While we may not have a release date just yet, Project Aces is sharing new details about their next game in the long running Ace Combat series. Today the developers dropped a new dev diary video highlighting some important new things coming to Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve including a new perspective.
For the first time in the franchise’s history, cutscenes will be from a first-person perspective. This will allow players to feel even more immersed into the pilot they are embodying.
“Up until now, the series has always taken a kind of perspective of talking about the player from a third-person viewpoint. But this time, it’s more like you have the ability to freely change that perspective. We’ve introduced this new element that allows you to advance the story from a first-person perspective.” says Creative Director Kosuke Itomi.
The immersion isn’t only from the change to the first-person perspective but also the stunning graphics, as Wings of Theve looks breathtaking with photo realism graphics.
That of course includes the skies as well. Ace Combat 8 will use an internal “Cloudly” engine. This engine is used to render glorious, light-sensitive clouds and weather, bringing intense, life like storms to the game.
Everything we’ve seen so far of Ace Combat 8 suggests that there will be a pretty heavy emphasis on the story, which for someone like myself who enjoys a good narrative is great to see. Ace Combat 8 takes place in Strangereal with a squad of fighter pilots onboard The Endurance aircraft carrier in the year 2029, a few years after the events of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
The story will have a heavy focus on the pilots on The Endurance as they fight against the Republic of Sotoa to try and take back the Federation of Central Usea.
In addition to the campaign, Project Aces will once again be continuing the series online tradition. According to the video today, the online component will be the biggest its ever been for an Ace Combat game. With that promise Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve continues to race to the top of my most anticipated list.
As per its initial announcement back at last years Game Awards, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is expected sometime in 2026 for console and PC.
