While the Ace Combat franchise has been around for 30 years now, I didn’t get introduced to it until Ace Combat: Assault Horizon in 2011. Since then, it’s been one of my favorite franchises, so naturally Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve has been high on my most anticipated list since it was announced. Now that it is here, how does it stack up in a loaded 2026?

The short answer is a resounding yes, Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve is one the best games of the year. Of course we are here for a much longer answer though, so what exactly makes Ace Combat 8 one of the best games of 2026? Combining top tier game play and aerial combat with a great story, it’s hard to find too much to complain about when it comes to this game.

Joker Flight Changing The Tide

The story of Ace Combat 8 is a continuation of the timeline from Ace Combat 7, though don’t let that deter you if you haven’t played the previous game. While the world we are in and the countries involved are the same, and there are some references to the last game, it is it’s own story within that world.

You start the game floating out in sea as an unnamed pilot along with another pilot named Jan “Rex” Cope. Rex is a famed ace pilot for the Federation of Central Usea (FCU) known as the Wings of Theve. The two of you are rescued and are taken to the FCU aircraft carrier Endurance.

The FCU has been overrun by the Republic of Sotoa, and what is left of the FCU is scattered about the world on ships, with one single stronghold left. Shortly after returning to the Endurance you co-pilot a mission with Rex when you get shot down by a Sotoan ace. Rex is killed and in order to keep morale up within the FCU, Command has you take over as Rex and pretend to be the same ace and lead Joker Squadron. And the previous Rex didn’t shoot anyone down, to make things even more confusing.

All of this happens within the first couple of missions, and from there you spend the rest of the 30 mission campaign working to take back FCU land and restore the country to its glory. The Enso Order is also heavily involved, especially as the story unfolds. The Enso Order is a neutral entity that simply provides supplies, ammunition and other items to all the countries involved in the war.

To that end the FCU has Lucas “D.D.” Doniphan, a liaison with Enso Order helping them with some intel from time to time. By the end you will have seen many twists and turns as the truth behind the war comes out. The story itself, which lasts about 15 hours is well paced and will have your attention throughout. You will really connect with the characters, especially those within Joker Squadron and later Queen Squadron as the missions progress. Tasha, Coster and Professor are all well played by their voice cast and the bond you will gain with them will be something you remember well beyond your time with Ace Combat 8.

That’s not to say there aren’t a couple issues I have with the story. For starters after Cope dies he remains a voice in your head throughout the campaign. I’m not really sure why we need this for the story, it just felt a bit unnecessary to me. Also the early missions of the campaign are essentially just Joker Squadron vs the entire Sotoan navy and air force. I know it’s an underdog story, but tough to believe 4 pilots can turn the tides of a war like that.

There’s also the fact that the protagonist doesn’t speak. That’s a pet peeve of mine in gaming that I will never understand. Just give the guy a voice please! I’m supposed to lead a squad and command them and I never speak beyond a button prompt saying yes or no.

Getting Ready To Sortie

While the story of Ace Combat 8 is fantastic, the gameplay is where it really shines. Taking to the skies in the world’s most famous and powerful fighter jets just feels so damn good. Before each mission even begins you will get a chance to go to the aircraft tree to buy new parts and new planes with the MRP (in game currency) you have earned during missions. You can also buy your squad planes that you can let them fly which is a nice touch.

The amount of options you have almost seems overwhelming at the beginning, but it’s not too bad once you get in the swing of things. You can then add the parts to your planes making them even more powerful and modifying them to be a bit more unique to what you want. If you want more speed, buy and equip the parts that boost that. More firepower? You know what to do. You also get to pick your planes special ammo that will most definitely come in handy.

Lastly before you sortie you will get the chance to choose your squad’s planes. The mission will tell you what specs your squad should take into the fight, whether its a mission that involved more ground targets or air targets and you can then choose the planes you want everyone to fly. There is a auto select option as well that does a good job, but doing it yourself has its benefits, especially in the later missions.

Overall they did a good job with the wingman setup here. I was a little worried it might jut be a throw in to add more mechanics, but having the right setup can really make things much easier when you are up in the sky making it a game changer.

Aerial Combat At It’s Best

Once you are ready to take off it’s time to start the missions. While most missions are the same concept, get up and start killing the enemy, the game does a good job of keeping things fresh. The variety of missions that are more focused on aerial combat vs bomb runs and taking out enemies on ground/sea is good.

Typically each mission has a bunch of enemies that you can take out, but specific ones will be labelled as main targets. Once you have taken out all the main targets the mission will end, so focusing on them is key if you want a shorter mission. You are also racing the clock as well as each mission has a time limit in order to compete your objectives.

The other mission type is a mission that requires you to just kill as many enemies and rack up as many points as you can in the allotted time. Score 15k points in 10 minutes or the mission fails and you start over. This type of mission is a nice little break and lets you go at things however you want, so long as you pay attention to your score. Shooting down fighter jets is worth more than a stationary AA gun, but its also much harder to hit and take down. Do you spend the time chasing down those fighters for extra points, or go for the easier targets?

Lastly there are a few missions that I would essentially call boss battles. Large bombers that have multiple engines you need to shoot to take it down. Massive boats and land vehicles that will take a million shots to kill and a few other types of boss battles. These aren’t as difficult as the Shadows (more on them in a minute) but they are some of the most intense, difficult missions of the game.

Your wingmen are also quite involved with everything you do up in the sky. You have the ability to command them using some prompts. While the commands themselves are simple, cover me, attack, use special weapons, etc, they really make a big difference in how the fights play out. That isn’t to say if you don’t command them they become useless, they will still do their thing, but having some control over them really does help.

Certain times in the mission you will also get prompts asking if you and your squad should split up to attack or defend from the enemies. These are all small touches that add up and make the experience more than just shooting as much as you can.

The Shadows Are Coming

Where Ace Combat 8 shines most is in the enemy aces known as the Shadows. You will know they are coming simply by the intimidating chant type of music that comes through your communications while flying. These Shadows are the best of the best of the Sotoan army and it really shows in their skills.

Getting into dogfights with the Shadows is quite difficult, but oh so rewarding when you do take them down. These battles are when you need to show off all your piloting skills as well as your commanding skills. They will truly test everything you’ve got as a pilot and if you aren’t up to the task you will fail.

Truthfully the dogfights with the Shadows are pretty much the only times I ever ran out of time trying to defeat them all. The late mission Shadows are especially a big step up in difficulty, specifically mission 28 and 29. They actually might have turned up the difficulty too much on these 2 fights, but I tell you what, when I finally beat them the adrenaline was high and it felt great to take them down.

And that’s really what its all about with this series. These little moments where you finally triumph, they just make you feel like a bad ass ace pilot.

Final Thoughts

Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve was one of my most anticipated games of 2026 and it delivered beyond even my lofty hopes and dreams for this game. It’s great story and fantastic characters help compliment the ace of this game, the aerial combat. Flying a fighter jet has never felt more satisfying. Some small pet peeves aside, Ace Combat 8 is one of the years best.

Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve was reviewed on Xbox Series X.