History VideoGame / AceCombatAssaultHorizon

* AcePilot: Yeah, you should have seen this one coming. Goes especially for Bishop and Markov.
* ActionCommands: Invoked with the new "Close Range Assault" mechanic: when chased by an enemy, pressing both shoulder buttons at the right moment will have the player perform a maneuver with which to turn the tables.

** Yes, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTtX6GF6D3I can do an Aileron roll ("barrel roll").]]

* FistPump: In the final scene, Bishop does a fist pump in front of a cheering crowd upon climbing out of his plane after the FinalBattle. The fact that this action is implemented as a QuickTimeEvent led to a minor MemeticMutation among the fans.

* HammerSpace: True to Ace Combat form, jets come stocked with an enormous plethora of missiles, special weapons, chaff, and fuel.

* InterestingSituationDuel: The final level pits you against Markov in [[spoiler: Washington, D.C., with Markov wielding a Trinity Bomb. All SAM sites are down. All other aircraft are doing their best to keep enemy aircraft from attacking ''you''. ItsPersonal, and ItsUpToYou.]]
* InvadedStatesOfAmerica: The final levels take place amidst a RenegadeRussian attack on [[spoiler:Florida and Washington D.C..]]

* OneWomanWail: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ89B2kxdyw "Mrs. Krista Yoslav"]]. Bonus points are it is sung in Russian, and it plays during the battle against [[spoiler:Akula in a PAK FA]].

* RussianGuySuffersMost: Well, it starts with [[spoiler:Moscow eating a Trinity blast.]] And then we find out what caused Markov's StartOfDarkness...

* ScriptedBattle: Various DFM fights will serve as this, as it's the part of the storyline that a plane crashes through the football stadium's bigscreen, or that a crane gets knocked over. The entire 2nd half of the final mission is this entirely. You'll be sending more than a dozen missiles up [[spoiler: Akula's]] plane, but [[StoryDrivenInvulnerability he'll never actually die until the scripted dialogue is entirely played out.]] Any attempts at ScriptBreaking will result in you failing the mission because it gives him time to carry out his goal.

* InternetBackdraft: Unfortunately the shift from Strangereal to the real world with ''Assault Horizon'' provoked this. Several flavors have cropped up so far:
** [[CulturalCringe Disaffected Americans]] and non-Americans alike frothing at the mouth over ''Assault Horizon's''' announcement trailer, furious that Americans are implied to be the protagonists, especially at the implication that the enemies are Russians (regardless of whether they are [[RenegadeRussian rogues]] [[MakeTheBearAngryAgain or not]]).
** {{Flame War}}s over the announcement trailer depicting an American F-22 shooting down multiple Su-35s (then getting shot down by Akula himself). Much CulturalPosturing and arguing about whether the United States or Russia has the better military followed in the trailer's wake, with inevitable {{Demonization}} [[{{Eagleland}} of Americans]] over TheWarOnTerror mixed in.
** Not to mention the initial reaction to ActionCommands.
* [[spoiler:InvadedStatesOfAmerica]]: The final levels take place amidst a RenegadeRussian attack on [[spoiler:Florida and Washington D.C..]]

* MisplacedNationalism / InternetBackdraft: Unfortunately the shift from Strangereal to the real world with ''Assault Horizon'' provoked this. Several flavors have cropped up so far:
** [[CulturalCringe Disaffected Americans]] and non-Americans alike frothing at the mouth over ''Assault Horizon's''' announcement trailer, furious that Americans are implied to be the protagonists, especially at the implication that the enemies are Russians (regardless of whether they are [[RenegadeRussian rogues]] [[MakeTheBearAngryAgain or not]]).
** {{Flame War}}s over the announcement trailer depicting an American F-22 shooting down multiple Su-35s (then getting shot down by Akula himself). Much CulturalPosturing and arguing about whether the United States or Russia has the better military followed in the trailer's wake, with inevitable {{Demonization}} [[{{Eagleland}} of Americans]] over TheWarOnTerror mixed in.
** Not to mention the initial reaction to ActionCommands.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Yes, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTtX6GF6D3I can do an Aileron roll ("barrel roll").]]
** Real-life aircraft have many damage control systems and back-ups allowing damaged aircraft to continue on their mission despite taking direct hits from ground fire. These measures include things like self-sealing fuel tanks, fire suppression systems, back-up hydraulics, the list goes on. And yet people tend to think that aircraft hit by a missile should go down with just one or two hits despite the stories of modern fighters being able to return to base after receiving horrendous damage - famous examples include the A-10 Thunderbolt II, which is designed to survive sustained ground-to-air fire, and the F-15 Eagle, of which one operated by the Israeli Air Force [[https://theaviationist.com/2014/09/15/f-15-lands-with-one-wing/ managed to return to base with only one wing still intact.]]

