**Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Review – Gameplay, Combat & Impressions**
Is **Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve** the return to form that fans have been waiting for? In this **Ace Combat 8 gameplay review**, we take a close look at the latest entry in the iconic arcade flight-combat series and explore what makes its aerial action so intense.
**Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve** delivers high-speed dogfights, cinematic missions, fighter jets, dynamic weather, dramatic cloud systems, powerful weapons, massive battles and spectacular aerial combat. The game also introduces new gameplay elements, environmental destruction and a more cinematic approach to storytelling.
In this video, we cover the **Ace Combat 8 gameplay**, flight controls, aerial combat, missions, graphics, fighter aircraft, dogfights, weather effects, visuals, story presentation and overall gameplay experience.
### What You'll See:
• Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve gameplay
• Full gameplay review and impressions
• Fighter jet combat and dogfights
• Dynamic clouds and weather effects
• Missions and combat scenarios
• Aircraft and weapons
• Environmental destruction
• Cinematic visuals and presentation
• Story and campaign elements
• Ace Combat 8 graphics and performance
• What makes Ace Combat 8 different from Ace Combat 7
If you're an **Ace Combat fan**, flight-sim player or simply interested in spectacular fighter-jet action, this gameplay review gives you a closer look at what **Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve** has to offer.
**Game:** Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
**Video Type:** Gameplay Review
**Video Length:** 12:22
**Video Quality:** 1080p HD
Subscribe to **Rgaming** for more gameplay reviews, gaming news, trailers, previews and the latest video game content.
#AceCombat8 #AceCombat8WingsOfTheve #AceCombat #AceCombat8Review #GameplayReview #AceCombatGameplay #FlightCombat #FighterJets #Gaming #Rgaming
Is **Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve** the return to form that fans have been waiting for? In this **Ace Combat 8 gameplay review**, we take a close look at the latest entry in the iconic arcade flight-combat series and explore what makes its aerial action so intense.
**Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve** delivers high-speed dogfights, cinematic missions, fighter jets, dynamic weather, dramatic cloud systems, powerful weapons, massive battles and spectacular aerial combat. The game also introduces new gameplay elements, environmental destruction and a more cinematic approach to storytelling.
In this video, we cover the **Ace Combat 8 gameplay**, flight controls, aerial combat, missions, graphics, fighter aircraft, dogfights, weather effects, visuals, story presentation and overall gameplay experience.
### What You'll See:
• Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve gameplay
• Full gameplay review and impressions
• Fighter jet combat and dogfights
• Dynamic clouds and weather effects
• Missions and combat scenarios
• Aircraft and weapons
• Environmental destruction
• Cinematic visuals and presentation
• Story and campaign elements
• Ace Combat 8 graphics and performance
• What makes Ace Combat 8 different from Ace Combat 7
If you're an **Ace Combat fan**, flight-sim player or simply interested in spectacular fighter-jet action, this gameplay review gives you a closer look at what **Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve** has to offer.
**Game:** Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
**Video Type:** Gameplay Review
**Video Length:** 12:22
**Video Quality:** 1080p HD
Subscribe to **Rgaming** for more gameplay reviews, gaming news, trailers, previews and the latest video game content.
#AceCombat8 #AceCombat8WingsOfTheve #AceCombat #AceCombat8Review #GameplayReview #AceCombatGameplay #FlightCombat #FighterJets #Gaming #Rgaming
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GamingTranscript
00:01For all the high-tech jets, explosive action and melodrama at Ace Combat 8's core, it's
00:06the bountiful sky and its stunning portraits of a version of our planet at varying altitudes
00:11that truly grab the eye.
00:13Flying through a rain cloud as it douses the cockpit window with droplets of water never
00:18gets old, and simply cruising through the air is almost tranquil at times.
00:22Yet Ace Combat 8's clouds aren't mere window dressing.
00:25From gauging your altitude by the density of the clouds around you to using them as
00:29cover to break a missile lock, Ace Combat 8 uses this technology to push the series forward
00:34in tangible ways that go beyond aesthetics.
