One of my favorite quotes of the entire series is, funnily enough, said in the previous game before this: “Does the sky mean anything special to you? It does to me.”
It encapsulates the feel of taking to the open air and protecting the skies unknown. And this ninth mainline installment of the Ace Combat series still echoes these words still, while adding more depth and flair to the incredible series that’s still kicking strong after almost three decades young.
So prepare to take off, because this is going to be rapid.
Presentation
AC8 just looks incredible, especially the skyboxes where most of your time will be spent. The most time in your gameplay as your fighter pierces through the clouds, the rainwater covers your cockpit for a brief moment, and the sun setting on some of the sortie missions as you go becomes the Wings of Theve, words cannot understate how good it looks at times, on consoles and PC.
Though there are some slowdowns in the PC version for the in-person cutscenes that disappear once you get into in-game, which is a curious predicament for my RTX2060 machine, there are no such issues for the console versions. I probably caulk that up to the Unreal Engine, taking more power than needed on my PC, even with DLSS usage, but the experience after that is solid all around.
Project ACE also does nail the music one more time, this time with a more rock flair that might remind players towards another game series with the same acronym but more towards towering mechs instead of agile birds of prey. Its synchronicity with the action unfolding is still unmatched, with how the music just blends incredibly well into gameplay.
As for the voice acting side, it’s what you expect from a campy game such as Ace Combat; it’s sweet at times, dramatic at the midpoint and heartbreaking towards the end. All the voice acting is top-notch, and I wouldn’t want to change it one bit.
Gameplay
The combat is still one of the game’s highest points, a given considering it’s in the title and such, but its core mechanics have been streamlined from its previous entry so that every dogfight is easier, but it doesn’t make it a cakewalk at all, with how they gradually add in more intense fights and even rougher terrain as the mission progresses, so better learn the tricks of the trade fast or you probably end up stalling your last remaining Tomcat into the hillside, so to speak.
And before every mission, you can sortie you and your teammates plane and weapons of choices for each individual, with comments from the team whether you pick the right choice before the mission, which does help to make sure everything goes smoothly and the main hero not be a hunk of metal in the ocean.
Speaking of the teammates, they are quite a pretty solid bunch, from the likes of the new favorite Tasha, who’s job is to distract the enemies for you and the other mates to take down the combatants, which is quite a unique trait for something in AC, to the Professor, who is your wise old man that guides you into the shoes of the “Wings of Theve” rather well. It’s a well balanced group that’s a perfect foil to the enemies, the likes of another squadron like Shadow 22, that keeps pestering you most often then not.
And if you just want Dogfighting without the plot, then Online mode is your friend, which has all of the stuff from the main game but now playing as a mercenary who’s in it for the cash, be it solo or in a team of 4 doing missions or even just straight up deathmatches with other players across the globe. Heck, there’s even a Galaga arcade machine, amongst other Bandai Namco classics, within its open-world element that you could play a round of two as well.
Content![]()
The main campaign itself takes about 15 hours, give or take if you take your time to enjoy the storyline that has some resemblance to current happenings of today, albeit fictionalized of course. But like Skies Unknown, it does well with the beat-to-beat moments that will hook even the newcomer into this weird series.
As for the multiplayer side, I expect it to be like its predecessor and enjoy many seasons of content updates so who’s to say the content side is going to be less after a few odd years?
Plus, those who have the premium edition of AC8 also get one of the most iconic Ace Combat as a bonus, which is AC Zero and that alone is quite something of an unlimited time-sink with how replayable it is, almost borderless even.
Personal Enjoyment![]()
What can I say about this series that hasn’t been said by many before me, perhaps like 10,20 or even 30 years ago? It’s the core gameplay and themes that have shaped it’s fanbase from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows during its slump back in the day. It’s a fascinating look for someone who wasn’t a fan until recently to see the hype that this latest installment has when they announced it at a certain event about video games.
And while the controls have been streamlined, it is still can be quite a challenge for me, as you have many things to juggle at one point, with the clock ticking down to danger getting shorter and shorter as the game progresses, a relic from its arcade past that’s been incorporated into its game ever since its PS1 days. But at least it’s not War Thunder hectic, because that’s another different can of worms for aerial combat.
But all in all, its been a fun time for me in this installment that’s ernest in it’s sincerity about the story and mechanics. It’s a game for old heads and newcomers, and anyone in-between like me.
Verdict![]()
Ace Combat 8 : Wings of Theve showcases that the series really has the sky within its sight as they reign supreme, with incredible visuals, banging soundtrack and a pretty good gameplay loop thats just brilliant to play from the get-go. Do grab a copy from your preferred console or personal computer of your choice, and enjoy the ride.
Played on PC and PS5, Review copy provided by the publisher.
Ace Combat 8
The series really has the sky within its sight as they reign supreme, with incredible visuals, banging soundtrack and a pretty good gameplay loop thats just brilliant to play from the get-go.
- Presentation 9.5
- Gameplay 8.5
- Content 9
- Personal Enjoyment 8