Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

• You can kill enemies outside of Dogfight Mode but they will avoid your missiles quite often. Using DFM pretty much guarantees you the kill.

• While the game gives you paths you can activate to attack ground targets, there are only two missions where you have to do this; an ocean mission and a bombing mission. In every other mission you can ignore it and fire normally.

• That first helicopter mission really sucks and should not be interpreted as an indication of the quality of the rest of the game.

• When you're given the opportunity to select aircraft for an upcoming mission, feel free to try any one you want as the differences are (arguably) subtle (seriously, I did a playthrough in which I picked the MiG-21 every time I could and had no trouble at all). If you're having a tough time with a particular mission, look at a plane's weapons rather than its stats; SAAMs in particular are insanely useful.

• Yes, some enemy pilots cannot be shot down outside of DFM. Sometimes this is to convey to the player that the enemy ace is just too darn good to be sniped from afar by a regular missile. Sometimes it's because a scripted event needs to take place (flyover of a pretty landscape, dogfight between skyscrapers, etc.).

• If you find yourself being shot down while in DFM, remember that you can disengage DFM at any time by pressing triangle (on the PS3). This tip is very useful during a certain boss battle.

• Don't make the enemy's job easy for him! Zig-zag, roll, bank, accelerate, brake, climb, dive, etc. The worst thing you can do is fly in a straight line at regular speed.

• Consider switching the default controls from "optimum" to "original." Most players find that switching makes the aircraft easier to handle, but some prefer the default setting ("optimum").

• In ASM (Air Strike Mode), your plane's gun is enhance -- t takes longer to overheat, is more accurate, and does more damage. Use it!