Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve’s multiplayer offers thrilling, scenic aerial matches and strong co-operative modes, but its live-service structure gets in the way. The reviewer says the action is among the best they have played this year, while convoluted menus and frequent navigation make routine tasks feel unnecessarily laborious.

The review highlights Co-Op Assault, where squads race to destroy targets and defend against attackers, and Co-op Warfare, which adds an opposing squad. The reviewer has spent less time in the deathmatch modes and is less impressed with them so far. They also describe the social hub, challenges and aircraft customisation as scattered across multiple menus; the article’s headline flags excessive microtransactions, though the provided text gives no further detail about them.