* ViolationOfCommonSense: In Dubai, it is possible to engage a DFM on an enemy that will lead you through the arch of the ''Atlantis The Palm'' hotel. Guts calls you out on it.

** Real-life aircraft have many damage control systems and back-ups allowing damaged aircraft to continue on their mission despite taking direct hits from ground fire. These measures include things like self-sealing fuel tanks, fire suppression systems, back-up hydraulics, the list goes on. And yet people tend to think that aircraft hit by a missile should go down with just one or two hits despite the stories of modern fighters being able to return to base after receiving horrendous damage.

* InterestingSituationDuel: The final level, complete with CrowningMusicOfAwesome, pits you against Markov in [[spoiler: Washington, D.C., with Markov wielding a Trinity Bomb. All SAM sites are down. All other aircraft are doing their best to keep enemy aircraft from attacking ''you''. ItsPersonal, and ItsUpToYou.]]

* [[LethalJokeCharacter Lethal Joke Plane]]: The [=MiG=]-21bis. It's an outdated craft from UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar that lacks radar and is used by the rebels in the game and is also a playable aircraft, but thanks to the CRA mechanics of the game, it is possible to take on modern day advanced stealth fighters like the F-22 or the PAK FA and come out on top. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ5RwcjLAwU This video]] has the player playing on [[HarderThanHard Ace]] in the mission Hurricane and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome beating out Su-33s and the PAK FA in the Fishbed]]. Oh, and it also comes with the SAAM missiles, which while not as powerful as the QAAM, are still an effective missile nonetheless.

** One of the game's [[AwesomeMusic best pieces of music]] is titled "[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam White Devil]]".

The twelfth game in the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series, intended as a ContinuityReboot for the series. Like ''VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault'', it is set in the real world. Released on UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 3}} and {{Xbox 360}} in 2011. A PC version (the first one in the series) was released in January 2013.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: Hurricane Alex is reaching the shores of Charleston in the Penultimate mission occurs on January 18th, 2016, and Bishop is forced to fight NRF's remnants flying North to Washington D.C., in the same area as the storm, (there is massive buffeting of your aircraft while flying below or in the clouds, but flying above cloud level, you'll see a clear sunny sky above with no turbulence). While January hurricanes are rare[[note]]most barely even reach Tropical Depression or Storm levels[[/note]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_off-season_Atlantic_hurricanes they have been documented]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_off-season_Pacific_hurricanes throughout the years]].[[note]]The ''real'' Hurriance Alex, did form on January 13th 2016, and lasted until the 17th. However, it only affected Bermuda during the early stages of it's formation, before moving North East, and finally affecting the Azores. Further more it peaked out as a Catagory 1 Hurricane with max wind speeds of 85 mph.]]

* WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief: Hurricane Alex is reaching the shores of Charleston in the Penultimate mission. Flying through the wind and rain and having to fight against it in a fighter jet isn't unbelievable... but the hurricane is happening on January 18th, 2016. Hurricanes just plain don't happen during the winter seasons in the northern hemisphere.

The twelfth game in the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series, intended as a ContinuityReboot for the series. Like ''VideoGame/AceCombatJointAssault'', it is set in the real world. Released on {{PlayStation 3}} and {{Xbox 360}} in 2011. A PC version (the first one in the series) was released in January 2013.

