The turbulent "Decisive Battle" further demonstrates Hamamoto's individuality while portraying allies and enemies with its shifting sections. For the game's epic showdowns, "Keep Alive" expands on the choral motif introduced in "Rush" and pumps it up with electronic beats and rock riffs.
The former's flashy guitar solo provides a heroic climax to an otherwise formidable theme, while the heavy electronic distortions of the latter ensure the intensity only increases. Both keep gamers gliding through the skies, while emphasising that much grittier conflicts await them this time around. Used in two key missions in the Middle East, Rio Hamamoto's "Rush" and "Beyond the Canal" are dense and chaotic fusions of all sorts of rock, electronic, and traditional forces. The shift to a modern setting is also marked by the incorporation of contemporary elements. With both tracks, Kobayashi proves once again that he is capable of writing superlative music for the Ace Combat series. Thrashes of an electric guitar occasionally interrupt Emma's vocals to demonstrate the brutality that inspired her desperate cries. "Deja Vu" takes the score to its darkest and deepest place with a breathtaking a capella performance. What a great way to portray the climax of a struggle. Perhaps the highlight of this six minute mammoth is the build-up where the Northwest Sinfonia, Middle Eastern instruments, and vocalist Maya Haddi come together. The rich military melody that eventually emerges is reminiscent of Kobayashi's work on The Unsung War and reinforces that, despite the shift in setting, Assault Horizon is still a story about a desperate humanity. Kobayashi shows his versatility with his authentic oud and nay writing here, while the performances by Israeli Yuval Ron testify to his decades of experience. Inspired by the imagery of a sandstorm, Kobayashi shifted away from his familiar orchestral stylings in favour of dark and rustic Middle Eastern performances. Kobayashi captures the rebirth of Ace Combat in a modern day setting with the opening overture. The complete three disc soundtrack was available with the game's DX Pack in Japan. To ensure the soundtrack was cutting-edge, he introduced experienced composers Rio Hamamoto, Norihiko Hibino, and Jesahm to the series, and collaborated with various ensembles and vocalists from East and West. Keiki Kobayashi returned as music director for the title and combined his thematic military orchestrations with new styles and fusions. The game nevertheless stood out for its immaculate presentation, from graphics to soundtrack.
Whereas such shifts have made the West's biggest shooters even bigger, Ace Combat's reboot alienated as many hardcore fans as it introduced newcomers. The latest instalment of Namco Bandai's enthralling flight action series, Assault Horizon finally took gamers away from its alternate reality setting and into the real world.
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