Ace Combat 8 PC controversy: Belkan War re-release locked as DLC

In Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve early access on Steam, the pre-order bonus Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is a DLC rather than a standalone app, unlike on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Players must install the ~135GB base game to play the sub-4GB 2006 re-release, which also can't run on Steam Deck and lacks achievements and cloud saves.

• On consoles The Belkan War is standalone; on Steam it's DLC for Ace Combat 8
• Playing the re-release requires the ~135GB base game, while it is under 4GB itself
• The re-release can't run on Steam Deck and has no achievements or cloud saves
• Ace Combat 8 holds a Mixed Steam rating from over 1,350 reviews