Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is the first mainline Ace Combat in seven years, and the reviews already have it in the series’ top tier.
Worldwide launch is tomorrow, October 2, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Deluxe buyers have been in early access since September 28–29.
Bandai Namco Aces built it in Unreal Engine 5.
Metacritic sits at 88 from 56 reviews, 98% positive.
OpenCritic is in the same range, about 87, with 98% of critics recommending it.
PC Gamer called it arcade flight action refined to the highest level.
DualShockers went 9.5/10.
The dissent is narrow: a few reviewers flag filler missions, a story that uses its themes as window dressing, and base-PS5 visuals that do not match the ambition.
The campaign is set in 2029 on Strangereal.
The Republic of Sotoa has occupied the Federation of Central Usea.
You are pulled out of the water by the carrier Endurance and handed the callsign Rex — the Wings of Theve, a propaganda ace whose legend is bigger than the pilot.
You fly with Joker Flight (Baxter, Tasha, Coster) to take the capital back. Cutscenes are mostly first-person, a first for the series, with DualSense haptics and light yes/no prompts.
About 30 missions.
More than 30 aircraft in four classes.
You can now kill a bandit by hitting it anywhere, not only scripted weak points.
Multiplayer is the biggest the franchise has shipped: cross-play, PvP dogfights, and PvE raids built around returning superweapons (Chandelier, Alicorn-style carriers).
There is an Ace Pass with free and premium tracks for upgrades, consumables, and cosmetics. Reviews only had a short multiplayer session, so pay-to-win risk is still an open question.
Single-player is what they are buying it for.
Standard is $69.99. Deluxe is $89.99 and was the early-access route.
Pre-orders add an extra aircraft and a modern port of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
