In a stacked year for new video games, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has emerged as another Game of the Year candidate.
We awarded the title a very respectable 8/10, but on aggregator website Metacritic, it’s got an incredible 87 – that makes it one of the best new releases of the year.
Of course, while you could enjoy this Top Gun-esque dogfighting title with a traditional DualSense in hand, two competing accessories manufacturers have created rival flight sticks for the release.
Both Hori’s Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Flight Stick and Thrustmaster’s T.FLIGHT HOTAS NEO Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Edition are out on 2nd October, alongside the game.
The two sticks are compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC, and promise plug-and-play functionality – with licensing from both Sony and Bandai Namco.
But they do offer unique features.
Hori’s solution includes a ‘High-G Mode’ button for stomach churning High-G Turns, for example; Thrustmaster’s option, meanwhile, has force feedback and rumble so you can feel every explosion and missile launch.
The prices are similar, too: Hori’s version costs $129.99 in the US, while Thrustmaster’s effort costs $149.99.
Which one should you stump up for? Well, I haven’t had a chance to test out either yet, so that’s almost impossible for me to answer.
I will say, however, that I’ve had my eye on the Thrustmaster for Flight Simulator 2024 for a while, and this Ace Combat 8 version is effectively a rebranded re-release of that – with rumble, of course.
I’m not sure whether those vibrations are going to be worth the extra money, but they seem pretty important for a franchise like Ace Combat to me, where the drama of combat is so crucial to the experience.
Are you planning to pick up either of these for the new game? Let me know which one and why in the comments section below.