Hero image: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launch trailer. Image: Bandai Namco Entertainment, via PlayStation on YouTube
Bandai Namco’s Flight Series Clears Its Next Entry For Takeoff
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has a launch trailer. It went up on the PlayStation and Xbox YouTube channels on 28 September, days before release.
The description opens with a line of radio chatter: “Air traffic control to Joker 1: You are cleared for takeoff.” It then gives the release date as “October 2nd”.
In Australia, the Steam listing gives 1 October for the PC version.
The game is developed by Bandai Namco Aces and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The Steam page describes intense aerial combat and “a breathtaking campaign filled with high-stakes missions, hard choices, and deep squad connections.”
On Steam in Australia, the standard edition is A$109.95 and the Deluxe Edition is A$139.95.
According to the trailer’s description, the Deluxe Edition includes the base game, “3 days of Early Access”, a customisable cosmetic set and a Premium Ace Pass Plus voucher. The Steam page puts the start of that Early Access at 3pm Pacific time on 28 September, which is 8am AEST on 29 September.
Pre-orders also carry two bonuses: the F-14A aircraft and access to Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. On Steam, the older game is a standalone application, separate from the new one.
The store page splits the game in two. The campaign promises “dynamic multi-layered cloudscapes” and first-person scenes that tell the pilot’s story, with squad members to bond with between missions.
The other half is Ace Combat Online, which the page calls “the most expansive multiplayer experience in franchise history.” It adds the series’ first online lobby, an air base to explore with a custom avatar, and online missions with co-op and cross-platform play.
The opening cinematic was released earlier this month, and Gamers Classified covered it at the time.
Source: PlayStation on YouTube – Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Launch Trailer, Xbox on YouTube – Ace Combat 8 launch trailer, Steam – Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve