History VideoGame / AceCombatAssaultHorizon

* 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 [[GameBreaker how impossibly accurate they were]] in ''Ace Combat 04'', then crank that UpToEleven.

* 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, giving you an achievement along the way. Guts calls you out on it.

** This invokes a bit of FridgeBrilliance by realizing that the game takes place on Earth, and therefore the earlier ''Ace Combat'' video games exist in-universe.

-->''[[BreakingTheFourthWall Hey! This isn't Ace Combat!]]''

** American bombers do 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 outpace a pursuing fighter (it can hug the terrain while holding its afterburners for much longer than a fighter could), a B-2A is basically a big black Dorito chip with the maneuverability you'd expect - that is, none at all - and an easy gun kill if spotted. The RealityEnsues weaknesses of the B-2 Spirit bomber actually make the B-1 Lancer a better choice for the mission in which it is available, since [[spoiler:detection is unavoidable]].

* RidiculouslyPotentExplosive: Trinity is way more potent than any non-nuclear bomb small enough to be carried by an SU-35 has any right to be. A small nod to realism is given in how Trinity seems to be extremely unstable compared to other military-grade explosives, but it is still way beyond what conventional explosives can do. For comparison, the largest bomb the Su-35 is known to be able to carry weighs 1,500kg. The largest conventional bomb, the Father Of All Bombs, weighs 7,000kg, needs a bomber to deliver, and has a yield of 44 tonnes of TNT. It will ruin the day of anyone caught in the blast, but is no city killer the way Trinity is supposed to be.

* RidiculouslyPotentExplosive: Trinity is way more potent than any non-nuclear bomb small enough to be carried by an SU-35 has any right to be. A small nod to realism is given in how Trinity seems to be extremely unstable compared to other military-grade explosives, but it is still way beyond what conventional explosives can do.

* RidiculouslyPowerfulExplosive: Trinity is way more potent than any non-nuclear bomb small enough to be carried by an SU-35 has any right to be. A small nod to realism is given in how Trinity seems to be extremely unstable compared to other military-grade explosives, but it is still way beyond what conventional explosives can do.

** "Task Force OneHundredAndEight" and the four-man Warwolf Squadron are call-backs to the Osean 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron "Wardog".

* OneHundredAndEight: The player characters are members of the 108th Task Force. Which is probably a ContinuityNod to the [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar Osean 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron]], callsign "Wardog" (Bishop's callsign is "Warwolf").

** Happens to [[spoiler: Colonel Bishop]] after [[spoiler: he bails out after his aircraft gets too horribly damaged... and while safely (relatively) drifting back towards the ground he gets it... courtesy of [[TheRival Markov's]] aircraft's speared nose, [[BlackScreenOfDeath cutting to black]] '''right''' when he gets it, '''ouch.''']]
[[spoiler: Fortunately, it turns out to be [[AllJustADream a nightmare]] he was enduring and wakes up sweating and panting heavily.]]

[[spoiler: Fortunately, it turns out to be [[AllJustADream a nightmare]] he was enduring and wakes up sweaty and panting heavily.]]

** Happens to [[spoiler: Colonel Bishop]] after [[spoiler: he bails out after his aircraft gets too horribly damaged... and while drifting back towards the ground he gets it... courtesy of [[TheRival Markov's]] aircraft's speared nose, [[BlackScreenOfDeath cutting to black]] '''right''' when he gets it, '''ouch.''']]

** Happens to [[spoiler: Colonel Bishop]] after [[spoiler: he bails out after his aircraft gets too horribly damaged... and while drifting back towards the ground he gets it... courtesy of [[TheRival Markov's]] aircraft's speared nose, '''ouch.''']]

* SuddenlyVoiced: The player is no longer a dedicated [[HeroicMime Silent Protagonist]]. The two playable Blackhawk gunners are the only playable characters who don't speak.

** 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 than a fighter could), a B-2A is basically a Big Black Doritos chip, and an easy gun kill if spotted. The RealityEnsues weaknesses of the B-2 Spirit bomber actually make the B-1 Lancer a better choice for the mission in which it is available, since [[spoiler: detection is unavoidable]].

