As a child in the 90s, sitting in my bedroom playing video games on a Saturday night, I would often hear my dad blasting films from upstairs. After an iconic jingle, the dongs of Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone would signal that dad was again watching Top Gun. The roar of the jets taking off from the aircraft carrier seemed to match the beat of the track, causing the walls of the house to shake as the adventures of Maverick began with jets taking flight. When video games translated from pixels to polygons and then full motion capture, we saw the medium borrow so much from film. Now we see this process come full circle as film borrows from video games. If you asked how Top Gun would operate as a game, your answer would be Ace Combat.
The Ace Combat series has a storied past, which is notable as the number 8 sits beside the latest entry releasing on October 2. Debuting on the PlayStation in 1995 as an arcade-style combat flight simulator and moving through many iterations up until Ace Combat 7 in 2019, there has always been a balance of simulation and arcade that can be hard to fully achieve. I’ve spent the last two weeks with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, which is the first to utilise the latest console generation and tech. With a clear emphasis on storytelling to accompany the general Top Gun style air activity, this is the best Ace Combat has ever looked. But is there enough to truly bring the franchise back into the spotlight? Read on, pilots.
The story, as mentioned, is deeper than expected. The game is set in 2029 with the FCU (Federation of Central Usea) during an invasion from the opposing Republic of Sotoa. They clearly use fictional factions to ensure the narrative can go in certain directions without restraint or concern. We begin as a silent weapon systems officer stranded on a lifeboat on open seas and soon a chopper takes us to safety with the FCU (well, safety is a light way of putting it). Boarding the Endurance (aircraft carrier), it is clear that something is amiss as it is full of civilians and health/mind checks. After a fairly lengthy cut-scene, you are introduced to Jan ‘Rex’ Cope who has the title ‘Wings of Theve’ as a form of propaganda to help with morale. In the opening scenes, Cope is shot down and drowns. Your character then adopts the title and leads the Joker Flight. The twist here is that Cope remains in your head and narrates the action – much like Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077. You’ll meet your crew, share meals in the mess hall, and engage in warfare to protect the FCU.
The above is a fair bit to absorb, and it feels that way when playing. I wanted to jump into a jet and start shooting (Top Gun takes flight within the opening credits!) though the cut-scenes did slow the action (both before the opening mission and in-between missions). It is well voice-acted (Cope is an absolute highlight) though it can be fairly low-key at times. You don’t want to skip the scenes as story is a staple and there is plenty of intrigue, but you also may be distracted as you gaze at a crew mate eating a meat-free burger or sipping a drink in a deck chair.
The gameplay is where the actual meat is placed, providing high-octane dog fights above all manner of biomes. The first few include open seas, forests and snow-covered mountains. Your jet roams the skies and is armed with weapons to shoot down the enemy. Usually, you are protecting a ship or location by eliminating foes. This can be done in first-person or in view of your jet. It takes a few missions to truly grasp the acceleration, steering and lock-on of weapons, meaning you’ll spend quite a bit of time spinning in circles. But once this hits its groove, it is fairly intuited and becomes second nature. Hunting down an enemy from distance and seeing them explode as you fly through the flames is quite a rush of adrenaline.
The true highlight of the game is the cloud system, with the weather adding a high level of realism to the process. Soaring through clouds will see the screen emerge wet, lightning will crack, fog causes visibility issues and lock-on won’t work when there are obstacles in the way. This blends into masterful performance, which is needed in such a fast-paced game. The graphics are excellent and handle the speed. While the cut-scenes can look a little rougher than this, the actual in-flight sequences are smooth and the graphical output is impressive to ensure draw distances are always at a maximum. Music also plays a core role, with a vinyl set to be released alongside the game with 15 tracks. The main theme, Everflow, invokes anime inspiration and also has a fast pace to connect with the game’s style.
There is more to Ace Combat 8 than just flying and shooting. A skill tree is present to improve your weapons, add new weapons and buy new jets. Two special weapons can be equipped at any time (there is also a general gun, though it isn’t very useful) and orders can be given to your Joker Flight to attack, cause a distraction or other manoeuvres. The crew can also be assigned roles and certain jets, depending on your process. This adds builds into the game and does see more depth in tackling missions. Someone from you crew may ask a question during flight, such as ‘should I cause a distraction?’. You can answer yes or no – for the latter may mean assigning them to go on the attack, or to target another enemy. You’ll do all this while flying, and in moments of heat I did realise a question was on my screen. This can happen during cut-scenes also, ensuring you’re on your toes.
My dilemma overall is the lean to both an arcade game and a sim game. Usually, a game that uses vehicles as a focus chooses a lane. If talking cars, Gran Turismo is sim while Need for Speed is arcade. There will always be overlap, but the majority of the focus is either realism or quick, fast and crazy antics. Ace Combat 8 tries to do both at times, and may end up becoming a jack of all trades rather than a master of flight. The actual process of combat seems to be too technical for an arcade game, but the tinkering is potentially too light for a sim. Having a bit of both works very well in the first few hours, though by the latter half of the missions you will either want to enter battle quicker, or tinker further than may be allowed.
Ace Combat 8 is the best the series has ever looked and felt, providing gamers with an opportunity to command your crew and flight at top speeds to down the enemy. The gunplay and flight takes a little time to acclimatise, though once in the groove you’ll be successfully navigating the danger zone. With plenty of missions, music tracks and skill tree options, the game houses enough meat to keep you flying for the FCU alongside Joker Flight for countless hours.
Pros
Looks stunning, with the weather the highlight
Clearly emphasises story
Cons
Sim/arcade balance can be tricky
Cut-scenes too long