* DreamSequence: What the first level is revealed to be.

* CasualDangerDialogue: "Hey, did any of you guys catch that game yesterday? Was Fitzgibbons really in-bounds when he made that catch?"[[note]]Said while in the middle of a massive dogfight above Miami.[[/note]]

* [[LethalJokeCharacter Lethal Joke Plane]]: The MiG-21bis. It's an outdated craft from UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar that lacks radar and is used by the rebels in the game and is also a playable aircraft, but thanks to the CRA mechanics of the game, it is possible to take on modern day advanced stealth fighters like the F-22 or the PAK FA and come out on top. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ5RwcjLAwU This video]] has the player playing on [[HarderThanHard Ace]] in the mission Hurricane and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome beating out Su-33s and the PAK FA in the Fishbed]]. Oh, and it also comes with the SAAM missiles, which while not as powerful as the QAAM, are still an effective missile nonetheless.

* [[RegionalBonus NTSC/J Bonus]]: The Japanese versions of the game have the option of Japanese voicework. They also get some DLC that is not available in other regions

** American bombers actually have equipment that show them the radar coverage they're coming into, allowing them to minimize the danger of detection. Remember, while a B-1B can out pace a pursuing fighter (it can hug the terrain while holding its Afterburners for much longer then a fighter could), a [=B2A=] is basically a Big Black Doritos chip, and an easy gun kill if spotted.

*** On top of all of the above, the Trinity is only available after shooting down 8 enemy planes (whether AI or player-controlled) without in turn being shot down. Whilst this isn't too challenging in smaller matches with only a small number of pilots on each side (AI pilots are easier to shoot down than players, generally), it's a lot more challenging when the enemy roster is full of actual pilots. Top this off with the fact it only does ~10-15% damage to the enemy HQ makes it impractical to obtain, difficult to deploy, and only really useful for desperation attacks; an A-10 can easily do as much damage with a solid ground-attack pass and quad-AGMs without the risk of friendly fire or self damage.

** The [[CoolPlane Sukhoi PAK FA's]] [=EW1=] Trinity is this trope in ''spades''. Yay, it's a fictionalized variant of the Russian's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_All_Bombs Father Of All Bombs]], and it kills ground targets instantly. Too bad the weapon in question is only good for two missions, and you only have three shots (just one in multiplayer). At least the [[MacrossMissileMassacre ADMM]] can be used in all missions and online even if it was weakened, and you also don't have to worry about your [[FriendlyFireIndex allies]] [[HoistByHisOwnPetard or yourself]] getting killed by it.

* AwesomeButImpractical: The Nosferatu's ADMM weapon is back, but it's taken a little bit of a {{Nerf}}. It takes a little longer for all 12 of it's missiles to target enemies, and there's a good chance enemy planes will deflect them by releasing flares anyway. On the plus side though, it does reload fairly fast.

* BoringButPractical: The special weapons in this game have very little variety beyond your standard assortment of multi-target missiles and bombs. The good majority of fighter planes will have Quick-Aim-Air-Missiles and either a 4 or 6 multi-target missile. Most ground attack types have a 4-target ground missile or precision bomb. Unlike previous games, more exotic weapons like Napalm, Fuel Air Explosive Bombs, Self Forging Fragment Submunitions, and Stand-Off Dispenser, among others, are not present to help destroy your enemies. Just the basic weapons needed to get the job done. One plane does have the Bomblet Dispenser though, and the Nosferature still has it's ADMM and EML. SFFS and SOD are still available, but only for certain multirole strike aircraft.

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The final boss has the ability to fire off 3 [=QAAMs=] at you, even when you're chasing behind him in DFM. If you dodge them, they will immediately turn around to try again, and again after that. If you don't have any flares, all you can hope to do is avoid them until they run out of fuel. Think of how impossibly accurate the [[GameBreaker QAAMs]] were in ''Ace Combat 04'', then crank that UpToEleven.
** You can cheat the cheating computer in that mission, though, just through either exiting and entering Dog-Fight Mode again and again or using an aircraft with [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe ECM]], or if you really want to cheat the computer, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill BOTH]].

