PAX West 2026 - Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Soars Ahead of Its October Launch
Developer: Bandai Namco, Team ACES
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
Available on: PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
Played on: PlayStation 5
We all have that first video game that made us gamers. For us 90s kids, there were plenty of game which forever bonded us to the hobby. Metal Gear Solid, Super Mario 64, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, DOOM—I could go on and on. For me, it was the Ace Combat series. Launching as Air Combat in 1995, I became a lifelong fan of a franchise that has spanned 30 years and a multitude of releases. Now, the latest one launches in just a few short weeks.
At PAX West 2026, I had the special opportunity to play the latest in the Ace Combat series, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. This newest installment in the acclaimed arcade flight combat series features a personal story focused on a carrier group, with new physics, dangerous enemies, and a massive war machine known as a land battleship.
I Have A Need
For those who don't know, the Ace Combat franchise is a long-running aeronautical arcade flight series known for its arcade combat and grand, sweeping stories. The Ace Combat series started in the 90s purely as an arcade action game but really took off during the PS2 era, with three installments that are widely regarded as “The Holy Trinity.” After a wishy-washy presence in the PS3/360 era and an unexpected hiatus, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown took off in January 2019 to roaring success.
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is one of the best flight combat experiences out there, with engaging boss fights, incredible gameplay, and a surprisingly resonant story. With over 7 million copies sold, it is the most successful and highest-selling of the franchise. I did a full review for the Nintendo Switch version when it launched on the platform a few years ago, but I’ve been jamming to the PlayStation 4 version since it launched. Now, this newest installment is almost ready to take to the skies.
A Need For Speed
My demo took me to Mission 11. A group of transports is carrying land battleship equipment high in the skies. They are protected by jamming aircraft and interceptors. The transports are flying wings, similar to the Arsenal Bird aircraft seen in Ace Combat 7. The goal is to take down the transports with the cargo before they escape the area.
A thorough briefing explains the mission details in full, detailing the parameters of the mission. The briefings give players situational awareness of the types of targets they will be encountering, as well as what threats to expect. Mission 11 is straightforward in that aerial targets need to be shot down, but I expect missions to mix things up with different objectives.
Mach 3 With Your Hair On Fire
The game gave me the opportunity to choose my aircraft and aircraft parts. I chose the F/A-18 Super Hornet with air-to-air weapons. Making a return from previous entries, Ace Combat 8 allows players to kit their squadrons with their choice of aircraft. While I could have chosen one of several planes, I let the game automatically choose the right ones for me for the sake of time. Without a moment to spare, it was on to the mission.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is jaw-dropping, and I found myself stunned in awe and excitement over how the game appears visually. A brief cutscene showed remarkable details on the pilots. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has a bigger story focus on the squadron and their stories. While Ace Combat 7 had you as a nameless pilot fighting to change the course of the war, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve puts you as a squad leader in a more personal story.
The Blue Sky
I didn't have much time to gather personal impressions of the characters, but their banter amongst each other, particularly with their superiors, did create a stronger personality this time around. Tasha, in particular, has quickly become a fan favorite for her backstory and personality. There's a strong impression that a fantastic story is waiting to be told here.
As a long-time player of Ace Combat, I'm familiar with the gameplay, but now, in its newest iteration, the gameplay is off the charts in what it's able to capture and accomplish. This is the first Ace Combat game on modern systems, as Ace Combat 7 was released on the last generation of systems. While Ace Combat 7 was already visually impressive, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve dials up the visual fidelity to eleven.
Know Your Craft
The mission took place high in the clouds, creating the most realistic clouds in video games. Every single polygon is dedicated to creating the atmosphere, making it feel like an entire world high above the ground. Cloud stacks as high as mountains create imposing views. You could feel the thickness of the air. It's easy for the eyes to get lost in the visual spectacle.
The cockpit was incredibly detailed. The plane itself looked photorealistic. Accelerating and braking felt great. I never expected Ace Combat to try and reinvent the wheel, but it feels like they made a few tweaks and touches to create a better flying experience. I didn’t find anything to worry about with the controls.
Danger Zone
The gameplay itself is the same tried-and-true Ace Combat formula, but the smaller additions make the game remarkably exciting. Flying the F/A-18 Hornet felt weighty but not sluggish, though I imagine the starter aircraft will feel like moving a flying tank. Holding the X button fires machine guns, and the O button fires missiles. Square switches from standard all-purpose missiles to special weapons. Triangle selects targets and locks the camera to the target when held. The goal is to shoot everything down and survive.
Combat felt fantastic as always. I was flying fast and hard around enemies, downing them with missiles and outlandish maneuvers. I had a chance to test the guns, which sounded weightier. Movement felt just right, and the camera felt good too. For a seasoned pilot like myself, it felt like stepping into my favorite car for a Sunday drive.
A Dangerous Place
The demo seems to demonstrate shooting parts of an aircraft. I aimed at the jamming aircraft, and the game seemingly gave me the option of aiming at the engines or the fuselage. In any case, I eliminated the jammers, freed up the radar screen, and engaged the transports. They may be slow, but they were formidable with their own defenses.
Additionally, the enemy fighters swarmed all over me, hitting me in the process. But I persevered in taking them down. It’s a juggle of gameplay feedback. I had to shoot down enemies that were shooting me, and survive being hit by other enemies, while pursuing my main targets. This is the kind of sensation and feeling one would expect when playing Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. Once you get the hang of it, it’s euphoric and unlike anything else.
Aces Appear
Suddenly, enemy aces enter the scene. Ace pilots are the series boss fights, and will pull off daft maneuvers all in their objective to destroy you. These particular ace pilots were piloting MiG-31s, known for their sheer speed. I managed to hit one, but found myself losing track of my primary objectives. The aces spread out and tried to distract me. Missiles and gunfire whizzed by as I attempted to survive and complete the mission. Alas, as the danger intensified, my screen faded to black and the demo came to an end.
The demo for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve whetted my appetite for the game. The familiar gameplay felt as exhilarating as ever, but the small tweaks made the intense gameplay even better. Visually, the game is stunning, and the arcade gameplay felt just right. While we still have to wait to see how the story will bear out, the game promises a dense single-player campaign rich in story and personality.
Ace Combat
Recently, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve unveiled its online component, complete with 100-person lobbies. The online multiplayer features PvE and PvP, as well as an emphasis on co-op gameplay. This is meant to be more than just a complement to the single-player, promising depth and challenge as players take on the biggest bosses from the Ace Combat series. This is sure to test even the most seasoned of ace pilots.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is set to be another exciting chapter in the fabled Ace Combat franchise, as well as one of the best arcade flight experiences in video games. Its visuals are top-notch, its gameplay is extraordinary, and the story is set to be one worth investing in. We don’t have long to wait, as Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches October 2nd, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
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