Ace Combat 8 competition
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Ace Combat 8 preview: spectacular air battles and the most beautiful clouds I’ve ever seen
4.6.2026
Translation: Elicia Payne
Action-packed missions, over-the-top characters, and the most beautiful clouds ever: after six hours of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, I’m convinced this is going to be a perfect landing. I’m also giving away a bomber jacket.
For 30 years, the Ace Combat series has been a staple in the world of flight action games. While the genre was everywhere in the early ’90s, these days, a quick spin through Battlefield 6 is often the best it gets. Of course, there’s Microsoft Flight Simulator – but the only thing you’ll be shooting there are snapshots of wildlife.
Seven years after Ace Combat 7, Wings of Theve once again combines photorealistic graphics, action-packed missions and a wild story with an anime vibe. The fact that the previous game sold seven million copies proves that Bandai Namco has struck the right balance. After my hands-on session in Paris, I can confirm Ace Combat 8 is just as excellent. You’ll find the competition for the jacket at the end of the article.
The story gives the game wings
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve takes place ten years after the events of the previous game. Not that I can remember the details – the fictional world, with its nations and names like Federation of Central Usea (FCU), aren’t exactly easy to remember. What really stuck with me, though, was the wonderfully absurd staging, which reminded me of anime like Captain Tsubasa, only with fighter jets instead of footballs. Wings of Theve follows exactly the same pattern. The photorealistic faces and exaggerated characters could just as easily come from a game by Hideo Kojima, who also likes over-the-top drama.
Source: Bandai Namco
My role is that of a downed fighter pilot who is pulled from the sea at the start of the game. My rescuers bring me aboard the Endurance, one of FCU’s aircraft carriers. Less than five minutes into the game, I’m already back in the cockpit of a jet, ready to free my homeland from the clutches of the Republic of Sotoa.
You experience the story from a first-person perspective. Most of the cutscenes play automatically. Every now and then, you can press a button to shake hands. Other than that, you remain silent. Instead, a voice in your head tells you what it thinks of the situation. A hoarse voice, to be precise, the kind that only decades of chain-smoking can produce. And that’s all I’m going to let you in on. The aircraft carrier is full of walking clichés. My team consists of a cool guy, a class clown, and a hyper girl with colourful hair. I don’t expect much depth, but the characters strike just the right balance of absurdity and charm. I wouldn’t want it any differently since they’re constantly in your ear during missions.
Source: Bandai Namco
Time to depart
At the launch event, I was able to choose from several missions. It all starts with a training flight, but quickly turns into a real emergency: an enemy squadron attacks, and I have to prove my flying skills right away. I play using the default controls, which let me make simple turns using the analogue stick. Alternatively, there’s an expert mode that offers more control, but is significantly more challenging. Since Ace Combat 8 is meant to be an action game rather than a simulation, I decide to stick with the standard version.
I take aim at enemies with a machine gun and guided missiles. Usually, one or two hits are enough to cause a massive explosion. That goes for me, too – which is why I use flares to fend off enemy missiles, even though I only have a limited supply. Skilful evasive manoeuvres, on the other hand, are unlimited. When I yaw the rudder at the last second and a missile whizzes past the cockpit by a hair’s breadth, it feels amazing. That’s what it’s all about, after all: I want to become a flying ace.
Source: Bandai Namco
In a later mission the focus is on ground targets. To hit them, I equip my jet with appropriate weapons, such as air-to-ground missiles or bombs. Through upgrades, I gradually unlock better armour, more ammunition or faster targeting. The aircraft themselves also have different strengths: some are optimised for aerial combat, while others excel at attacking ground targets. What’s convenient is that you also get to choose the planes for my three team members yourself.
Impressive cloud technology
In classic action games, missions often proceed at a leisurely pace. After all, you have to fly to the target area first. But it never gets boring, mainly because of the stunning views. Bandai Namco uses Unreal Engine 5 as its foundation and relies on its in-house Cloudly Engine to create stunning visuals in the sky. The clouds are the game’s unsung heroes. Kazutoki Kono, the series’ brand director explained that it’s not just because they look stunning – they also affect gameplay. «The shape and type of the clouds instinctively show the player how fast and how high they are flying. We place them very deliberately. A rain cloud means you’re flying lower, while cirrostratus clouds mean you’re high up.» In fact, the clouds don’t feel like mere decoration, but rather like an integral part of the game world.
Source: Bandai Namco
This has a direct impact on flight performance. My opponents and I can hide in the clouds, whereas raindrops or ice on the windshield limit our field of vision. I prefer to fly well clear of thunderclouds – not only do they interfere with the electronics, but a lightning strike can cause the plane to crash instantly, as I saw happen on my colleague’s monitor.
While I marvel at the cloud design, my winged companions chatter away nonstop – another hallmark of the series. That’s how I learn more about the conflict between the FCU and the Republic of Sotoa, as well as about my fellow passengers. Even enemy air squadrons can’t keep their hands off the radio button. They take turns showing off their superior flying skills and reacting with surprise as we shoot them down one by one.
Source: Bandai Namco
A dash of Godzilla
In another mission, I’m approaching a port base. It doesn’t take long before the warning system goes off and I have to dodge the first missiles. As soon as I dive deeper to attack the ships, I come under heavy defensive fire. In breakneck dives, I fire missiles and onboard cannons. The final destinations are located near a highway tunnel, which I’m racing toward at full speed. It’s too late to swerve. But instead of crashing, I just keep flying – right through the tunnel. With my heart racing, I shoot back out the other side and grin at what’s probably the most spectacular ending to a game of battleships.
Source: Bandai Namco
Essentially, all missions follow a similar pattern and usually involve taking out some kind of air or ground target. The strength of Ace Combat 8 lies in its varied presentation. I particularly enjoyed the time I was chasing a squadron of gigantic bombers. First, I had to track it down by following its contrails amid thick cumulus clouds. Then things turned into an epic air battle in which I shot down their propellers. Even crashing bombers can drag others down with them.
Source: Bandai Namco
What’s more spectacular is when you get to defend a major city against a massive, moving aircraft carrier. It relentlessly carves a path of destruction through the landscape. As ground and air forces attacked me, I tried to stop the monster. The battle is pure chaos and a visual overload. With the thumping soundtrack, I felt like I was in a Godzilla movie. It took me several attempts and some help from the checkpoint system – which repairs my plane and brings it back fully rearmed – before I finally figure out the weak spots. Thanks to the heavy use of my special weapons, which can fire up to eight missiles at once, I managed to stop the vessel just before the friendly Bandai Namco staff shut down the PC.
Source: Bandai Namco
This flight’s ready for departure
I wasn’t able to test the multiplayer mode and its PvP and PvE options. Yet even without, Ace Combat 8 seems to be building seamlessly on the success of its predecessor. The production’s top-notch, the missions are exhilarating and the clouds so fluffy I want to jump straight into them.
What annoyed me was having to listen to the repetitive dialogue whenever I had to reload checkpoints. Plus, the interface can sometimes feel cluttered when there are too many opponents and allies crossing each other. That said, nothing seems to be able to stop Ace Combat 8 from launching in October.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will be released on 2 October for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. With the Deluxe Edition, you can take flight as early as 29 September. Bandai Namco invited me to the event and covered my travel expenses.
I’m also giving away the bomber jacket (size M) I received at Bandai Namco’s event.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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