CGM was invited to Los Angeles, California, by Bandai Namco for an exclusive hands-on preview of the latest installment in their Ace Combat franchise, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. This is a highly anticipated game that is seven years in the making, and Bandai Namco was as eager to show off the game as we were to see it.
Press and creators gathered at Orbital Studios in L.A. to get a sneak peek at the game, and the venue was decked out with imagery honouring Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, as well as its long franchise history in the form of a ‘Hall of Heroes,’ paying tribute to each of their past games, as well as the future Ace Combat Zero that was teased at the event. Beyond the entrance were four cockpits with a massive screen in front of it, whose purpose had yet to reveal itself.
We were led into a room for our mission briefing, laying out the events of the day and providing pertinent information on Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve before being led to our stations to get our first hands-on experience. For our first gameplay session, we had access to the campaign mode from missions 1-5. You are Rex, a pilot for the Federation of Central Usea (FCU) who takes on the moniker of the mythical FCU Ace, Wings of Theve. You are at war with the Republic of Sotoa, whose invasion has the FCU on the ropes.
The storyline is rich with a lot of cutscenes between missions. Before each mission, you also get the opportunity to prepare for your mission by selecting your plane (based on available planes that you obtain throughout the game), each with its own advantages regarding armour, maneuverability, etc. You arm your plane with special weaponry which can help you on your mission, and what’s more, you can make the same customizations to the planes that make up your squad, making sure that you have everything you need.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve provides some epic, fast-paced missions that range from defending bases from bomber runs to trying to take down a heavily armoured battleship that can take to the land. The mix of realistic flight capabilities with far-fetched enemies and weapons makes for a more fun overall experience.
First impressions of the graphics were so impressive. The combination of Unreal Engine 5 and Bandai Namco’s Cloudly Engine (which manages the realistic cloud graphics and physics) has created gorgeous levels with near-flawless scenery when seeing it as a whole in Ace Combat 8. The water and sky are gorgeous, and the planes, complete with the lighting, reflections, condensation and more, will make you want to never play the game from the view of the cockpit to avoid denying yourself the sights.
We were given the opportunity to sit down with Ace Combat’s Brand Director, Kazutoki Kono, who provided his insight into the process of developing this game, which has been underway since the previous game came out. We were able to ask him how he and his team prioritize what should be the focus of the next game in a 30-year franchise.
“Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve provides some epic, fast-paced missions that range from defending bases from bomber runs to trying to take down a heavily armoured battleship that can take to the land.”
“This being the 30th Anniversary of the Ace Combat franchise, we looked at all the past Ace Combat titles,” Kono responded. “And we found that there were a few systems and mechanics that were quite fun and good, but over the course of time, they kind of disappeared from the franchise. So one objective of Ace Combat 8 was to identify the systems and mechanics that really work and try to integrate it into the game.”
Kono went on to explain Bandai Namco’s philosophy when it comes to delivering an immersive game while keeping the franchise cohesive.
“Ace Combat, I believe, is built on three pillars. The first one is the photorealistic sky and the sense of freedom that you get when soaring through it. The next is the satisfaction of shooting down the enemy, either aircraft or different types of targets, and the third is that sensation or experience that you get when becoming an Ace Pilot.”
We got the opportunity to see these pillars in action during our second gameplay section, where we were able to capture our gameplay of Missions 4, 9 and 11, with some of the biggest set piece battles in the game (that we know about). Each mission was very different. One involved taking out the Sotoan Navy in a bombing mission, one was to stop massive transport planes from making it to their destination, and the final was to stop an all-out invasion by the aforementioned land-driven tanker battleship.
The diverse challenges in the game promise to provide a full gaming experience. While we can’t review the game at this point because we did not see a completed version of the game, what I saw during this first glance makes me excited to see the finished product and play through the whole story. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve will be available later this year.
We’d like to thank Bandai Namco for inviting us to come check out the game, and we’ll have more for you on this game closer to the launch date.
