Games Like Ace Combat 8: The Best Arcade Flight Combat Alternatives

Project Wingman is the closest game to Ace Combat 8 if you want fast jet handling, aggressive missile locks, a story campaign and a large arsenal without learning realistic flight procedures. Its Steam listing also adds a territory-based Conquest mode, more than 20 aircraft and more than 40 weapons. Choose Star Wars: Squadrons instead if you are happy to trade atmospheric jets for starfighters, squad tactics and Fleet Battles.

This guide compares the alternatives by handling, campaign structure, setting, replay value, multiplayer and hardware support, then gives you a platform-check routine so you do not buy the right game for the wrong system.

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1		Logitech G X56 H.O.T.A.S Throttle and Joystick Flight Simulator Game Controller, 4 Spring Options,...	$191.84	Buy on Amazon
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3		Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas X USB Flight Sim Stick & Throttle - PC | Detachable design, adjustable...	$74.58	Buy on Amazon
4		Thrustmaster T-Flight Hotas One Flight Stick & Throttle - XBOX & PC | Detachable design, Officially...	$99.99	Buy on Amazon
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What are the best games like Ace Combat 8?

For the nearest Ace Combat-style experience, start with Project Wingman. It is built around accessible combat-flight action rather than study-simulation procedures: you select a fast aircraft, lock targets, fire missiles and guns, and move through cinematic missions. Its alternate-Earth setting is different from Ace Combat’s fictional modern-war world, but the moment-to-moment loop is the closest match in this comparison.

Star Wars: Squadrons is the strongest alternative when you want recognizable spacecraft, coordinated team play and a dedicated multiplayer mode. It is not a substitute for modern atmospheric jets. You fly starfighters in space, manage battles as part of a squadron and take part in Fleet Battles, so it suits a different preference.

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Storefront availability, editions and prices can change. Confirm the listing for your console or PC immediately before purchase, especially for the two alternatives.

Use Ace Combat 8 as the baseline

Bandai Namco presents Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve as a fast-paced, arcade-style flight-combat game with powerful weapons. That wording matters: the target experience is dramatic and approachable, not a cockpit study course. You should expect responsive aircraft, generous room to recover from mistakes, heavy missile action and missions designed around spectacle.

The official listing names PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. The Xbox store also describes arcade-style gameplay and cross-platform multiplayer. Those details establish the comparison points for the alternatives:

• Handling: Can a new player get airborne and into a dogfight quickly?
• Combat rhythm: Does the game support frequent target locks, missiles, guns and large weapon loads rather than long stretches of procedural flying?
• Campaign: Is there a sequence of authored missions with a cinematic war narrative?
• Replay: Is there a reason to return after the story, such as a second mode, changing missions or progression?
• Online play: Does the game offer multiplayer, and is that multiplayer cooperative, competitive or both?
• Immersion: Are VR headsets, a HOTAS flight stick or ordinary gamepads supported?

Neither alternative should be sold as a realistic flight simulator. Project Wingman is explicitly a combat-flight action game, while Squadrons focuses on accessible Star Wars dogfights and squad objectives. If you want real-world procedures, navigation study or instrument training, this shortlist is aimed at the wrong genre.

Project Wingman: the closest overall alternative

Why it feels most like Ace Combat

Project Wingman is the best first recommendation for someone who searched for “games like Ace Combat 8” and meant modern aircraft, rapid missile locks and missions built for spectacle. Its Steam description calls it a combat flight-action game with an engaging single-player experience. The structure is immediately legible to an Ace Combat player: choose an aircraft, take a mission, fight through hostile forces and use a large selection of weapons to meet the objective.

The game offers more than 20 aircraft and more than 40 weapons, according to its Steam listing. That breadth gives you room to change how you approach missions instead of treating every sortie as the same loadout. The important qualification is that these are roster counts stated by the listing, not a promise that every aircraft or weapon will suit every mission.

Campaign and setting

Project Wingman takes place on an alternate Earth rather than Ace Combat’s established fictional world. The setting difference is visible in the names, factions and geopolitical framing, but it does not change the arcade-first priorities: speed, target locks, explosive encounters and a campaign designed around escalation.

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Choose Project Wingman when you want a self-contained single-player campaign. It does not require you to understand a long-running series before starting, and the campaign is the clearest route into its aircraft and weapon systems. Treat it as a parallel interpretation of modern aerial action, not as an official continuation or a one-to-one replacement for Ace Combat’s story.

Conquest mode changes the replay loop

After (or alongside) the story-focused experience, Conquest adds a different structure. The Steam listing identifies territory capture, boss encounters, ace squadrons, changing missions and roguelike/RPG progression. Instead of following only a fixed chain of authored missions, you make decisions inside a territory and resource loop, then deal with the consequences of those choices.