It's [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture the year 2015]], and an unusually large rebellion named 'SRN' surges in East Africa. The governments of the region are quickly overwhelmed, and decide to request the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations for help, who in turn call upon NATO. Given the situation, NATO decides to commission the [[BadassCrew 108th Task Force]], an special unit comprised of fighter pilots & military commanders from several nations, including America and Russia. However, things get worse as the rebels are revealed to be in command of a weapon of mass destruction named "[[FantasticNuke Trinity]]". Enter main character and 108th Task Force leader [[ColonelBadass William Bishop]], who sees himself and his friends involved in an escalating conflict over control of Trinity, which quickly spreads from the deserts of East Africa to the entire planet.

* [[OneHundredAndEight 108]]: The player characters are members of the 108th Task Force. Which is probably a ContinuityNod to the [[AceCombat5 Osean 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron]], callsign "Wardog" (Bishop's callsign is "Warwolf").

** American bombers actually have equipment that show them the radar coverage they're coming into, allowing them to minimize the danger of detection. Remember, while a B-1B can out pace a pursuing fighter (it can hug the terrain while holding its Afterburners for much longer then a fighter could), a B2A is Big Black Doritos chip, and an easy gun kill if spotted.

** The [[CoolPlane Sukhoi PAK FA's]] EW1 Trinity is this trope in ''spades''. Yay, it's a fictionalized variant of the Russian's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_All_Bombs Father Of All Bombs]], and it kills ground targets instantly. Too bad the weapon in question is only good for two missions and online, and you only have three shots and one shot respectively. At least the [[MacrossMissileMassacre ADMM]] can be used in all missions and online even if it was weakened, and you also don't have to worry about your [[FriendlyFireIndex allies]] [[HoistByHisOwnPetard or yourself]] getting killed by it.

* BloodierAndGorier: Well...Oilier and...[[BuffySpeak Partsier]]. Also applied to ground combat, which marks ''Assault Horizon'' as the first game of the series to include blood.

* BottomlessMagazines: Main cannon ammo is now unlimited on ALL difficulties, and its use is now governed by an OverHeating mechanic.

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: The final boss has the ability to fire off 3 Quick-Aim-Air-Missiles at you, even when you're chasing behind him in DFM. These aren't just ordinary [=QAAMs=] though, they're straight up ''homing missiles!'' If you dodge them, they will immediately turn around to try again, and again after that. If you don't have any flares, all you can hope to do is avoid them until they run out of fuel. Think of how impossibly accurate the [[GameBreaker QAAMs]] were in ''AceCombat04'', then crank that UpToEleven.

* EasyLogistics: Surprisingly averted. In the final series of missions [[spoiler: in which Russian planes attack the continental US]], while there are a ''lot'' of them, they're also shown using unconventional tactics and supply, like refueling from the under-wing fuel tank of another fighter. It's increasingly obvious that none of them have any real intention of surviving their stated mission, and their tactics are intended to get them ''to'' their target and no further.

* FistPump: In the final scene, [[TheProtagonist William Bishop]] does a fist pump in front of a cheering crowd upon climbing out of his plane after the FinalBattle. The fact that this action is implemented as a QuickTimeEvent led to a minor MemeticMutation among the fans.
* FollowTheLeader: Some fans believe that the change in the game's setting is a result of the creators trying to cash in on the ModernWarfare craze despite the fact that Assault Horizon is not the first Ace Combat game to take place in a modern setting, it's just the first one on the Consoles to do it.

