Intense Ace Combat: Assault Horizon trailer BRINGS THE ROCK

As we explained in ourrecent preview, the latest Ace Combat is a modern-era departure from the series' fictional, melodramatic roots. Where there was once a made-up army fighting in a made-up country, there's now a battle taking place over a besieged African city. Real-world locations, helicopters and close-quarters combat highlight the game's many new points, but this trailer emphasizes the gritty, darker tone of Assault Horizon, which roughly translates to "make it look like Modern Warfare" and soak that sucker in guitars!

I'm an absurdly huge fan of Ace Combat, but acknowledge the series is in need of a fresh take. While this approach does seem overly influencedby Call of Duty, and tries distressingly hard to make Ace Combat seem rough and tough, it IS certainly more energetic and exciting than trailers for prior Ace Combat games.

Above: But it's no Puddle of Mudd, as heard in Ace Combat 5

For a good sense of where the franchise has come from, check thisretrospective from 2007, which posted just before the last console Ace Combat launched.

March 2, 2011