Parents' Guide to

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Big on violent blow-up effects but light on gameplay.

Game PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 2011
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 10+

Fell far short of expectations

The game's only bright spots are the scenery. The DFM (dog fighting mode) ruined this game's potential. The 300 missiles you have won't work against Ace pilots. And they send Ace pilots at you. What good are the over 300 missiles I'm carrying if they won't bring down a target? What you must do is get as close as possible to enemy planes from behind and you'll see a blue square light up and "RB and LB" on your enemy's wings (after locking on your targeting with "Y") You must quickly (very quickly) press LB and RB simultaneously to enter "DFM" mode. Then it's basically like an arcade mini-game where it's easy to blast the enemy out of the sky with missiles or your machine gun. But up until then you may pass by the same enemy plane 5 times before you can get the DFM to kick in. As you're coming up from behind they'll go very low to try to get you to crash. Even though you're really close to the surface, they still duck under you. They're so fast they can do a hairpin U- turn under you at 200 feet altitude like they switched instantly into reverse in mid-air with out losing speed. So the game is incredibly monotonous. You chase bogies around trying to get the DFM to light up. It becomes ultra-tiresome. The monotony especially stings because the missions go on for seemingly ever. The aircraft repairs itself while in the air. You're more likely to crash into the ocean while trying to get close to the enemy in this game than be shot down. I loved Ace Combat 6. Compared to that, this game is garbage.
age 16+

A good flight action game

Not the best Ace Combat game, but definitely not the worst. I suggest getting either AC4 or AC5 if you enjoyed this one.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Yes and no. Despite Ace Combat: Assault Horizon's breadth (many modes and aircraft) and high production values, it's short on depth and replayability. Think of it like a Michael Bay popcorn flick. Those who climb into the cockpit will experience some thrilling action, tight controls, and near-photorealistic graphics (including aircraft that are shown being torn apart, scattering debris and spewing fuel). But, the gameplay doesn't quite match the visuals. For example, the "on rails" shooter portions when you serve as door gunner on a Blackhawk helicopter isn't as much fun. Also some missions are quite lengthy, without many checkpoints, so you might find yourself repeating a good chunk of a mission if you die. In short, if you don't expect serious depth from this game, you'll likely enjoy yourself for its good-looking and fast-paced action.

Game Details

  • Platforms: PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Namco Bandai
  • Release date: October 11, 2011
  • Genre: Simulation
  • ESRB rating: T for Alcohol Reference, Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
  • Last updated: October 5, 2021

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate