What ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE is
ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE puts you in the cockpit of an elite pilot flying fast-paced, arcade-style air combat. You enter dogfights, deploy powerful weapons to clear the battlefield, and work through a campaign of high-stakes missions where decisions carry weight. The campaign leans on cinematic first-person scenes to tell your pilot's story, so the pressure of command and the bonds formed in battle sit alongside the shooting. Skies are built with dynamic multi-layered cloudscapes, and the game is developed by PROJECT ACES, the team behind the franchise. Between missions you spend time with your squad members, which is where much of the story and character work happens.
Playing it with your group
ACE COMBAT ONLINE is described as the most expansive multiplayer offering in the franchise's history, and it includes both Co-Op and PvP, with cross platform play supported. You sortie into online missions alongside pilots from around the world in a variety of modes, so a group can either tackle missions together or fly against each other depending on the mode chosen. The series' first online lobby is here: before a match you explore an air base with your custom avatar, which gives the group a shared space to gather and prepare rather than dropping straight into a queue.
Before you start
Expect two distinct halves: a story-driven campaign you can play on your own, and an online side built around lobbies, custom avatars and multiple modes. The campaign mixes arcade flight with narrative scenes, so missions are as much about decisions and squad relationships as they are about reflexes. On the multiplayer side, cross platform play means friends on different setups can still fly together, and the air base lobby is where you meet up before sorting out. The Deluxe Edition adds a customizable cosmetic set and a PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS Voucher, which is worth knowing about if you are deciding which version to grab.