Taking off after the success of 2019’s Skies Unknown, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve brings players back to the world of Strangereal with a much more intimate field of battle. Now seven years since its predecessor, is this latest title from Project Aces the worthy successor we’ve been waiting for?
It’s the year 2029. The Usean continent is once again on the brink of war, as various factions vie for control, most notably the FCU. This is a landscape that’s been frequently wrought by wars and smaller skirmishes across all of the Ace Combat titles that have used the world of Strangereal as its backdrop. Theve, the capital city of FCU itself, marks the home of the legendary pilot, Jan Cope, also known as the titular Wings of Theve.
Getting shot down twice in one day isn’t something an ace pilot would ever expect to occur, but that’s precisely how our preview to Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve began. The first was a fluke encounter; the latter was during a partnered mission with Jan Cope himself. After sinking to the bottom of the ocean with Jan unable to escape the cockpit, the player takes up Jan’s mantle and callsign, becoming Rex to the world and continuing the mission of restoring FCU to its former glory. Early on, the story of Wings of Theve centers on the propagation of social media and using propaganda to elevate Rex’s status as the FCU’s best pilot. That doesn’t come without its own set of challenges and trials, as the player, from that point on, is haunted by the constant monologuing of Rex himself, even during the middle of aerial dogfights.
Ace Combat 8’s narrative is told through various first-person cutscenes, which helps players get into the mind of Rex and see the world through his eyes. During a brief Q&A session, a representative from RPG Site asked whether Ace Combat 8 was initially developed with VR in mind, given that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown had a strong focus on PlayStation 2 VR. Unfortunately, the developer did admit that a VR mode was not considered for Ace Combat 8 at this time.
Beyond the increased fidelity in cutscenes and explosions, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve both looks and plays quite similarly to its predecessor. Multiple control schemes turn aerial dogfights into either a more accessible experience with its simplified flight controls, while the Expert mode returns to give players much more intimate control over barrel rolls and High-G turns by mapping out all 6 degrees of freedom to the pair of analog sticks. On the controller, the standard controls worked just fine, but still felt like you were turning the plane through a thick fog any time you wanted to bank and shake off a target on your 6. For campaign play, this is fine, but taking to the skies in multiplayer is going to need some time training with the Expert controls.
Rex doesn’t have to fly solo in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. Before each mission, players will choose the aircraft for both themselves and their wingmen from a variety of unlocked through the expansive skill tree that turns your hard-earned credits into larger missile arrays or experimental aircraft. Each plane comes with several dedicated slots for upgrades, so some might have additional slots for upgrading the missile armaments onboard, while another might let players slot in additional modifiers for acceleration or turning. Your companion’s planes don’t have as much customization, primarily limited to the type of aircraft you’re allowing them to fly and the default weapons they come with. The player, on the other hand, often has three or four different missiles and bomb options per plane, allowing them to pick options better suited for a mission that might have more ground targets versus aerial combatants.
Now one of the titles I’m most excited to pick up again later this Fall, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will be launching on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and PC (Steam) on October 2nd. Much like with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, preordering this year’s entry includes a complimentary copy of Ace Combat Zero, which I can only assume is a limited-time offer and will go away once the game launches.
[Editor’s Note: Bandai Namco provided Wccftech with travel and accommodations to attend their preview event in California.]
About the author: Kai joined the gaming team of Wccftech in 2016 and has since penned over a hundred reviews and interview pieces, covering a bit of everything from one-man indie gems to AAA masterpieces and whatever lies in between. Over the recent months, Kai has expanded into preview and interview coverage of not only the gaming side of the industry but also tech and consumer electronics.
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