00:40Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown is one of the best examples of a game single-handedly reviving
00:46a dormant series and earning back its goodwill after the disappointment of Assault Horizon.
00:51So Ace Combat 8 didn't have to change all that much to keep the good times rolling.
00:55It stays true to the series' arcadey dogfighting routes while implementing a number of incremental
01:01improvements, making for a slightly more dynamic and intense experience as you go from sustaining
01:06heavy g-forces to unleashing a barrage of missiles.
01:14The story is more prominent and also personal this time around too, strictly focusing on the
01:20members of a single squadron amid a major conflict.
01:23Set in Ace Combat's fictional war-torn world of Strangereal.
01:27The story begins as the Republic of Satoa invades the FCU, quickly occupying much of the nation
01:33and scattering its military forces.
01:36Outmanned and outgunned, the FCU relies on propaganda to keep morale alive.
01:40This is where the eponymous Wings of Thieve come into play, a legendary fighter pilot known
01:46for taking down dozens of enemy aircraft in the fight against the invading Satoa forces.
01:51Except none of the pilot's legend is true.
01:54War propaganda is nothing new of course, but this immediately reminded me of Ukraine's
01:59Ghost of Kyiv.
02:00The mythical fighting ace was alleged to have shot down six Russian planes over the capital
02:05city of Kyiv back in February 2022.
02:08The Ghost's exploits quickly spread like wildfire in the media and online.
02:13But two months later, the Ukrainian Air Force revealed it was simply propaganda to boost morale.
02:18It's easy to see how this might have influenced developer Bandai Namco Aces when creating Wings
02:23of Thieves.
02:24But this is also an ace combat game, so it doesn't take long for things to get weird.
02:29Top Gun has always heavily influenced the series, so just imagine a scenario where Top Gun
02:33Maverick opens with Tom Cruise crashing and dying.
02:36Then passing his spirit onto a new pilot who adopts the Maverick call sign.
02:42For the rest of the movie, Tom Cruise exists as a dead guy in the new silent protagonist's
02:46head.
02:47Passing on sage wisdom and sharing his jaded thoughts on the war with a melancholy similar
02:52to the most recent Wolfenstein's BJ Blazkowicz.
02:54This would be the time I'd start thinking about my escape routes, possible exits in case things
03:00went sideways.
03:01Oh, and Top Gun is an anime now too.
03:04That is Ace Combat 8 in a nutshell.
03:06A dead pilot narrating from inside your head might sound odd if you've never played the
03:10series before, but this kind of left field choice is par for the course.
03:13Ok, maybe it's never gone quite this far.
03:16The Johnny Silverhand gimmick suits Cyberpunk much better, but it still fits the eccentric
03:21tone.
03:21There's no rhyme or reason to it and the story wouldn't change all that much if it
03:25were removed entirely, yet I can't help feeling oddly gleeful that it even exists.
03:30Unfortunately, the basic premise doesn't hold up to much scrutiny.
03:33The pilot killed in the opening was the propagandised Wings of Thieve, alleged to have shot down
03:38multiple enemies despite not opening fire on a single foe.
03:41Their famed call sign is now yours.
03:44But because this is a video game, it doesn't take long to turn fiction into fact.
03:48The Wings of Thieve isn't an idea anymore, it's a real pilot who's gunning down enemies
03:53and turning the tides of war almost single-handedly, so anything interesting that might have derived
03:59from the propaganda angle is disappointingly absent.
04:02Similarly, Ace Combat 8 lays the groundwork to comment on modern warfare in the age of
04:07social media, AI and the mass sharing of disinformation, but all of these themes are
04:12ultimately window dressing.
04:13Social media is bad when the bad guys use it, but good when the good guys do.
04:17This is the kind of social commentary you can expect.
04:20Nuance discussions aren't on the menu.
04:23Instead, Ace Combat 8 basks in melodrama, with writing full of bold ideological statements
04:28and rousing speeches about borders, heroism and the big blue sky.
