Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown launched in 2019 and was easily one of the best games in the franchise that I’ve played. This is a franchise that I’ve grown up with and it’s mind-blowing to see how far we’ve come from the old-school games to the downright gorgeous sky visuals we have now.
So is the 8th mainline title in the franchise worth picking up and does it take the series to new heights? Let’s put on our fighter pilot helmets and find out shall we!
Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve – Story and Setting
In Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve, players will take on the role of the titular “Wings of Theve”. The catch however being the fact that the “Wings of Theve” is nothing more than propaganda. This is further explained later in the story but the gist of the matter is that after being rescued from sea and taken onboard an aircraft carrier, you get shot down later in the same day by an enemy squadron. You manage to escape and are rescued once more but the resident propagandist aboard the Endurance carrier designates you as part of the Wings of Theve to keep morale high.
So with your new moniker in tow, you join the Endurance’s main fighter squadron which is composed of a pink-haired student, an ex-teacher and a music aficionado. With your squadron, you will join the Endurance and her crew along their mission to take back their home country and fight off the invaders that are waging war against them. Joker squadron, reporting in!
Missions and Combat Gameplay
The Sotoans attacked the capital city Theve and laid siege to the Federation of Central Usea or FCU as it’s collectively referred to. Most of the missions in Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve therefore revolve around taking down Sotoan enemy fighters, bombers and helicopters in the airspace above your home continent and the surrounding ocean. You will also have some missions which are focused on taking out land-based targets and it’s all masterfully executed as expected from a game in the Ace Combat franchise.
Gameplay in Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve is largely unchanged from previous entries in the franchise with the exception of some new squadron mechanics. You can choose your squadron’s individual planes and allow the use of special weapons in battles. You can also upgrade your own plane with modular components and there’s quite a bit of customization on offer here.
Aircraft Customisation and Progression
Aircraft are unlocked by spending points earned for completing missions and some of the more powerful fighter jets are quite expensive to purchase. This ensures that you don’t end up steamrolling on through in the game with the best planes right from the get go. You will have to be strategic about how you spend your points and what planes you pick for the type of mission you take on.
Storytelling and Mission Briefings
The missions themselves are interspersed between some rather lengthy cutscenes and mission briefings and to be quite honest, the storytelling is filled with a lot of content that will keep you coming back for more. For example, one of the early missions has you facing off against an enemy fighter squadron that has its own squadron name and designation and they strike fear into your pilots. However, as you fight them off, your own forces seem to trust you more and more and it really does feel as if you’re turning the tide of battle.
This is a recurring theme in Ace Combat games but this time around, they’ve really nailed it with the storytelling by incorporating a first person view and more personal mission briefing sequence between missions.
With all that said, this is an Ace Combat game we’re talking about here so don’t expect absolutely mind-blowing story. There are some key standout moments in the story but this isn’t a JRPG. It’s an arcade action packed flight simulator game and it makes this known to you from the start. Very cinematic though and that’s the best part.
Graphics and Visual Performance
Graphically, Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve is the best-looking game in the entire franchise. The planes look absolutely fantastic and the environments look even better. Flying through clouds whether they are wispy or packed with dust is flat out amazing. Your plane can ice up, you can stall, there’s lightning, turbulence, everything you’d expect to see and it all looks ridiculously good.
The game also runs extremely well after some post-launch updates and I never had any major issues with my mid-range PC (Core i7-14700KF, RTX 3070ti, 32GB DDR5 Ram) although depending on your own setup, this may differ.
Soundtrack, Sound Design and Voice Acting
The soundtrack in Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve is also a major selling point for the game since it features some truly incredibly music. Every single track in this game is perfectly suited to it with a few specific tracks really standing out over the others. The way the game makes use of sound is also truly immersive since the planes themselves sound extremely realistic as well as all the explosions and other sound effects in the game. You can tell that sound design was a core aspect of the game’s development and the Project Aces sound team have really outdone themselves here.
The same can also be said about the voice acting. Each and every single character in the game has delivered a great voice acting performance here with the main characters really being brought to life well.
Is Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Worth Playing?
Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve is flat out one of the best games of 2026. The gameplay is rock solid. The graphics are breathtakingly spectacular, the sense of speed you get from flying at supersonic speeds, the tremendous sounds of explosions ringing out and jet engines roaring bring the game to life like never before.
It’s legitimately hard to understate just how much fun you’ll have playing this game because the dogfighting in the air is intense, the bombing runs are very satisfying and when the game throws its franchise specific curveballs at you in the form of enemy special weapons, things get really heated. The stakes are high here and the comms chatter between pilots and mission control really immerses you even more in the war between the FCU and Sotoa.
What Could Be Better?
The one and only gripe that I have with the game is the fact that you cannot specifically customize each fighter plane in your squadron’s special weapons. You can change your own but you can’t change each squad member’s weapons and this seems like it was a bit of a glossed-over fact. It’s not a massive problem but being able to manually select a specific special weapon over another would have still been appreciated, even if you can’t control your squad mates directly. This is truly miniscule in the grand scheme of things though.
Final Verdict
Overall Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve is a game that I recommend you go out and play immediately. Whether you’re a fan of arcade style flight sims or not, the game is just so good that you’ll immediately be hooked and want more. Bandai Namco and Project Aces have once again delivered a truly great game and the fact that there’s a thriving online multiplayer community for the game really sweetens the deal too.
Ace Combat 8 Wing of Theve Trailer
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The game was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
Review Summary
Is Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve worth playing?
Absolutely. Ace Combat 8 delivers fantastic aerial combat, spectacular graphics, cinematic storytelling and an incredible soundtrack, making it one of the best entries in the franchise.
How is the gameplay in Ace Combat 8?
The familiar arcade-style flight combat returns with new squadron mechanics, aircraft upgrades, modular customisation and intense air-to-air and ground attack missions.
How does Ace Combat 8 look and perform on PC?
It looks spectacular, with impressive aircraft details, realistic weather effects and stunning environments. Performance was also excellent on our PC test system.
What are the biggest drawbacks of Ace Combat 8?
The main criticism is the inability to individually customise special weapons for each squadron member, although this is a relatively minor issue.
Should you buy Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve?
Yes. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the franchise, Ace Combat 8 is an excellent arcade flight combat experience that comes highly recommended.