** During the first dogfight, even if you shoot down the enemy before the cinematic action is over, another target will immediately jump into your reticule courtesy of [[WeAreTeamCannonFodder We Are Team Cannon Fodder]]

* [[GuestFighter Guest Fighter Plane]]: Although you have to buy it as DLC, [[AceCombat6 The CFA-44 Nosferatu]] is available to use in free mission and multiplayer online. It has all it's weapon's available from it's own game, but both weapons have had their damage and accuracies toned down so the plane doesn't become a GameBreaker.
** There's also the ASF-X Shinden II, designed by the co-creator of the {{Macross}} series, ShojiKawamori. The first fictional plane in the series designed by an outside source other than Project ACES themselves.

* [[spoiler:InvadedStatesOfAmerica]]: The final levels take place amidst RenegadeRussian attack on [[spoiler:Florida and Washington D.C..]]

* LampshadeHanging: One one of the later missions, an ally wonders where such a huge air force came from [[spoiler: to attack Miami and D.C.]], if they know it wasn't from Cuba. [[FridgeLogic Yeah, where DID they come from? And how'd they get past the Navy and Coast Guard undetected?]]
--> '''Hammer 1:''' "Yo, Ivan. You got an open mike. '''You're broadcasting to the world!''' Kill it."
--> '''[[spoiler: Illich]]:''' You really should change channels more frequently, Colonel. Your encryption protocols stink. ''(Said while speaking on the supposedly encrypted squadron frequency)''
* [[LethalJokeCharacter Lethal Joke Plane]]: The MiG-21bis. It's an outdated UsefulNotes/VietnamWar aircraft that lacks radar and is used by the rebels in the game and is also a playable aircraft, but thanks to the CRA mechanics of the game, it is possible to take on modern day advanced stealth fighters like the F-22 or the PAK FA and come out on top. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ5RwcjLAwU This video]] has the player playing on [[HarderThanHard Ace]] in the mission Hurricane and [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome beating out Su-33s and the PAK FA in the Fishbed]]. Oh, and it also comes with the SAAM missiles, which while not as powerful as the QAAM, is still an effective missile nonetheless.

* MacrossMissileMassacre: Even more blatant in this one than in previous games, because multi-target air-to-air missiles ALWAYS release their full volley even if you only have one target in front of you.

* MadeOfIron: The Bombers are this. They can take upwards of three multishot secondary weapons to kill. Note, each *individual* secondary missile is twice as powerful as a regular one.

* MythologyGag: In multiplayer mode, it's possible to unlock the callsigns and paint schemes for many of the famous AC squadrons, including [[AceCombat2 Scarface]], [[AceCombat04 Mobius]], [[AceCombatZero Galm]], [[AceCombat5 Wardog]], [[AceCombat6 Garuda, Strigon]], [[AceCombatX Gryphus]], and more.
** The trailers occasionally come with Easter eggs alluding to the Ace Combat series of old, the most notable of which is the E3 trailer, which features the [[AceCombat series']] [[RecurringCharacter recurring character]], Kei Nagase.

** In the mission "Home Front", there is a point where you must fire a missile at [[spoiler: Akula]] head-on. After this, a cutscene plays where both planes turn on their sides and do a SlowMotionPassBy within a few feet of colliding with each other. Both aspects (the missile head-on attack and the cutscene's camera work) are identical to the final mission of ''AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar''. Not to mention that immediately before that, [[spoiler:your wingman TakesTheBullet for you and goes down (though Guts survives, unlike PJ)]]. Two missions before, "Launch" bears a resemblance to the penultimate mission of ''Zero,'' "Valley of the Kings," with the player flying through a narrow passage to bomb targets and ending in [[spoiler: an ICBM launch. Unlike the V2 rocket fired by A World With No Boundaries, however, Bishop gets to chase down the ICBM directly.]]
** "Task Force OneHundredAndEight" and the four-man Warwolf Squadron are call-backs to the [[AceCombat5 Osean 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Wardog"]].
** Then there's the mission "Blue on Blue" which is reminiscent of [[AceCombat5 "8492"]].
** The cockpit of the ASF-X Shinden II is the exact same as the X-02 Wyvern.

* [[RegionalBonus NTSC/J Bonus]]: The Japanese versions of the game have the option of Japanese voicework.

