Ace Combat Assault Horizon

Namco Bandai has released a new trailer for its upcoming reboot of the Ace Combat series, which showcases the series' shift towards close-range combat and introduces the antagonist of the game, Andres "The Shark" Markov.

The first thing you'll probably notice in the video below is that Markov looks a surprisingly lot like GTA IV's Niko Bellic, but you'll quickly forget the resemblance when jets start flying between skyscrapers and exploding into tiny pieces. The action isn't just for show: Assault Horizon will focus more on close-quarter combat than previous installments, and Namco Bandai is touting the game's beefier destruction engine. The storyline is also getting a boost, thanks to a script penned by Jim DeFelice, a New York Times bestselling military author.

Namco Bandai has yet to detail Assault Horizon's online component or name a player count, but is promising a fresh take on multiplayer as well. That's not exactly a whole lot to go on, but the greater emphasis on close-range combat should make online matches more exciting than previous Ace Combat titles.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon will release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 11. Now take a look at that trailer.