Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve Review

Fans of arcade flight combat have a major reason to celebrate as the franchise marks its 30th anniversary with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. Set in the fictional world of Strangereal during the summer of 2029, the campaign puts you in the cockpit as a rookie thrust into a brutal war. After the legendary pilot known as the Wings of Theve goes missing early on, you inherit his callsign and must lead Joker Flight off the aging aircraft carrier Endurance to fight back against the Republic of Sotoa.

The core flying experience is better than ever, offering a choice between standard controls for newcomers and expert settings for veterans who want real jet handling. Dogfights require sharp timing and clever positioning to secure a lock on enemy targets. A brand new cloud engine named Cloudly adds amazing visual depth and tactical gameplay. Flying into clouds helps you escape enemy missiles, but staying too long causes ice to build up on your aircraft and can knock out your radar.

While the campaign includes neat features like wingman commands and a mission ranking system, the narrative parts outside the jet are less engaging. The story touches on themes of propaganda and nationalism, but the flying action is so thrilling that it is easy to tune out the radio chatter and just hunt for the next target. Carrier landings also provide a tough challenge, though players can skip them for a small score penalty if needed.

Overall, the game delivers an incredible flight experience that runs smoothly and offers plenty of replay value. Once you get the hang of the controls and start chasing high scores, fighting in the skies feels completely rewarding.