* AmericaSavesTheDay: While the playable characters are Americans, 108th Task Force is quite clearly a multinational NATO unit; a French general is in charge of the task force, allied pilots from many other nations often participate in the same missions, and you can still fly planes from other countries.
** [[spoiler:The Russian loyalists also shoulder quite a bit of the burden on the ground when the time comes to take back Moscow.]]

* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: A standard for the series: no pilot is rated to fly as many planes as can be flown in the game, much less to be incredibly proficient with all of them[[note]]The cockpit layout for every single plane designed is, as shown accurately in the game, ''very different'' from any other airplane cockpit, and proficiency requires ''at least'' knowing where all the different switches and dials are at a moment's notice. And that doesn't begin to describe the different HUD layouts, the handling characteristics, or the weapon systems[[/note]]. The game ''does'' take a step in the right direction by having other pilots fly other types of aircraft (specifically helicopters and dedicated bombers), however.
* 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 its 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.

* 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.

* CoolPlane: "He's even got a shark's mouth on the nose of his plane!!"

* FollowTheLeader: Some fans believe that the change in the game's setting is a result of the creators trying to cash in on the ''VideoGame/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.

* ForcedTutorial: Enemies in the tutorial level are practically invulnerable until they reach an area where effects or cut-scenes can be shown off.

* [[GuestFighter Guest Fighter Plane]]: Although you have to buy it as DLC, the CFA-44 Nosferatu from ''Ace Combat 6'' 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, Creator/ShojiKawamori. The first fictional plane in the series designed by an outside source other than Project ACES themselves.

* InfinityPlusOneSword: The Quick-maneuver Air-to-Air Missile (QAAM) is capable of fast lock-ons from ''any aspect''[[note]]meaning you can shoot it at enemies behind you, as long as you have a lock-on from when they were in front of you[[/note]], has a range about on par with your standard missiles, and gets even more devastating in CRM. The only downside is that it generally can't shoot down a plane in one shot, requiring two missiles for most targets.

* IntentionalEngrishForFunny: [[http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/Gotta_Stay_Fly Gotta stay fly! Gotta stay strong! Ace ready! All day long!]]
** Fly is actually an outdated slang for "sharp", which is entirely appropriate. "Ace ready", however, is just bizarre.
* 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]].

** 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."\\

* [[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. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ5RwcjLAwU This video]] has the player playing on [[HarderThanHard Ace]] in the mission Hurricane and 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.

* 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.

* MildlyMilitary: For all the accuracies present in the game, Guttierez ''insists'' on address Bishop ''as'' "Bishop" or "Colonel" in their in-flight communications. While not technically wrong, it is a huge breach of protocol: a pilot in flight is address by his or her callsign, and while Bishop calls Guttierez "Guts" all the time, Guts almost never returns the favor by calling Bishop "Warwolf".

* MsFanservice: In multiple senses of the word, Assault Horizon marks the return of none other than Kei Nagase, as well as HotterAndSexier artwork for her.
** But that's it. Other than the cameo mentioned below, she's not actually in the game. Just the pre-release blog.

* MythologyGag: In multiplayer mode, it's possible to unlock the callsigns and paint schemes for many of the famous AC squadrons, including [[VideoGame/AceCombat2 Scarface]], [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies Mobius]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar Galm]], [[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar Wardog]], [[VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation Garuda, Strigon]], [[VideoGame/AceCombatXSkiesOfDeception Gryphus]], and more.

* NoIAmBehindYou: Carried out via {{Action Command|s}} to initiate a Counter-Maneuver when someone is tailing you.
** And awesomely subverted by the Counter-Counter-Maneuver if you are ''that'' much faster, giving you the opportunity to ''obliterate'' the target with guns mid-maneuver.

* [[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.
* NuclearWeaponsTaboo: Trinity is, for all intents and purposes, a tactical nuke, yet the game carefully avoids calling it such and the topic of nuclear fallout is never brought up.
** Which would indicate that it's not nuclear, just a conventional explosive with a similar blast radius.
** The fact that a Trinity missile causes a mushroom cloud[[note]]even though [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom_cloud any sufficiently large explosion will create a mushroom cloud]][[/note]], and a single one is capable of leveling half of a city, instantly causes people to jump to the nuclear conclusion. Trinity is more accurately described as a nuke without the radiation or EMP wave. The story writer for the game claims on his website that such a weapon is the subject of intense research in real-life militaries.
** It's also named ''Trinity.'' The same name as the first nuclear bomb ever detonated.