04:32In the wrong hands, it could feel ham-fisted, but there is also a wide-eyed earnestness at
04:37play that's both endearing and optimistic.
04:40The new first-person perspective in cutscenes regularly features moments where you need to
04:44hit A to salute, shake hands and so on, which veers into press F to pay respects territory.
04:50Yet without Call of Duty's self-seriousness, it works in a campy sort of way.
04:55Humanising touches also help the cast's pronounced personalities shine through, from Tasha Sveskaya,
05:00a pink-haired civilian who's the squad's best pilot but hasn't yet pulled the trigger,
05:04to her wingman, William Costa, who stays mostly silent until a mission where he learns one
05:10of the pilots you're trying to rescue used to be in his favourite rock band.
05:14Ace Combat 8 does a good job of building up your squad by delving into their unique character
05:18arcs through cutscenes and radio chatter during missions.
05:21The story has issues and is fairly by the numbers, but its bombast is entertaining enough, especially
05:27when it indulges in absurdity in a way that only Ace Combat can.
05:31Where else would you face off against an ominous land battleship, equipped with a railgun that
05:36can wipe out entire city blocks in an instant?
05:39Or regularly run into an evil squadron of enemy pilots that plays ominous music over the radio
05:44whenever they show up?
05:45Music that gradually evolves each time they appear, eventually culminating in a pulse-racing
05:51dogfight set to some of the best video game music you'll likely ever hear.
06:02Again, this is par for the course, whether it's a sweeping orchestral piece, a prolonged
06:07Spanish guitar solo or an up-tempo J-Rock track.
06:10Ace Combat 8 lives up to the series' reputation for phenomenal music, adding another indispensable
06:15layer to the game's thrilling combat.
06:18Piloting its assortment of real and fictional jets is surprisingly simple, letting you get into
06:23the swing of things relatively quickly.
06:25Ace Combat 8 still has that classic arcadey Ace Combat style, but the planes feel weightier
06:29than before, adding to the satisfying sensation that hits when you break through the sound
06:34barrier.
06:34The unmistakable crack of a sonic boom, accompanied by the distinctive vapour cone that engulfs
06:39your jet and then dissipates just as quickly as it arrives, is always exciting to pull off.
06:44Combine this with the way you can execute high-G turns, either to attempt to stay on an enemy's
06:49tail or dodge incoming missiles, and the act of soaring through the air is enjoyable in
06:53and of itself.
06:54Blowing up enemy aircrafts is its own kind of reward, of course.
06:58Tougher enemies ensure that it's challenging to simply stay on their tail and achieve a
07:02missile lock-on.
07:03Using tricks you would expect human pilots to use, such as dashing through clouds to break
07:08line of sight, launching flares and pulling off cobra manoeuvres to turn the hunter into
07:12the hunted.
07:13Some larger aircraft also have multiple lock-on targets, letting you pick whether you want to
07:18focus on, say, taking out their anti-aircraft guns first, or destroying their propellers
07:22to send them tumbling out of the sky.
07:24There's also plenty of variety from one mission to the next.
07:27After 30 years of ace combat, it feels like Bandai Namco Aces picked a few of their favourite
07:32scenarios from the series' past, while sprinkling in some new sortie types as well.
07:36One mission, for instance, has you flying an unarmed aircraft through a valley while avoiding
07:41detection from enemy radar.
07:42Others have you establish airspace dominance, follow contrails to locate massive stealth bombers,
07:47and take out coastal ground forces to protect your naval fleet's advance.
07:51There's a plethora of blood pumping moments, although it does stumble into some pacing issues
07:55as well.
07:56With 30 levels in total, Ace Combat 8 seems stretched at times.
08:00Some missions feel like filler, slightly nudging the story forward while tasking you with fairly
08:04basic objectives as though you're simply painting by the numbers.
08:08They're not intrinsically bad, but these missions typically follow some of Ace Combat 8's more dramatic
08:13endeavors.
