Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Review

Despite eight official entries in its series, it has always felt like Bandai Namco’s Ace Combat franchise never quite broke through. Don’t get us wrong, each entry is generally on the plus side of things and often its key developer, Studio Aces (now formally Bandai Namco Aces) pushes technology and engagement with each iteration, but it has also always seemed a bit niche, despite being critically successful. At least, in the grand scheme of things. 

Which is odd because it clearly taps into cinema greats such as Top Guns 1 & 2 and the unheralded Iron Eagle (“damn it, Chappy, I’m doin’ it my way!”) for inspiration, and always tends to tell a fairly compelling story that questions the point of war at all, while also elevating those that engage in it, often with a sense of blurred morality. And the publisher’s latest take off, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, is no exception. Its aerial combat is fantastic and allows for various levels of skill from expert down to training wheels, while its revamped storytelling remains top-notch, only now with a few new ‘engagements’. It’s also a gorgeous game that generally makes you feel like you’re piloting any one of its myriad planes to combat perfection over various environments. And it never feels overbearing.

It’s also, however, a slow burn that takes its time to bring you into its fold, despite how that actually plays out and can, often, also be a bit esoteric in its internal narrative, though most Japanese-led writing involves philosophical tones and ‘questions’ so it’s not entirely out of place. But there are moments when maudlin and irreverent clash and the game feels a tad too heavy for what’s actually going on. Almost to the point of ‘filler’.

But there’s an aspect here with that “clash” that helps it stand out all the more, and to the whole games’ detriment.

This is because it comes off the back of a game that is heavily structured and segmented, which is also a Japanese development tentpole. Missions are delivered in classic videogame style, and the flow of it all is broken with a slightly messy UI and menu system as well as a call to action that feels entirely rushed, all of which does tend to break the game’s immersion, leading to a bit of an overall mixed affair, though one we still felt compelled to push through for its many moving parts and for what we dub as a meaningful and rewarding sortie, when all’s downed and landed.