* OneWomanWail: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ89B2kxdyw "Mrs. Krista Yoslav"]]. Bonus points are it is sung in Russian, and it plays during the battle against [[spoiler:Akula in PAK FA]].

* PressXToNotDie: This happens at the end of the first mission despite it all being [[AllJustADream just a dream]]

* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Averted. You're part of both the United States Air Force and a NATO task force. This is the first game in the series that doesn't assign point values to targets or requires you to earn money to buy new planes. The planes are given to you before each mission. [[AceCombat04 Mobius 1]], [[AceCombat5 Wardog Squadon]], and [[AceCombat6 Garuda Squadron]] all worked for their governments, and even they still had to buy their own weapons.
* PromotionalPowerlessPieceOfGarbage: The European Limited Edition and Gamestop pre-orders came with a free DLC plane--the F-4E Phantom II, which has a long tradition of being a [[WithThisHerring weak starting plane]] in ''AirCombat'', ''AceCombat2'', ''AceCombat04'', ''AceCombat5'', and ''AceCombatX'' (''AceCombatZero'' only gave it to you mid-way because a major ace piloted it). Yeah, compared to other DLC planes, like the iconic Su-37 and the Nosferatu super-fighter, the collectors' reward was rather lame.

* RegeneratingHealth: First for the series. In a plane that's designed to house hundreds of missiles, only the fanatics are complaining.
** As it turns out, it's very slow regenerating health to boot, and you're generally worn down to dead about as quickly as in the previous games.
*** Then you start playing on the [[HarderThanHard Ace difficulty]]...[[OhCrap in which the regenerative health]] [[ThisIsGonnaSuck has been removed entirely.]]

** Also defines the game/series in general. Firing dozens of missiles per mission? Sure. Unlimited gun ammo? Of course. Constant dogfights between supersonic aircraft...at less than a dozen feet apart? Air battles consisting of over a hundred aircraft, despite that number being larger than most countries' entire air force? Ridiculous G forces have no effect on the pilots? Etc...not that [[TropesAreNotBad this makes for a bad game]], just an unrealistic one.
** Interestingly, the games overall storyline is somewhat plausible and the almost every mission is one you could see occurring in real life... well, except for [[spoiler:the dogfight in the eyewall of a goddamn category-5 HURRICANE!]]

* SuddenlyVoiced: The player is no longer a dedicated [[HeroicMime Silent Protagonist]]

* ShoutOut: One of the game's [[AwesomeMusic best pieces of music]] is titled "[[MobileSuitGundam White Devil]]".

** There's still a few goofs, such as with the uniforms, though really you'd actually have to be IN the Air Force to notice:\\

** One nice little bit of detail is that whenever you're flying a foreign plane (French, Japanese, Russian, etc), the computer will warn you of dangers in it's appropriate language. Even the fictional planes. The Shinden speaks to you in Japanese and the Nosferatu is Russian.
** When launching special weapons, Bishop will call out "Fox One", "Fox Two" or "Fox Three" as appropriate to the weapon's guidance system, again including fictional weapons.
* ATasteOfPower: In the first level, you fly an F-22 Raptor against hordes of Su-35s. And then it turns out to be AllJustADream and you go right back to the starter planes like F-16 and the equivalents.

** This invokes a bit of FridgeBrilliance by realizing that the game takes place on Earth, and therefor the AceCombat video games exist.

** When launching special weapons, Bishop will use either "Fox Two" or "Fox Three" as appropriate to the weapon's guidance system, again including fictional weapons.

* ViolationOfCommonSense: In Dubai, It is possible to engage a DFM on an enemy that will lead you through the arch of the ''Atlantis The Palm'' hotel. Guts calls you out on it.

** It continues to happen irregularly at various points if you fail to press the button to trigger the in-flight cinematic, which it interprets in such ways as failing to notice certain important things like Trinity missiles, thus resulting in mission failure. Don't worry though, the reload point is literally right when the button shows up, and while it's loading, it will actually tell you that pressing X will make you not die and not fail the mission there.