08:13That said, I must commend some of these levels for being more open-ended, giving you the
08:18freedom to pick and choose your targets, which ties it into Ace Combat 8's deeper pre-flight
08:23options.
08:24Before each mission, you can select your plane, its armaments, and a number of parts geared
08:28towards enhancing your mobility, weaponry, and other miscellaneous stats.
08:32You unlock all of this through an extensive aircraft tree, giving you new jets, weapons,
08:37and upgrades to play around with throughout the entirety of the game.
08:40Some jets are tailored more for speed and dogfighting, while others excel at wiping out
08:45ground targets with bombs and land-based missile strikes.
08:48You can further improve these aspects with upgrade parts that enhance maneuverability, shorten
08:53air-to-air missile lock-on time, expand your bomb payload, and more.
08:57This isn't a rigid universal system like before either.
09:01Each aircraft has a specific capacity for each upgrade type, making some of the more expensive
09:06jets feel much more powerful.
09:08You can also outfit each squadmate with specific aircraft and weaponry, maybe balancing land-based
09:13attacks with air support, or fully favoring one or the other, however I never noticed much
09:18difference in practice.
09:19The return of squad commands is more palpable though, letting you order your squadmates to
09:24utilize their special weaponry when heavy targets appear, encourage them to be more aggressive,
09:29or demand that they fall back and support you.
09:31If you'd prefer actual humans by your side, Ace Combat 8 also features the series' most
09:36extensive multiplayer suite so far.
09:38There are 100 player lobbies where you can customize your pilot avatar and wander around, visit the
09:43arcade to play Pac-Man, or head to the supply shop to obtain loot crates, among other distractions.
09:48There's also a battle pass called the Ace Pass, with both free and premium tiers that unlock
09:53upgrades, consumables, and cosmetics for both your avatar and aircraft.
09:57We were only given a short multiplayer session to try out before launch, so it remains to be
10:02seen whether any pay-to-win aspects are at play.
10:04You can purchase new aircrafts with in-game currency earned by completing matches, but
10:09you're also limited by your rank, so you can't just buy the best jets right away.
10:13This seems like a good solution, but it depends on what's available if you're willing to spend
10:17real money.
10:18Ace Combat 8's multiplayer rests on two main pillars.
10:21Co-op Assault Challenges where teams of 2-4 players compete in a shared objective, rewarding
10:27victory to the team with the highest score.
10:29Co-op Warfare is similar, only you can destroy players on the other team as well, racking
10:34up points by taking out computer-controlled units and real players alike.
10:37Once again, the highest score wins, but escalating scores also raise the threat level, adding
10:42a score multiplayer to each kill.
10:44The higher the threat, the bigger the swings, making for some intense matches.
10:48Additionally, limit-time modes occasionally pop up in lobbies.
10:51Scramble lets a team of 4 go head-to-head against powerful computer-controlled squads, while
10:56emergency sorties task 8 players with defending iconic super weapons from previous Ace Combat
11:01games.
11:02Special PvP events also crop up from time to time, featuring 4-on-4 deathmatches and 8-player
11:08free-for-alls.
11:09Dog fights against human players are inherently fascinating, because even the best enemy AI
11:13can't possibly compare with the human mind.
11:16There's also plenty here if you'd prefer to team up with friends.
11:19The only question marks I have are centred on the battle pass, and whether there are any
11:24other ways of spending real money to potentially gain an advantage.
11:28All of this remains to be seen, but Ace Combat 8's single player adventure is still worth
11:33the price of admission alone.
11:35The story could have been stronger, more introspective, but it's entertaining regardless.
11:40And while there are some pacing issues with filler missions and some uneven momentum, much
11:44of the game is excellent, providing the series' signature blend of melodrama, stirring music,
11:50and thrilling aerial combat.
11:52Ace Combat 8 Wings of Thieves picks up where Ace Combat 7 left off, underlying that the series
11:58is well and truly back to its best.
12:00gamer Assistant,질ish Inspector brought to the damage mastery.
12:039-5-3
12:04player
12:04avatar
12:05Voice
12:06voice
12:06director