ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE

Gameplay

PROJECT ACES keeps its arcade dogfighting: a briefing, a choice of aircraft, then missiles and bombs against air and ground targets. Push Square says the series has never felt smoother and Hey Poor Player calls the flying “incredible”. Shacknews highlights accessibility: simplified controls, skippable take-offs and landings, and difficulty ranging from Story to hardcore. Before each mission you also pick your wingmen’s aircraft and can give them simple orders.

Content

The campaign has 30 missions. Rescued by the carrier Endurance, the player inherits the legendary “Wings of Theve” title in the war between the FCU and the Republic of Sotoa. Cutscenes often switch to first person. Push Square and Hey Poor Player find the story confusing or unengaging, and Hey Poor Player singles out three or four frustrating missions. Online play offers PvP, PvE and PvPvE modes, raids and a lobby with arcade cabinets; Shacknews worries about slow aircraft progression.

Platforms

Released on 2 October 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. On 11 November 2026 the Standard Edition costs €69.99 on Steam (€61.59 as a Steam key at Green Man Gaming) and €79.99 on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store; the Deluxe Edition costs €89.99 on Steam. Steam lists French interface and subtitles but no French audio, and PC requirements include an SSD, hardware ray tracing and 150 GB of storage. PS5 online play requires PS Plus.

Who is it for?

For fans of arcade dogfights and cinematic campaigns. Newcomers benefit from the accessibility options; those seeking a realistic simulator should check its approach before buying.

Conclusion

Push Square, Shacknews and Hey Poor Player praise the flight feel, mission variety, sound and DualSense haptics. Reservations concern the story and a few missions. This is not a hands-on review.

Press average

The rating block above shows the press average calculated from original reviews of the PS5 version, checked on 11 November 2026: Push Square 8/10, Shacknews 9/10 and Hey Poor Player 4/5. Each score is converted to /20 and averaged with equal weight. This sourced overview is not a hands-on review.