Ace Combat: Assault Horizon taking flight Oct. 11

Namco Bandai isn't waiting until next month's Electronic Entertainment Expo to provide front-page updates for some of its biggest upcoming titles. As part of its deluge of announcements today, the publisher confirmed that it will release Ace Combat: Assault Horizon on October 11 in North America and October 14 in Europe.

The first new console installment in Namco Bandai's arcade fighter-jet series since 2007's Xbox 360-exclusive Ace Combat 6, Assault Horizon is being positioned as a "reinvention" of the action shooter genre. The game's single-player mode features a storyline by New York Times best-selling author Jim DeFelice (Leopards Kill, Threat Level Black), offering conflict in real-world locales that range from Dubai to Russia. It also introduces a variety of aircraft to the franchise, such as supersonic jets and attack helicopters.

In both single-player and online multiplayer, players will find effect-heavy graphics, with Namco Bandai giving the example of skyscraper windows that shatter and jets that tear apart. The publisher also said that the development team has introduced a new close-range dogfighting system that emphasizes one-on-one encounters.

For more on Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.