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Ace Combat 8 Is Out on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, With a Twenty-Hour Campaign
The game has a three-level tutorial, thirty missions, hundred-player lobbies and a battle pass, and this piece covers what each of those means for you.
The campaign by the numbers
The single-player campaign has thirty missions and took almost exactly twenty hours to complete in the reviewer's playthrough [1]. If you play on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC, that is the amount of game waiting for you, because Ace Combat 8 is available on all three [2].
Most missions take around fifteen minutes, and some longer encounters run above thirty minutes [1]. The first three levels form a long-form tutorial [2].
A tutorial built for newcomers
Producer Manabu Shimomoto said the tutorial is a conscious effort to make Ace Combat 8 the most accessible the series has ever felt [2]. The game also offers two control schemes, Normal and Expert [1].
Brand director Kazutoki Kono describes Ace Combat 8 as tapping a universal desire to fly freely through vast skies [2].
Story and setting
The protagonist steps into the shoes of a famous pilot and folk hero who has been killed in action [2]. After the Sotoan invasion, the player is fished out of the water by the Endurance aircraft carrier [3]. The invasion has put the FCU forces in disarray [3].
The wingmen Baxter, Tasha, and Coster each play a key role in the story [3]. The Wings of Theve tale takes heavy inspiration from the Ghost of Kyiv, a social media rumor [3].
Aircraft and unlocks
The F/A-18 Hornet and F-14 Tomcat are the starting aircraft [1]. More advanced jets such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II are unlocked through the Aircraft Tree [1].
Aircraft are divided into four categories: Fighter, Attacker, Multirole, and Electronic Warfare [1]. The EA-6B Prowler is an electronic warfare aircraft in the game [3].
Multiplayer and seasons
The multiplayer offering includes hundred-player lobbies, co-op missions, and a suite of multiplayer modes [2]. Ace Combat 8's multiplayer will feature seasons of content every two months and a battle pass [2].
Rough edges
Story cutscenes include quick time events, such as standing at attention or taking something offered, that the reviewer found unnecessary [1]. Radio chatter in some missions can involve five different layers of conversation at the same time [1].
The pre-order bonus is a character who loves flamenco and dramatically clutches an assault rifle [3].
What this means for you
If you are new to the series, the first three levels form a long-form tutorial, and the game offers Normal and Expert control schemes [2][1]. Shimomoto said the tutorial is meant to make the game the most accessible the series has ever felt [2].
If you plan to play online, expect hundred-player lobbies, co-op missions, seasons every two months, and a battle pass [2]. For the campaign, the reviewer's playthrough of thirty missions took almost exactly twenty hours [1].
Sources
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