Ace Combat 8 Reviews Are In: An 88 on Metacritic!

Did you have Ace Combat 8 on your radar for next week? If not, you might want to clear some space on your calendar.

The first reviews for Bandai Namco's latest flight combat game have just gone live, and they're seriously impressive. As things stand, Ace Combat 8 sits at an 88 average rating on Metacritic for the PS5 version. That's not just a good score — it makes it the 20th highest-rated game of 2026 so far.

Here's the thing, though: next week is absolutely stacked for new Xbox releases. You've got The Witcher 3: Remastered, Minecraft Dungeons 2, and the early access launch for Gears of War: E-Day all landing at once. With that kind of lineup, it would be easy to let Ace Combat 8 fly under your radar entirely.

But an 88 on Metacritic is the kind of number that demands attention. It puts Ace Combat 8 in rare air for 2026, and it's a strong signal that Bandai Namco has delivered something special with this entry. If you're a fan of the series — or just someone who enjoys high-speed aerial combat — this one deserves a serious look.

So don't sleep on it. The competition for your time next week is fierce, but a score like this suggests Ace Combat 8 can hold its own against anything else dropping. Whether you're a longtime ace or a newcomer curious about the franchise, the reviews are telling you it's worth the dive.

Will you be picking up Ace Combat 8 next week, or is your backlog already too crowded? Let us know what you think!