Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve elevates the franchise to new heights with a spectacular campaign that mixes high octane missions with relevant thematic storytelling. The real ace, though, remains the compelling and addictive dogfighting gameplay.

A new series best, that mixes fantastic graphics with impressively accessible gameplay, that you can play like a straight action game or a more open-ended simulator.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is a well-rounded experience that is hard to find any significant faults with, beyond the resolution issue on consoles and, of course, everything we've discussed regarding the challenge of introducing genuinely new ideas into what has already been done in the past. If you've been eagerly waiting all this time for the next chapter in Bandai Namco's epic series, you'll find exactly what you were looking for here: an air combat game made with a great deal of passion that excels in areas such as its controls, mission design, story, graphics, and audio, which will satisfy even the most demanding players. And yes, we're looking at one of the biggest releases of 2026—one that, at the very least, deserves to be considered among the year's best games.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve doesn't reinvent the series, but it doesn't need to. With a lengthy campaign, satisfying aerial combat, larger-scale battles, and an impressive technical leap, Project Aces delivers one of the franchise's most complete entries yet. A few frustrating missions and technical issues occasionally disrupt the experience, but after seven years, Ace Combat returns in excellent form.

Visually, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is a feast for the eyes, even accounting for the usual tricks Bandai Namco has long employed to create a striking visual impact. The cloud rendering is spectacular once again. The aircraft models boast an incredible level of detail, while explosions and other special effects do justice to the current generation of hardware. On closer inspection, the environments also feature sharp textures and are packed with buildings, forests, and structures that—while certainly cruder than the rest—do not look out of place. Finally, instances of slowdown are extremely rare—minimal enough to have absolutely no negative impact on the gameplay experience.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve feels like the franchise’s final form, offering an experience that feels both familiar and fresh. It brings together the very best elements the series has to offer.

After seven long years away, Ace Combat returns in fine form with a polished, ambitious eighth installment boasting a sublime atmosphere. It accomplishes the impressive feat of satisfying longtime fans and newcomers alike, and it is easy to find an unexpected passion for the majesty of its skies and dogfights. These unique sensations are paired with a single-player campaign that is far denser and more varied than usual, taking the series into the most ambitious territory it has ever flown over...Yet, the package is not without its missteps, and one ultimately wishes that Ace Combat 8 would push its approach further while shedding the issues that continue to hound it. The action still lacks clarity and visibility, there is a distinct lack of endgame content for the single-player mode, and the progression system reveals weaknesses that prevent the experience from reaching the absolute heights it was destined for. Bandai Namco comes tantalizingly close to perfection, but make no mistake: this entry is easily one of the most accomplished in the entire franchise.