--- title: "Ace Combat 8 might be the best entry in the arcade flight sim series" date: "2026-10-08" modified: "2026-10-08" authors: - name: "Miguel Ortiz" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/ace-combat-8-might-be-the-best-entry-in-the-arcade-flight-sim-series/" categories: - "Aircraft" - "Entertainment" - "Gaming" - "Tactical" tags: - "Aircraft" - "Navy" - "Video Games" --- # Ace Combat 8 might be the best entry in the arcade flight sim series ![ace combat 8 feature]() *(Bandai Namco Entertainment America)* Whether your aviation community is fixed-wing or rotary, attack or transport, tailhook or not, there’s likely someone in your unit who played an Ace Combat game as part of their journey into military aviation. The arcade flight simulator series debuted in 1995 and merges face-paced action with semi-realistic gameplay. **Also Read: [7 of the most realistic military games available]()** While that latter aspect of the game has varied between entries, developer Bandai Namco put in serious work to make its latest game one of its best yet. Don’t worry, no spoilers here. “Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve” is the [first to be developed and released on ninth generation consoles](). As a sequel to “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown” from the previous generation, “Wings of Theve” carries over mechanics from the previous game, like post-stall maneuvers (PSM) and icing in clouds. No Cobra maneuvers in an F-14 of F/A-18 like Maverick, though. Thrust vectoring is required, sorry. A new feature is secondary damage and destruction. In previous games, targets like enemy aircraft and buildings had to be taken out individually. In “Ace Combat 8,” destroying a fuel truck can cause nearby infrastructure to be taken out as well. Moreover, the large aerial warships that the series is known for have the potential to crash into other targets, depending on how they fall. While standard missiles can be used against all targets, “Ace Combat 8” separates itself from its predecessors by allowing the player to select two different special weapons. Where previous games locked certain special weapons to a particular aircraft or made the player choose between taking a long-range, radar-guided, air-to-air missile or a laser-guided bomb, “Ace Combat 8” permits both with the tradeoff of reduced capacity. ![Ace combat 8 special]() *The versatility of modern, multirole aircraft really shines in “Ace Combat 8.” (Bandai Namco)* Admittedly, this feature was present in the 2020 “Ace Combat” tribute game, “[Project Wingman]().” A small passion project, “Project Wingman” took the spirit of the “Ace Combat” franchise and gave players features they’d been wanting like multiple special weapons. With “Project Wingman” setting a new standard, “Ace Combat” had to push further. A key element of a good “Ace Combat” game is its story. Where “Ace Combat 6: Skies of Liberation” and “Ace Combat 7” arguably had too many characters and disjointed storylines, “Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War” is often held as the gold standard of the series. Your wingmen were featured throughout the story, both in cutscenes and in gameplay. The ability to issue orders to them in battle helped to make that connection stronger… as well as the pain of losing one of them (spoiler, but it’s also a 22-year-old game). Bringing back the wingmen order mechanic, “Ace Combat 8” takes it a step further. When ordered to provide cover to the player, wingmen won’t just engage bandits on your six; they can actually zoom behind you to pop chaff and flares against an incoming missile. The game’s story also creates a situation where pilots from different backgrounds to come together to form an engaging and likable flight that the player can feel like they’re a part of. ![ace combat 8 cockpit view]() *An improved replay feature lets you relive epic air battle in “Ace Combat 8.” (Bandai Namco)* For its online mode, “Ace Combat 8” reaches back to the 2014, online-only PS3 exclusive “Ace Combat Infinity.” With PvP and PvE game modes, players can engage in pitched dogfights and take on superweapons with their flight. Using their rewards from battle, players can customize their plane and appearance in what Bandai Namco calls the series’ “largest online mode.” Where “Ace Combat” has always succeeded, and “Wings of Theve” remains strong, is in its music. From bass-heavy jazz beats in the hangar, to electric guitar-driven rock and roll during large dogfights, and the essential orchestral swells of an aerial knight fight with an enemy ace, “Ace Combat 8” delivers the right tunes at the right time throughout the game. A note for fans of the previous games: the campaign in “Wings of Theve” starts out differently. There’s a purpose to it, I promise, and it does help the player to understand the more immersive cutscene mechanics. With modern elements like disinformation and AI, “Wings of Theve” is the most timely and compelling “Ace Combat” story yet. Combined with the new and improved mechanics (and thankfully ditching annoying lightning strikes), it might just be the best “Ace Combat” game. **Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty** **• [A Russian game studio is making a ‘propaganda’ game about its worst modern failure]()** **• [What ‘Arc Raiders’ gets right about choosing when not to fight]()** **• [The Marine Corps used ‘Doom II’ to train Marines to work together]()** ## Author Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()