Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve review: soaring combat, snoreworthy story

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve from Project Aces is out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC as of October 2, 2026, with 30 missions and roughly 18 hours of play. The review praises the best-looking clouds in any game via the proprietary Cloudly engine and thrilling dogfights, but criticizes lengthy first-person cutscenes and a flat ending.

• 30 missions, about 18 hours to complete — longer than Ace Combat 7
• Cutscenes are fully first-person for the first time, and often drag
• Clouds rendered with proprietary Cloudly tech called best in any game
• Wingman commands and aircraft selection return, echoing Ace Combat 5