Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

In Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, players step into the shoes of a fighter pilot known by the propaganda-laden title "Wings of Theve". Alongside their comrades in the elite Joker Squadron, they must fight to reclaim their homeland after the Federation of Central Usea (FCU) was seized by the Republic of Sotoa. Much of the nation has been occupied, the military has been scattered, and the Endurance, an aircraft carrier, is just one fragment of what remains. Players fight alongside allied pilots Baxter, Tasha and Coster to liberate the occupied land.

The story is experienced from inside the cockpit, though players can also move around the aircraft carrier in first-person view, which greatly enhances the sense of immersion, despite the fact that the protagonist is silent. As is typical of the series, much of the lore and immediate drama is conveyed through constant radio chatter, and the reactions of the enemies can be heard there, too.

The story itself is a personal war drama with anime influences that interweaves touching, almost kitsch team-building moments with the crew on the ship with a dark, seemingly hopeless war tragedy involving technological superiority, personal loss, propaganda and heroism. The characters are highly stereotypical: the philosophical mentor, the hot-headed stunt pilot, and the nerdy tactician, for example. Nevertheless, this combination is very effective and ties the missions together, even if it is often difficult to follow all the radio chatter (in Japanese or English) during missions because so much is going on.

Speaking of action! The heart of the game remains the high-octane aerial action. Before each mission, players select and customise their high-tech jets, some of which are modelled on real-life aircraft and others of which are futuristic, via a tech tree. The missions are well diversified. As well as phenomenally gripping dogfights with enemies, sometimes set against an absurdly beautiful backdrop of clouds, there are also epic battles against huge land cruisers and totally over-the-top super-war machines that could only have sprung from Japanese anime.

Other missions require precise and rapid manoeuvring in confined spaces, and sometimes battles occur on multiple fronts simultaneously, creating a chaotic atmosphere. The hit feedback is intense, and the variety of missions is truly exemplary for an action-oriented aerial combat game. In places, the battles in locations such as the Space Lift really stick in the memory. The campaign is longer and more varied, especially compared to the previous game. Incidentally, during missions, players can once again issue basic commands to their wingmen and customise their aircraft (though unfortunately not their weapons).

The game can be controlled using either a simpler version, which makes it easier to change direction, or an advanced variant, which gives players more control and precision over their manoeuvres thanks to full 3D axis control. It isn't your typical arcade-style action: the aircraft retain a fair amount of momentum. This 'simcade' approach to flight physics feels weighty and realistic, yet, unlike pure simulations, it also allows for spectacular stunts. Technically, the game is a feast for the eyes. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5 and proprietary technologies, it features richly detailed environments and dynamic weather that influences gameplay. The highlight, however, is the cloudscapes, which look absolutely stunning and directly influence gameplay by blocking visibility. The soundscape is equally impressive.

The online multiplayer mode is the most ambitious in the series to date, supporting cross-platform play. Players can create and customise their own pilot before entering the airbase lobby, which can accommodate up to 100 players. They can then take part in co-op assaults and warfare, time-limited missions, and competitive PvP events, whilst progressing through the dedicated online reward system. They can also take part in training activities and dive into familiar arcade titles, unlocking additional content as they do so.

However, native HOTAS support is limited and is almost exclusively restricted to licensed Thrustmaster devices. This has drawn criticism from the HOTAS user community, but the first mods enabling the relevant control options are already available on PC.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is the first main instalment in the Ace Combat series in seven years, following Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. It was developed by Bandai Namco Aces or Project Aces. While the game does stick to tried-and-tested formulae, it does so in an extremely polished and impressive manner. It's no surprise that the game has virtually no competition in the 'Simcade' flight game segment, and that Project Aces caters perfectly to this niche. The rise in popularity is clearly illustrated by the concurrent user figures on Steam: while the previous game reached a peak of 13,758 concurrent users in 2019, Ace Combat 8 reached 52,694 on its launch weekend.

The publisher is Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, which develops and publishes entertainment content for a range of platforms, including all major video game consoles and PCs. The company creates intellectual property for a global audience, including the Little Nightmares series. Based in Lyon, France, Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe is renowned for bringing leading entertainment industry brands such as Pac-Man, Gundam, Tekken, Ace Combat, Dark Souls and Elden Ring to markets across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The company recently released the action RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker based on a new IP, which has already sold over one million copies.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve was released on 2 October 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The Standard Edition is priced at €69.99 on PC, while the Deluxe Edition costs €89.99. The console editions are each €10 more expensive. The Deluxe Edition includes an additional customisable cosmetic set and a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher for multiplayer. This grants access to seasonal rewards, including aircraft skins, avatar costumes and the playable ADFX-02 Morgan – Pixy aircraft. Anyone who owns the Premium Ace Pass Plus also receives a 30-level boost, which speeds up progress through the seasonal content. Incidentally, pre-order customers have received access to a port of Ace Combat Zero, which is available on Steam as a separate title and can only be launched by starting Ace Combat 8.

Conclusion

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is an intense sim-arcade blast packed with fast-paced action, impressive visuals, and thrilling dogfights.

Features

• Absolutely spectacular aerial combat action
• Entertaining anime drama, even from a first-person perspective.
• Audio and visuals are top-class, but the cloud rendering is particularly impressive