* PointDefenseless: Averted in one mission where you must destroy a number of naval vessels. The larger ships, such as cruisers and carriers, will shoot down your missiles with [[MoreDakka lots and lots]] [[GatlingGood of Gatling guns]]. The only way to get past this defense is to coordinate with your flightmates and shoot [[MacrossMissileMassacre tons of missiles at the ships]].
** Also averted in the missions where you play as "D-Ray", the Apache helicopter pilot: you can shoot down infantry-launched SAMs and Hind rockets.
* PressXToNotDie: This happens at the end of the first mission despite it all being [[AllJustADream just a dream]].

* 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 tropic weather systems in January don't even make it to the tropical depression or tropical storm strength[[/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.[[/note]]
* RegeneratingHealth: First for the series. In a plane that's designed to house [[BottomlessMagazines hundreds of missiles and unlimited 20mm's]], 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.]]

* RuleOfCool: WordOfGod pretty much confirms that this was the reasoning behind the new "Close Range Assault" and "Steel Carnage" mechanics in ''Assault Horizon''.

** 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 forces? Ridiculous G forces have no effect on the pilots? Etc...

* RussianGuySuffersMost: Well, it starts with [[spoiler:Moscow eating a Trinity blast]]. And then we find out what caused Markov's StartOfDarkness...
** Also, beautifully subverted in mission 03: it seems that the rebels have treated captured Major Illich really badly [[spoiler:but it is later revealed that he was a traitor all along and got himself captured on purpose, not expecting the Americans to free him. When they do, he has to pretend that he was mistreated. Of course, you don't learn that until much later]].
* SuddenlyVoiced: The player is no longer a dedicated [[HeroicMime Silent Protagonist]].
** However, the two playable Blackhawk gunners are the only playable characters who don't speak.
* 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.
** For added frustration, the game never tells you when it's doing this, leaving the player guessing as to when he's supposed to actually shoot the enemy and cursing at enemies that ''just won't die'' no matter how many times they're hit.

** The first two helicopter missions unabashedly give off ''[[Film/BlackHawkDown Black Hawk Down]]'' vibes. As a matter of fact, an NPC Blackhawk gets downed in almost the exact same way as Super 61. [[note]]In the movie, Super 61 takes a direct hit to the tail rotor by an RPG. Nomad 62, the NPC Blackhawk, goes down in much the same way. [[/note]]

** Namco Bandai has done some serious work to make the game realistic: for example, early media featured Bishop sporting a beard, which was later removed (as the USAF does not allow facial hair.) Also of note is how each US aircraft sports tail codes from real life air force bases (ie. the F-22A Raptor has Langley AFB markings.)

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Forgetting to switch your special weapons to regular missiles will result in shooting four Advanced Long-ranged Air-to-Air Missiles at a single target, when any standard single missile would have done nicely.

** The story writer for Assault Horizon, Jim [=DeFelice=], outright admits on his blog that the only reason for having a mission set in Dubai was because the city has a lot of cool buildings to fly through.
** 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 forces? Ridiculous G forces have no effect on the pilots? Etc...not that [[TropesAreNotBad this makes for a bad game]], just an unrealistic one.

* BottomlessMagazines: In one of two aspects carried over from ''[[Anime/TheSkyCrawlers The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces]], main cannon ammo is unlimited on all difficulties, and its use is instead governed by an OverHeating mechanic.

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

* 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?]][[note]]Based on the point of attack, and the tactics being used, it's reasonable to assume that the force launched from somewhere in northeastern Africa, and then used the unconventional midair refueling described under EasyLogistics to launch their attack...which then brings up the question of how they have ''any weapons''.[[/note]]

* 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?]]

** 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 than a fighter could), a B-2A is basically a Big Black Doritos chip, and an easy gun kill if spotted.