That distinction is useful when deciding between the two games:

• Prefer a directed campaign? Begin with the standard single-player experience.
• Want repeatable runs? Conquest provides changing missions and a progression layer designed for multiple attempts.
• Enjoy high-threat encounters? Bosses and ace squadrons create spikes that differ from ordinary sorties.
• Like strategic trade-offs? Territory capture and resource management add decisions outside the immediate dogfight.

Conquest is not simply “more campaign missions.” Its territory map, changing objectives and roguelike/RPG progression alter the pacing. Players who want a strictly cinematic, mission-by-mission sequence may prefer the standard campaign; players who want a reason to replay can get more mileage from Conquest.

VR and HOTAS support

Project Wingman’s Steam listing states that it works with VR headsets and has full HOTAS compatibility. It also documents custom axis curves and support for DirectInput-compatible peripherals. That makes it the strongest choice here for a cockpit-oriented setup.

A HOTAS flight stick and throttle are optional, not a prerequisite. The game remains playable with a normal controller, which is the sensible starting point if you have never used flight hardware. Add a stick-and-throttle setup when you want finer analog control, a more physical cockpit feel or the ability to tune axis response. Because the listing specifically mentions custom axis curves, you can adjust how quickly input reaches full control instead of accepting a fixed response.

Who should choose Project Wingman?

• Players who want the closest modern-jet alternative to Ace Combat’s missile-heavy fights.
• Anyone looking for a self-contained single-player campaign.
• Players who value a sizable aircraft and weapon roster.
• People who want a second mode with territory, bosses and repeatable progression.
• VR users or HOTAS owners who want documented support rather than an unverified control experiment.

Do not choose it expecting the same fictional nations, characters or platform lineup as Ace Combat 8. Confirm the current storefront and input-device requirements for your system before buying.

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Star Wars: Squadrons: the best space-combat alternative

What changes when jets become starfighters

Star Wars: Squadrons moves the action from atmospheric flight to space. StarWars.com describes multiple New Republic and Imperial fighter classes, thrilling multiplayer modes and a unique single-player Star Wars story. That makes it a strong recommendation for readers who value recognizable ships, faction identity and squad tactics more than a modern-air-force presentation.

The change in setting is fundamental. You should not expect Ace Combat’s horizon, terrain-following feel or modern fighter context. You are still piloting a combat craft, selecting targets and coordinating attacks, but the space environment and Star Wars equipment create a different rhythm. Pick Squadrons because you want that difference, not because you expect another jet campaign with a new skin.

Single-player story

Squadrons includes a single-player story campaign. It is useful for learning the controls and the game’s faction-specific aircraft while following a Star Wars narrative. The story also gives solo players a complete way to experience the game before entering multiplayer.

Its campaign is a better fit for fans who want a licensed setting and squadron identity. If your priority is an alternate modern Earth and a broad conventional-aircraft roster, Project Wingman remains the closer match.

Fleet Battles and multiplayer

EA’s gameplay briefing identifies Fleet Battles as Squadrons’ signature mode. The mode is built around squad objectives rather than isolated one-on-one duels: teams fight through a larger engagement while coordinating attacks and defense. StarWars.com also highlights multiplayer modes generally, so the game’s long-term appeal is tied more strongly to online squad play than to a solo campaign alone.

That makes Squadrons the better choice when your ideal Ace Combat alternative includes:

• Team communication and role coordination.
• Recognizable New Republic and Imperial starfighters.
• A multiplayer mode with a larger battle objective than simply scoring individual eliminations.
• A single-player story that introduces the setting before online play.

It is a poorer fit if you specifically want modern jets, a large conventional missile arsenal or a solo-first replay mode like Project Wingman’s Conquest.

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Who should choose Squadrons?

• Star Wars fans who want to pilot both New Republic and Imperial fighter classes.
• Players who prefer squad tactics and objective-based online combat.
• Anyone who wants a dedicated single-player Star Wars story alongside multiplayer.
• Players willing to trade atmospheric jet combat for spaceflight.

Check the current store listing for your platform, online-service requirements and active edition before purchase. The available platform information in the cited material does not establish a universal current lineup for every storefront.

Project Wingman vs. Star Wars: Squadrons vs. Ace Combat 8

Choose by the kind of dogfight you want

If you want the closest Ace Combat-like loop

Choose Project Wingman. Its modern-aircraft focus, lock-on combat, story missions and large weapon roster align most closely with the baseline. Start with the single-player campaign, then move to Conquest if you want changing missions and progression that survives beyond the main story.

If you want the most replayable solo structure

Choose Project Wingman for the specific reason that Conquest changes the campaign shape. Territory decisions, resources, bosses and ace squadrons create a run-based loop rather than a single fixed sequence. This is the clearest replay advantage established for the alternatives in this comparison.

