Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve is the best combat flight sim ever made for consoles, according to our review. The game, released on 2nd October 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, improves on its predecessor in every way, from mission variety to accessibility, graphics, and music. It earns a 9/10 score.
Accessible and exciting gameplay
The game's action is sublime, with fighter jets that are easy to control, offering various driving aids that can be toggled on or off. Players can choose first-person or third-person views, and even on normal difficulty, the number of missiles available is implausible but satisfying. Air-to-air missiles require a lock-on that takes a few seconds, but enemies can avoid them with countermeasures and emergency manoeuvres, and players can do the same.
Ace Combat 8 can be approached as a straight arcade game or with increased realism in controls and aircraft limitations. In arcade mode, players only need to avoid the ground and can treat it like a shooter, with freedom to take on objectives in any order and use any weapons. Missions vary from regulated, multi-step plans, like taking down a massive land battleship, to open-ended roams where the game is unconcerned with how objectives are achieved.
Graphics and music
The best missions are often at high altitude, showcasing the amazing cloud graphics. The developers created a dedicated graphics engine called Cloudy, used on top of Unreal Engine. The effect not only looks good but adds to gameplay, as players search for enemy bombers in clouds or trick enemies into flying through storm clouds. The graphics are great, with no need for streaming, and the music is fantastic, featuring orchestral themes and Top Gun-esque rock music. The game includes a friendly squadron that are also a famous rock band and arch enemies with their own intro music.
Multiplayer options
Primarily a single-player game, Ace Combat 8 features the most extensive multiplayer options in the series. There are competitive and co-operative matches for teams of up to four players, with co-op setting different objectives. Time-limited modes are planned, some involving boss battles from previous titles. The variety of planes, loadouts, weapons, and cockpit art lends itself well to multiplayer rewards.
The story, which revolves around an invasion and a legendary fighter ace who becomes a ghost, takes up too much time, but that's a fleeting problem. The game is not a major departure from Ace Combat 7, but the end result is superior in every way.
