Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Review - Flying High
To say I’ve been excited for Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is probably an understatement, as it’s a series which scratches my cravings for aerial action without the time investment or patience needed to get my head around high-end simulators like DCS World.
The campaign mode brings you in some time into a conflict between the Federation of Central Usea and the Republic of Sotoa, with the Federation almost pushed to the brink. You play a pilot fished out of the water by the crew of the Endurance, one of the last FCU carriers. Given they’re low on active pilots, you’re assigned as the Naval Flight Operator to the legendary “Wings of Theve” and sent back into the air.
At least until Wings is shot down, and though you manage to escape, Wings does not. You’re forced to assume his identity for the sake of morale. I found it interesting to see a real-world influence for this conceit, channeling the Ghost of Kyiv from the early days of the current Russian/Ukraine conflict.
That being said, I wish it had been explored further. Sure, there are a few events in the story which cast a shadow of doubt over Wings’ credibility, but I found they didn’t really put your crew in a worse position, instead acting like some low-level background noise.
It’s something I feel is amplified by the story being presented from your view, instead of another character’s or in media res like earlier instalments. I felt it added a dimension to the story, especially as you get attached to the members of your own flight, as well as those of Queen Flight, the other team operating from your ship. There’s less of an overwhelming turning of the tide with the story, meaning you’ll see highs and lows as things develop, and those lows can hit hard, even if I might have expected some coming. All of which comes down to the pulpy writing and performances which are pretty much up there with what you’d expect of the series.
As for the aerial action, if you’re familiar with Ace Combat 7, then I’m happy to report the flight modelling and controls will feel right as you remember them. This carries into the upgrade system too, which uses the same system for buying aircraft, special weapons, and parts, giving you plenty of tactical choice for tackling each mission.
These tactical choices extend to your flight, bringing back the feature from Ace Combat 5 (released here as Ace Combat: Squadron Leader) where you choose what plane they’ll fly into each mission. I loved seeing this return, as it reinforces it’s not just you saving the day, but you’re doing it with the help of your flight. You’re able to also issue simple orders to them for providing cover, to focus attacks on a distinct target or attack any target. I’m pleased to report I found them helpful, especially in providing support during escort missions, which is typically where I find them lacking in other games.
One new loadout feature allows you to load a second special weapon, but at the cost of fewer shots for each. I never found myself taking advantage of this, but it’s an option which I’m sure will be appreciated by those wanting an alternate strategy on subsequent mission attempts.
The missions themselves include plenty of those styles from earlier games – dogfighting against masses of enemy fighters, escorting defenceless aircraft through fields of anti-air weaponry, taking out enemy fortresses, providing air support for allied land assaults and more. All of which more than deliver the Top Gun vibes the series is known for – kicking in the afterburners, waiting for the optimal time to maximise the chance of a missile hitting its target, while ensuring your fighter isn’t torn up by enemy shots in the process.
There are a few special missions like finding and taking down aerial cargo transports flying within a jamming field. Here you’ll have to scan the mission area, aiming to find them with visual contact before you can engage. The most tense for me is one where you’re flying an unarmed plane through a gauntlet of radar sites and scanning drones, trying to avoid being shot down. It’s one which truly tested my flying skills as I worked to thread the needle through the gaps in radar coverage to survive
Which is where Ace Combat 8 shines, letting you conduct an aerial ballet as you work to complete your objectives amongst increasingly challenging and murky scenarios. It’s a sensation boosted by the soundtrack, which is once again filled with the kind of pieces that kick in at just the right time to give you an emotional power up as you need it.
The leap onto the next generation of hardware leads to far more intense missions thanks to handling more planes and vehicles in a scene at at time. Though at points I felt it made some drag on a little too much, as I’d reach a point where I felt a mission was done, only to see a surprise enemy squadron fly in whilst my own plane was heavily-damaged, and low on ammo.
The same can also be said for the story, as Ace Combat 8 happens to be one of the longer instalments in the series, and I feel it could have been tightened up with a few missions cut to help it breathe better as some of the endgame threads dragged on a little too long.
On the upside, there are Checkpoints in each mission, letting you restart from the last completed one or the whole mission. Using a Checkpoint will reset your damage and ammo supplies but at the cost of upgrade credits. It’s a trade off that I’m not entirely thrilled with. I’d rather have gotten a bonus for completing a mission in a single run, instead of being penalised for requiring the checkpoints, it’s something which feels a little player negative, but that might just be me.
These minor missteps aren’t enough to knock Ace Combat 8 down. It’s a frenetic, challenging and emotional experience, and if you’re on board (or find yourself on board) with its displays of aerial ballet amongst the chaos, you will find yourself feeling the responsibility of Wings and becoming the hero you need to be.
Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve was reviewed on PS5 with a code kindly provided by Bandai-Namco Australia.
