Dylan Reed
- Here's a quick guide on how to unlock Ace difficulty in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve.
- Complete the Campaign on Elite
- You Don't Need S Ranks
- What Happens After You Finish
- Having Trouble With Elite?
- FAQ
Here's a quick guide on how to unlock Ace difficulty in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve.
Ace is the highest difficulty in Ace Combat 8, but you won't see it when you first start the game. You have to clear the campaign on Elite first, so if you're aiming for Ace, you'll need to get through the story on the game's toughest starting difficulty.
Complete the Campaign on Elite
Start a campaign on Elite and work your way through all 30 numbered missions. You don't need to earn an S Rank on every mission for the unlock; the important part is completing the campaign on Elite.
You can also change the difficulty during the game, but if your goal is to unlock Ace, it's safest to keep your Elite run on Elite rather than dropping the difficulty halfway through.
You Don't Need S Ranks
Don't worry about getting perfect scores while you're working toward Ace. S Ranks are a separate challenge and aren't required to unlock the difficulty.
This is useful to know because some missions can be much easier if you focus on simply completing the objectives instead of trying to squeeze every possible point out of the mission.
What Happens After You Finish
Once you've cleared the campaign on Elite, Ace becomes available as a difficulty option. You can then use it for the campaign and in Free Mission when replaying missions.
Free Mission itself unlocks after your first campaign clear, so it's also a good place to practice individual missions before committing to another full run.
Having Trouble With Elite?
There's nothing wrong with playing through the campaign on a lower difficulty first. You'll get familiar with the missions and can build up your aircraft, weapons, parts, and MRP before taking on Elite.
If you're already comfortable with Ace Combat, though, you can go straight into Elite and unlock Ace in your first campaign run.
Finish the campaign on Elite, and Ace difficulty will unlock for your next challenge.
FAQ
Q. Do I need S Ranks to unlock Ace?
A. No. You only need to complete the campaign on Elite.
Q. Is Ace harder than Elite?
A. Yes. Ace is the highest difficulty setting in the game.
Q. Can I unlock Ace by playing lower difficulties?
A. No. The required unlock is an Elite campaign clear.
Q. Can I replay missions on Ace?
A. Yes. Once Ace is unlocked, you can select it for missions in Free Mission.
Also, check out our Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Review and other guides below:
