Ace Combat 8 Soars Past Expectations in Hands-On Preview

At Summer Game Fest 2026, the author went hands-on with Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve and came away impressed by the aircraft visuals and flight feel, even as the demo posed a challenging, timing-heavy mission sequence; a rocky start gave way to steady progress, and the overall takeaway is that Ace Combat 8 looks set to deliver a strong, long-awaited entry with sharp squad banter and satisfying aerial combat when it launches in October.