King of the Hill or VIP, as I love the idea of a team trying to protect either its turf or its leader. If Namco can really pull me in with a good story, they'll be able to keep me with some awesome multiplayer action.