If you want squad-based online combat

Choose Star Wars: Squadrons. Fleet Battles gives multiplayer a larger objective framework, and the New Republic-versus-Imperial structure makes team roles easy to understand. Expect a space-combat game, not a modern-jet substitute.

If you want VR or a cockpit setup

Choose Project Wingman because its Steam listing explicitly documents VR and full HOTAS support. A regular controller is still a valid way to play; buy a HOTAS flight stick only if you want the added physical control and are prepared to tune axis curves.

If cross-platform multiplayer is non-negotiable

Ace Combat 8 is the only game in this comparison whose cited store material explicitly highlights cross-platform multiplayer. For Project Wingman and Squadrons, verify the current cross-play, matchmaking and online-service details on the platform-specific listing rather than assuming that support carries over from another game.

Platform and multiplayer checks before you buy

1. Identify your hardware. Ace Combat 8 is officially listed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. Do not infer that an alternative uses the same platforms.
2. Open the exact storefront. Check the current listing for your console or PC region, edition and controller requirements. Availability and prices are volatile.
3. Separate campaign from online requirements. A game can include a solo story while still requiring an online service or account for multiplayer. Read the platform’s current network requirement.
4. Confirm cross-play instead of guessing. Ace Combat 8’s Xbox listing highlights cross-platform multiplayer. Treat cross-play as unconfirmed for either alternative unless your current store page states it.
5. Check input support. Project Wingman has documented VR and HOTAS support. If you plan to use a flight stick, verify that your operating system and chosen storefront recognize the DirectInput device.
6. Check update and edition notes. Store pages can change names, bundles and included content. Use the current product page rather than an old video or forum post.

How to set up a HOTAS for Project Wingman

A HOTAS setup is an optional immersion upgrade, not a requirement for enjoying the game. Project Wingman’s documented support gives it a stronger case than an alternative that merely accepts generic controller input.

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1. Connect the stick and throttle before launching. DirectInput-compatible peripherals are the supported category named by the Steam listing.
2. Confirm detection in the operating system. Make sure both devices appear and that each axis moves smoothly before opening the game.
3. Open the game’s control settings. Bind pitch, roll, yaw, throttle, weapon selection, target lock and fire controls deliberately rather than accepting every automatic assignment.
4. Set axis curves gradually. Start with a moderate response, then test small corrections and full deflection. The documented custom-curve support lets you reduce twitchiness around the center without losing maximum input.
5. Test in a low-pressure sortie. Verify that target lock, weapon cycling and throttle changes work before attempting difficult missions or Conquest bosses.
6. Keep a controller profile available. A gamepad is useful for troubleshooting, couch play or a second player, and it gives you a fallback if a peripheral disconnects.

Common mistakes when choosing an Ace Combat alternative

Assuming every flight game is a simulator

The comparison is about arcade flight combat. Ace Combat 8’s official wording is “fast-paced arcade-style gameplay,” and Project Wingman is described as combat flight action. Expect accessible controls and cinematic encounters, not real-world checklists or certification-level procedures.

Buying Squadrons while wanting modern jets

Squadrons is a space-combat game. Its strongest reasons to buy are Star Wars craft, squad tactics, multiplayer modes and Fleet Battles. If your non-negotiable requirement is atmospheric modern aircraft, choose Project Wingman instead.

Ignoring the campaign-structure difference

Project Wingman’s Conquest is not merely an extra list of missions. Territory capture, resources, changing missions, bosses, ace squadrons and roguelike/RPG progression create a run-based structure. Players who want only a linear story should begin with its standard campaign; players who want repeatability should plan to use Conquest.

Assuming hardware support without checking

Project Wingman’s VR and HOTAS support is documented. The cited material does not establish equivalent support for Ace Combat 8 or Squadrons, so do not purchase a headset or flight stick based on genre assumptions alone.

Using old platform or price information

Storefront availability and prices change. The platform facts above are limited to what the cited official listings establish; check the live product page in your region before committing.

Final recommendation

Buy Project Wingman if your question is simply, “What is the closest game to Ace Combat 8?” It matches the arcade jet-combat intent, supplies a substantial aircraft and weapon roster, includes a story campaign and adds Conquest for repeatable territory-based runs. Its documented VR and HOTAS support makes it the natural choice for a cockpit setup.

Choose Star Wars: Squadrons when the setting change is part of the appeal. It is the better fit for starfighters, faction identity, squad tactics and Fleet Battles, but it should not be presented as a modern-jet replacement. Keep Ace Combat 8 itself in the running if cross-platform multiplayer across the listed current platforms is the deciding feature.

Quick Recap

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.