Ace Combat 8 Gets High Praise For Storytelling And Polished Dogfighting
Kotaku reports that after a seven-year wait, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has landed with critics praising its storytelling as much as its aerial combat. The game reportedly introduces new first-person, interactive sequences that immerse players in the story of pilot squad Joker Flight.
While these story-focused moments can sometimes stall the action, reviewers noted the overall campaign of 30 missions remains varied and engaging. Per Kotaku, players get to know crew members like Tasha, Coster, and Daxter through far more cutscenes than previous games, making key narrative moments land with more impact.
The gameplay itself is described as honed to a fine edge, feeling wonderfully smooth to play. Kotaku highlighted a new proprietary cloud engine, Cloudly, which makes clouds a tactical element in dogfights. Diving into a cloud bank can shake a missile, and enemies hiding in clouds can break a player's weapon lock.
Push Square's review, also cited, calls the PS5 entry the most confident in the series. It notes the game makes impactful use of the DualSense controller, with triggers vibrating during high-G turns and haptic feedback reacting to on-screen events. The outlet also praised the sound design, including sonic booms and crisp explosions.
Some light criticism from the outlets focused on early pacing of cutscenes and occasional quick-time event prompts that feel trite. Push Square also noted the plot can get a bit confusing with many place names and allegiances to track. However, both sources agree the core flight and combat mechanics deliver a fantastic, satisfying experience.
