Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Review: A War Game That Never Lets You Forget the Cost

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is a war story about how awesome it is to be a heroic ace pilot. It is also, without apology, an anti-war game. That contradiction sits at the heart of Project Aces' latest flight combat title, which takes place roughly a decade after Ace Combat 7 and builds its campaign around the cost of a legend that may not be true.

The Republic of Sotoa launches a blitzkrieg invasion of the Federation of Central Usea, deploying its air force alongside orbital missile strikes known as Tonitrus Spears. The FCU capital of Theve falls. What remains of the federation fights a defensive war from the deck of the Endurance, an aging aircraft carrier that in better times would likely have ended up as a museum. The player is a nameless fighter pilot fished from the ocean by one of the carrier's rescue helicopters and quickly assigned to fly second seat to Jan «Rex» Cope, the legendary Wings of Theve and the FCU's ace of aces.

The trouble is that it is all a lie. Cope is an exceptional pilot, but he has never shot anyone down. His kill count is a myth, fabricated to give the people of Usea hope. As long as the Wings of Theve is in the skies, the story goes, the fight is not over. Cope's job is to bring his squadron, Joker Flight, back with him, and he has done it well — until a run-in with Sotoan ace Shadow 22. The Wings of Theve cannot die, so the player inherits the mantle and Cope's old callsign. The legend becomes fact, goes viral on social media, and the line between myth and reality begins to blur as the new pilot starts shooting down enemy fighters.

What makes the story work is its characters. Baxter, callsign «Professor», is a former teacher turned pilot and mentor to Joker Flight. Tasha is the squadron's youngest member, a generationally talented civilian stunt pilot forced into service by the war who refuses to shoot anyone down. Coster, callsign «Noise», is a quiet rock and roll enthusiast who flies Tasha's wing while blasting music over the comms. Supporting characters — the commanding XO, the rival Queen Flight, and the media machine spinning the legend — all feed into the myth of the Wings of Theve. The voice cast elevates material that could easily have felt silly, and the relationships drive much of the campaign's emotional weight.

Ace Combat has long told its story from inside the cockpit, but Wings of Theve also puts the player on the Endurance's deck, inside the mess with fellow pilots and civilians who have sought refuge on the carrier, and in hangars and briefing rooms. These moments do not offer much interactivity beyond looking around and simple actions, but they connect the player to Joker Flight and drive home the cost of the war, making the world feel as though it exists outside the cockpit.

Ultimately, though, the player is a combat pilot, and the game soars in the air. Wings of Theve is mission-based: after a briefing, the player selects aircraft, weapons, and parts, buying new planes with points earned by completing missions. The campaign weaves story, moment-to-moment gameplay, and mission design together with the precision of a state-of-the-art fighter jet. It is a melodramatic but moving tale, paired with one of the year's best soundtracks and striking visual design, and it never lets the player forget how terrible everything happening in this war really is.

This review covers only the single-player campaign, as reviewers were given limited time with the multiplayer modes ahead of release. A finalized score and multiplayer impressions will follow once the player-versus-player modes have been tested on live servers.

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Delaney Sawyer

Society Reporter

Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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