--- title: "Ace Combat 8 Is Out on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, With a Twenty-Hour Campaign" description: "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." url: https://gaming.skoop.news/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-af011b/ published: 2026-10-30T03:41:12.480367-04:00 modified: 2026-10-30T03:41:12.480387-04:00 section: "Gaming & Streamers" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Ace Combat", "F-35 Lightning II", "Ghost of Kyiv", "Producer Manabu Shimomoto", "Wings of Theve", "Xbox Series X", "Expert", "Normal", "Attacker", "Baxter"] hashtags: ["#AceCombat", "#F35LightningII", "#GhostOfKyiv", "#gaming", "#gamingclips"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Dallas_Fuel_Fans_at_Esports_Stadium_Arlington.jpg/1280px-Dallas_Fuel_Fans_at_Esports_Stadium_Arlington.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # 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. Published 2026-10-30 · Updated 2026-10-30 · Gaming & Streamers, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - The single-player campaign has thirty missions and took almost exactly twenty hours to complete in the reviewer's playthrough [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). - Producer Manabu Shimomoto said the tutorial is a conscious effort to make Ace Combat 8 the most accessible the series has ever felt [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). - The protagonist steps into the shoes of a famous pilot and folk hero who has been killed in action [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). ## 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]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). 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]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). Most missions take around fifteen minutes, and some longer encounters run above thirty minutes [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). The first three levels form a long-form tutorial [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). ## 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]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). The game also offers two control schemes, Normal and Expert [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). Brand director Kazutoki Kono describes Ace Combat 8 as tapping a universal desire to fly freely through vast skies [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). ## Story and setting The protagonist steps into the shoes of a famous pilot and folk hero who has been killed in action [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). After the Sotoan invasion, the player is fished out of the water by the Endurance aircraft carrier [[3]](https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/). The invasion has put the FCU forces in disarray [[3]](https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/). The wingmen Baxter, Tasha, and Coster each play a key role in the story [[3]](https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/). The Wings of Theve tale takes heavy inspiration from the Ghost of Kyiv, a social media rumor [[3]](https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/). ## Aircraft and unlocks The F/A-18 Hornet and F-14 Tomcat are the starting aircraft [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). More advanced jets such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II are unlocked through the Aircraft Tree [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). Aircraft are divided into four categories: Fighter, Attacker, Multirole, and Electronic Warfare [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). The EA-6B Prowler is an electronic warfare aircraft in the game [[3]](https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/). ## Multiplayer and seasons The multiplayer offering includes hundred-player lobbies, co-op missions, and a suite of multiplayer modes [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). Ace Combat 8's multiplayer will feature seasons of content every two months and a battle pass [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). ## Rough edges Story cutscenes include quick time events, such as standing at attention or taking something offered, that the reviewer found unnecessary [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). Radio chatter in some missions can involve five different layers of conversation at the same time [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). The pre-order bonus is a character who loves flamenco and dramatically clutches an assault rifle [[3]](https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/). ## 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]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998) [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). Shimomoto said the tutorial is meant to make the game the most accessible the series has ever felt [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). If you plan to play online, expect hundred-player lobbies, co-op missions, seasons every two months, and a battle pass [[2]](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998). For the campaign, the reviewer's playthrough of thirty missions took almost exactly twenty hours [[1]](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/). ## Sources 1. [Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Review - The Best Combat Flight Simulator Yet?](https://hardcoregamer.com/review-ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve/) — Hardcore Gamer 2. [Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve: The Kotaku Review](https://kotaku.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-the-kotaku-review-2000750998) — Kotaku 3. [Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve Review: A Veteran Team's Crown Jewel](https://www.dualshockers.com/ace-combat-8-wings-of-theve-review/) — DualShockers Image: Photo (illustrative): stingrayschuller / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dallas_Fuel_Fans_at_Esports_Stadium_Arlington.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/