Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve isn't about a hero, but a symbol

Who is the Wings of Theve? The answer to who's under the helmet is not important in this early look at the upcoming game's campaign.

Bandai Namco is about to take to the skies once more with the next installment of the Ace Combat series. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve offers more of the breathtaking aerial combat that has come to define the franchise. However, there's also something fascinating in the game's story, as the player doesn't just step into the cockpit as a hero, but also as an idea. I learned more as I went hands-on with the early moments of the Wings of Theve campaign.

What is the Wings of Theve? The Wings of Theve is an identity, but there's no name specifically tied to it. Players come to recognize this during the start of the story, when the main character's mentor, Commander Cope, is killed in action. Cope was the pilot known as the Wings of Theve, but the general public doesn't know that. To the public, the Wings of Theve is a symbol, like a superhero. The person under the helmet doesn't matter. The name "Wings of Theve" strikes fear in the hearts of hostile militaries, so it's up to the player to carry that mantle forward, pushing forward the idea that the Wings of Theve is an unkillable ace pilot.

What's interesting is that this isn't the end of Cope in this story. The main character continues to hear Cope's running dialogue in their mind. Why is the main character suddenly sharing a brain with their dead mentor? That answer remains to be seen, but Cope provides valuable exposition and helps introduce players to the other members of Joker Squadron, including Professor Ellington Baxter, young prodigy Tasha Seversky, and hard rocker William Coster. Together, Joker Squadron are one of the few remnants of the Federation of Central Usea (FCU) air force, who must stand together to topple the vast numbers of the Republic of Sotoa in 300-like fashion. Yes, in the decade that has passed since the events of Ace Combat 7, the FCU has fallen on hard times.

As far as gameplay, much of my time with the game was spent aboard the well-balanced F/A-18C Hornet aircraft, equally capable of taking on airborne foes and ground/sea units. Players will aim at hostiles with their machine gun or get closer to their targets and lock on with their missiles. Enemies will have some slick moves that will allow them to lock with their own missiles, so players will need to master quick turns in order to avoid incoming fire. Over the course of the campaign, players will unlock new units that each have different specialties. Some will be better in dogfighting scenarios, others will be more suited to taking on ground vehicles, and others will be more defensive craft that aim more for support. More than 30 different fighters can be unlocked over the course of the story, many resembling real-world aircraft and a few fictional ones made purely for the game. In most cases, players should be able to complete dogfighting missions with the number of standard missiles provided, but there will be other ammo types available that can take out multiple units at once or sweep units along land or sea.

The Ace Combat series' arcade-style flying mechanics remain intact from previous games in the series, but there are a few improvements worth noting. Wings of Theve has made the jump to Unreal Engine 5, allowing for a significant graphics upgrade. However, more than that, the Bandai Namco Aces team has also incorporated aspects of its own in-house engine for the game's cloud (sky formations, not save data) technology. The Cloudly engine allows for the team to build layered clouds, which gives each stage's visuals an extra bit of polish, but it also adds an extra piece to moment-to-moment gameplay. Certain missions will require flying through rough, cloudy weather and pilots must be careful about not icing their systems.

Enemy pilots will also use clouds to their advantage. In one of the later campaign stages I tried, I was able to take down most of the Shadow squadron pilots that had hoped to take the plucky Joker pilots out. However, when only one enemy remained, he attempted to hide in the clouds. The clouds not only hid him from radar tech, but flying into the clouds led to my plane getting struck by lightning multiple times. The enemy proved far more clever than anticipated.

There's much more to discover in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. A full unlock tree will allow players to access additional aircraft, as well as stronger weaponry. Plus, cutscenes that play out between missions will further what looks to be a captivating story. One item that I wasn't able to discuss today, because it wasn't playable, was the game's online component. Bandai Namco is promising the most expansive multiplayer in series history, but what that'll look like remains to be seen.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 2. On top of that, an early access period will be available for those who pre-order the game's Deluxe Edition.

This preview is based on an early PC version played on-site at a private event in Los Angeles, CA. The final product is subject to change.

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