Namco Bandai's latest instalment in the dog-fighting franchise, Ace Combat Assault Horizon, includes a total of 31 aircraft for players to use. Over three previews, we've been able to take a good look at 15 of these. The first preview saw screenshots for the F-117A Nighthawk, F-22A, F-35B Lightning II and the PAK-FA. These were followed by screenshots of the MiG-21 bis, MiG-29A Fulcrum, Su-34 Fullback and Su-47 Berkut. The last preview gave us screenshots for the AC-130U Spooky, AH-64D Apache Longbow, B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, MH-60 Blackhawk and Mi-24 Hind. The F-4E Phantom II got both a trailer and screenshots when it was confirmed as the bonus aircraft in the Limited Edition.
Here are the screenshots for the latest five aircraft:
A-10A Thunderbolt II - Attack plane
An attack aircraft with heavy armor that provides close-range ground support with overwhelming firepower and durability. Well supplied with weaponry such as a 30 mm heavy machine gun and multiple lock-on ground missiles, it possesses outstanding ground attack capabilities. Very stable at slow speeds, its specialty is precision ground strafing for a long period of time during an attack approach. Known as the "Thunderbolt," its notable features include unswept wings that generate plenty of lift at slow speeds, the high placement of its engine which makes it resistant to counterattacks from the ground, and its reinforced armor plating.
F-14D Super Tomcat - Fighter plane
A large, variable wing, carrier-based fighter that symbolizes aircraft carrier transported planes. It combines stability with maneuverability regardless of velocity thanks to its digitally controlled variable sweep wings and surpassing speed performance. The "Super Tomcat" also boasts of long-range counterattack capability that can defeat a large number of incoming enemy fighters.
F-15C Eagle - Fighter plane
An all-weather, large scale fighter. Boasting a phenomenal maximum speed even among fighters, it has an abundance of ordnance loaded on board. Named the "Eagle", it has such a high level of stability performance that it holds the record for recovering after losing a wing in battle.
F-16C Fighting Falcon - Fighter plane
A tractable, lightweight fighter with well-balanced maneuverability and stability. It has an exceptionally light weight and aerodynamic blended wing body, and though a single-engine plane, it is equipped with a powerful engine. Called the "Fighting Falcon," its relatively low cost and high power are the reason it has been adopted by air forces all over the world. To date, more than 4,000 of this best-selling model have been manufactured.
Su-35 Flanker-E - Fighter plane
The successor to the Su-27, a master aircraft that boasts menacing turning performance. A "Flanker" series aircraft possessing top class air battle fighting ability and equipped with an independent, two-dimensional thrust deflection nozzle. The NATO codename for it is "Flanker-E." An all-purpose machine that can handle battles not only over short distances, but long distances as well.
Those of you wanting gameplay footage may want to check out this video highlighting the Capital Conquest mode.
Ace Combat Assault Horizon is due to be released on October 11th in North America, October 13th in Australia and Japan, and October 14th in Europe. Check out the details of the Limited Edition. The UK pre-order bonuses can be found here. The F-4E Phantom is the pre-order bonus at select North American retailers, but pre-order bonuses for other regions are yet to be confirmed.