Ever since the release of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, I have been hoping for a game that went back to what made the series a classic. Immersive stories that put you in the cockpit as the hero, varying loadouts and planes to suit different situations and nothing that comes between you and the flow of the game, like dog fight mode. Luckily my prayers have been answered in the form of Ace Combat Infinity. Do not be put off with the free to play stamp as this is a true return to classic AC action. But, can the game stand up to some of the legendary titles from the series past? It’s time to enter our cockpits and find out.
The first big kicker to fans that have been enjoying Assault Horizon on the Xbox 360 is that this game is a PS3 exclusive. Sorry Xbox fans, maybe we can see it coming to you in the near future. With this also being a PS3 exclusive, this leaves a possibility of it also porting over to the PS4 and have cross-platform play between both consoles. The demo sadly did not show or reveal any of the Free To Play plans such as what players could purchase. It would make sense to have different paint jobs and maybe buying planes early. Just hope we don’t have to spend money for stronger missiles, that’s when we hit Pay to Win country.
There were two mission available in the demo, one of them being a classic mission from one of the previous Ace Combat games, Stonehenge. This means that there will be classic missions returning as well as new missions being created. Now what can I say about the gameplay, it is exactly what Ace Combat is supposed to feel like. The game has no dog fight mode and no dynamic kill cam anymore, taking a step back to the original AC games. This is not a hindrance however as the games feel more smooth and returns to the classic flow of the original Ace Combat games.
The Stonehenge objective was really simple, destroy the gun turrets in a certain amount of time. During this mission you will find yourself under fire from AA cannons as well as enemy planes flying around the dish like arena. This is where you get to put to full use your arsenal of weapons and tricks. Concentrate fire on your targets using the machine guns and add, in case one of your targets tries to get away, why not shoot a missile for good measure. If you find yourself coming under fire from enemies, then you can use the shoulder buttons on the controller to help commit to hard turns and flips. With no fancy cinematic cameras and no dog fight mode, the game requires you to use all of your skills using all of the buttons available, rather than just a few easy button combos.
An interesting idea to keep in mind with Infinity is that there is a lot of room for innovation. First, think of co-op play with your friends. With a free to play model you can combine single player missions along with cooperative missions to add a lot more difficulty and challenge to the game. You can coordinate your attacks and choices of planes with your friends as you go and fight. Secondly, think of competitive play. Remember in Ace Combat 4 where in the last mission you had to face off against the team of Yellows? Now imagine that scenario with every individual plane a player controlled plane. That would be incredible to experience and is an opportunity worth undertaking.
Everything from controls to combat itself feels like a nostalgia trip and the game is promising to become a must get to any and all Ace Combat players. If you are new to the series then this is a great opportunity to get involved as it recalls some of the greatest moments in AC history. Don’t miss out on this free to play game with a lot of untapped potential.
So what are your thoughts on Ace Combat Infinity? Will you be ready to get back into the cockpit? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.
