Use this checklist to turn the first launch of ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE into a repeatable learning flight. The game is listed as Coming Soon, but official descriptions already establish a useful loop: campaign scenes and briefings lead to a hangar, mission, and debriefing, with replay, choices, and squad relationships around that loop. The checklist records what to inspect without inventing a mission title, control map, or reward.
Before launching the game
Confirm the Steam product is AppID 2288340 and that the available storage meets the published 125 GB requirement. The Steam listing names Windows 11, 16 GB of memory, DirectX 12, an SSD, hardware ray tracing, and Shader Model 6.6 or higher within its PC requirements. A player near the minimum should leave additional space for installation and updates rather than reserving only the headline number.
Connect the controller or prepare the keyboard before opening the first mission. Check display mode, resolution, refresh rate, HDR state, and audio. These are setup observations, not permanent recommendations. If the screen or input behaves strangely, write down the condition before altering several settings at once. The Technical hub keeps those diagnostics separate from mission advice.
In the briefing and hangar
Read the objective twice and write a single sentence describing the primary task. Add the failure condition, time pressure, escort requirement, or search area if the briefing presents one. Keep optional targets in a separate line. This prevents a beginner from choosing a loadout for an impressive side target while missing the condition that ends the sortie.
Inspect the aircraft, weapon, and upgrade choices offered by the hangar. Choose a configuration you can explain: familiar handling, a weapon that matches the target type, or a defensive option needed for the route. The Aircraft hub explains why the “best plane” question is incomplete before release; the Campaign Walkthrough keeps objective and spoiler notes together.
During the sortie
Begin with attitude control. Identify the horizon, target marker, and threat warning before using a dramatic maneuver. Practice stabilizing, positioning, locking, attacking, and returning to the objective in that order. The official walkthrough describes rolls, loops, thrusters, missiles, machine guns, chaff, and flares, but exact bindings and weapon behavior must be checked in the Windows build.
When the objective changes, stop and read the new state. If a target escapes, an ally is threatened, or weather reduces visibility, note the phase instead of continuing the original plan. Use countermeasures deliberately and do not assume that a cloud, altitude, or maneuver has one universal answer. The Combat hub owns the detailed engagement decisions.
At the debriefing
Record the primary result, optional result, aircraft state, displayed MRP or unlock change, and any choice or relationship prompt. Official product material mentions replay, debriefing, choices, and squad relationships; it does not yet establish every consequence. Do not press replay until you have captured the state you want to compare.
Classify the next problem. A failed objective belongs to Missions, a poor attack or evasion belongs to Combat, a missing aircraft or part belongs to Aircraft or Systems, and a stutter or input loss belongs to Technical. A short classification makes the next attempt intentional rather than a random loadout change.
Keep the first sortie record even when it feels uneventful. Note whether the briefing was clear, which HUD element you watched, when the first warning appeared, how much control you had during recovery, and what the debriefing asked you to decide next. These observations create a baseline for later patches and make it easier to tell a genuine balance change from a new pilot simply learning the route.
If the first sortie ends early, save the checklist anyway. The failed condition, last readable objective, and selected loadout are more useful than a guessed explanation.
This checklist was checked on 2026-08-09 UTC against the Steam Store, official walkthrough, and official product page. Add exact menu labels and tested rewards only after the game is playable and the build/date are recorded.