Stored game record
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
Step into the cockpit and take flight as an elite pilot across stunning skies. Enter intense dogfights, eliminate threats, and rise through gripping missions to earn your wings. Campaign Mode showcases stunning visuals with dynamic multi-layered cloudscapes that capture the majesty of living skies. Feel the rush of a fast-paced arcade-style gameplay and deploy powerful weapons to dominate the battlefield. Beyond the chaos in the air, breathtaking first-person scenes reveal your pilot’s story through breathtaking cinematics. Experience the pressure of command, the weight of decisions, and the bonds forged in battle. Between missions, bond with your squad members, rise to meet adversity, and prove yourself as a true ace.
- Bandai Namco Aces Inc.
Platform scores
| Platform | Metascore | Userscore |
|---|---|---|
| PC | 87 | 9.5 |
| PlayStation 5 | 87 | 8.7 |
| Xbox Series X | 88 | Not stored |
What players said
Praise
- Top Gun on cocaine meets the shonen nekketsu genre! I had a GREAT time, this game is peak male power fantasy while still balancing it with a good challenge. Gameplay-wise it's nothing new if you're familiar with the Ace Combat games, but the story, characters and music are just so so so good even by AC standard. The end of the campaign is MASSIVELY EPIC. The game would probably have been an 8 or 9, but the last missions just hit too damn hard. What could have been done better? IMO, I would have liked more cutscenes during the missions, because I tunneled-vision so much on my targets I missed some bits of story here and there. The campaign also takes a bit of time to... take off! (behehehehe) But that's about the only thing that bothered me. It's that good. I don't think the game has any chance of getting GOTY because of the competition and their massive fandom (GTA VI and Zelda OoT), but it definitely deserves to be in the conversation.
- Solid entry and follow up to AC7. The graphics is on point being on current gen consoles and the gameplay and feel is surreal. Totally a major step up from the previous entry in regards to the presentation and the story being more in-depth with characters and the cut scenes. It makes the story much more engaging! I highly recommend this game to anyone on edge about getting it. I think I’m gonna get it on steam eventually but two thumbs up on this game! Can’t wait to finish the story and play it again on a harder difficulty!
- It's just too good man. 7 walked so 8 could run. Gameplay-wise, it's the best in the series. The OST is as great as ever, graphics are top-notch, and the story is somewhere between good and great. I played the campaign three times by now on different difficulties. Highly recommended.
Stored video
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What critics said
Praise
- ACE Combat 8: Wings of the Theve from Bandai Namco Aces Inc. is a marvelous, beautiful dogfighting flight simulator. It offers a solid storyline with real stakes, a good variety of missions to keep the game engaging and fun, and accessible gameplay that should satisfy both newbies and veterans of the series.
- One or two dud missions and an uneven story do little to dull the shine of 2026's most breathless, invigorating action game.
- Skies packed with enemies and a soundtrack that makes you feel invincible - Ace Combat is back in a big way.