Forbes’ review awards Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve a 9/10, praising its stronger combat feedback, longer campaign and online play. Flight handling remains close to Ace Combat 7, while new wingman commands add tactical options.
Set more than a decade after Ace Combat 7’s Lighthouse War, the campaign follows the Federation of Central Usea as it fights an invasion by the Republic of Sotoa. The reviewer says much of the story is left for players to piece together from cutscenes and mission dialogue.
The game is listed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC at $69.99, with an Oct. 2, 2026 release date. The reviewer says a pre-release online playtest spanning multiple continents ran smoothly; multiplayer includes multi-objective PvE and PvP modes as well as deathmatch.
