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Review: Aces Of Thunder
My preview experience with Aces of Thunder in April 2025 was quite favourable. Although the game has faced several delays since then, it has finally been released, and I am back in the skies. After encountering several disappointments in the VR aerial combat genre, has the additional development time since the preview has resulted in the kind of aerial combat game that VR truly deserves?
Game Details
Release Date: February 3rd 2026
Developer: Gaijin Entertainment
Publisher: Gaijin Network Ltd
Price: £24.99 / US $29.99
Reviewed On: PlayStation VR2
* Access Provided For Review *
Practice Makes the Ace
I believe it’s crucial to highlight two points at the beginning of this review. Aces of Thunder is a combat flight simulator that assumes its players are knowledgeable. However, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t aim to offer the comprehensive depth found in flight simulation games like DCS, which may lead hardcore flight sim enthusiasts to perceive it as somewhat simplistic in that regard.
Developed by the creators of War Thunder, Aces of Thunder centres around classic World War aircraft, offering players access to four planes from WWI and twenty from WWII. While one might argue that Aces of Thunder features a smaller selection of aircraft compared to War Thunder, it’s important to view it as a streamlined version that draws from War Thunder’s simulation heritage – minus the extensive grind and clutter. This game prioritises a cockpit-first experience, specifically designed for, but not limited to, virtual reality.
Given that VR is the main focus in the game’s design, playing without it quickly reveals how essential it is for Aces of Thunder. The Gaijin Entertainment team could have added a HUD element or an option to adjust the camera view, potentially benefiting one group of players over another. Nevertheless, they opted for a design that reflects the historical context of the time. This means there are no floating markers in the sky, except for identifying allies who are enabled for friendly fire. When it comes to zooming in, you must rely on the era-appropriate magnifying glass and sometimes squint to determine your next move – and occasionally, that decision may be wrong. Essentially, you need to persist and learn the identification markers for specific planes, but this knowledge will be hard-won as you engage in dogfights where you may find yourself outgunned or outmanoeuvred due to a mismatch.
What this means is that all the practice you put in starts to feel rewarding in terms of both time and effort. As you learn to recognise indicators that help you steer clear of unfavourable confrontations based on the aircraft you are flying, you also realise that losing a dogfight can be as easy as miscalculating a turn, botching your shots, or letting your opponent target your fuel tank or engine due to your movements during the battle. On the flip side, when you secure a win, it’s because you have begun to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both your plane and the adversary’s. In the end, it’s about mastering skills and knowledge with your aircraft, rather than merely the time you invest, that will influence the results of your dogfights.
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Regarding game modes, you have multiplayer skirmishes and a wide array of solo missions. The single-player experience consists of fourteen missions and nine War Stories. The War Stories will cover condensed highlights from WWII, including events like supporting operations in Normandy and patrolling the waters around Pearl Harbour, to mention a few. The other missions are not tied to any historical events and can be completed in any sequence. Aside from some being based on historical occurrences, the functionality of the planes remains unchanged.
Nonetheless, the key to extending the enjoyment of single-player experiences lies in the mission editor, especially for those who prefer not to engage in multiplayer. Within the mission editor, you can choose a theatre that corresponds to the era of the aircraft you’ve selected, a specific area of the map for the action, and the arrangement of the frontline. You also have the option to determine the type of engagement, the time of day, the weather conditions, and the difficulty level. This customisation allows you to refine your skills, and once you feel prepared, you can experience the gratifying moment of removing your training wheels, which are automatically activated to provide support in stabilising the aircraft, smoothing out your turns, and preventing spins. While these aids are particularly beneficial for beginners, enabling you to concentrate on aspects like situational awareness, positioning, and gunnery, turning them off dramatically changes the gameplay, as you begin to grapple with the physics of flight – leaving you in charge of everything.
However, I believe that for many, the core of Aces of Thunder will stem from the multiplayer aspect. In this mode, the matches are not just simple death matches; they are driven by scenarios – featuring elements like bomber escorts, interceptions, and beach landings. Teams will be locked to specific nations, which not only emphasises the need for identification that you’ve been learning, but also minimises the chaos of having aircraft from various nations flying around.
In multiplayer, you are allotted four aircraft lives. If you lose one, you must choose another plane from your nation’s line-up. If you exhaust all four lives, that means you are finished for that game. This mechanic introduces a strategic layer to the game that many titles in this genre overlook. If all your fighters are eliminated early on, you might find yourself defending your bomber with minimal firepower to fend off your adversary. However, if you seek a more customised experience, you can create and join custom battles, which operate under similar parameters as the mission editor in single-player mode. Additionally, regarding matchmaking, the game will not leave you waiting for enough hum
Scale, Clarity, and Compromise
The team at Gaijin Entertainment has recognised that sometimes performance should be prioritised over fidelity, especially in games of this genre. Don’t misunderstand me; on PSVR2, the game looks fantastic in terms of clarity and detail within the cockpits. However, they have ensured that the game avoids unnecessary effects that would heavily tax performance.
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What the game does provide is an outstanding sense of scale, with moments that leave you breathless, such as an enemy plane spiralling out of the sky right beside you—sometimes necessitating clever manoeuvring to avoid being taken down with it. While the sky presents stunning visual effects that captivate, like contrails streaking across the horizon, a beautiful view of the earth as you eject from your plane before being engulfed by explosions or flak below, the experience changes when flying at low altitudes. In these situations, the ground rendering suffers from vegetation pop-in and noticeable LOD issues, compelling you to steer clear of those low-flying dogfights as you race across the map.
When it comes to the audio, you get what you would expect from a game aiming at simulation over a gaming experience – meaning you are not going get Kenny Loggins blaring as you fly into battle. Instead you are going to get the realism from just having the noises of your planes flying and gunfire, mixed with your enemies or allies planes flying by, the noises of your plane chassis getting hit by bullets, explosions and the wind effects. Witch essentially is what you would want in a game that is aiming for pure simulation.
Comfort
The Verdict
Aces of Thunder delivers one of the finest combat flight simulators available in virtual reality, marking a welcome change from the series of lacklustre releases in the genre on PlayStation VR. The Gaijin Entertainment team has crafted a game that embodies the essence of a simulator without overwhelming newcomers with excessive complexity, unlike DCS, for instance. However, this simplicity may leave hardcore simulation fans wanting more depth in certain aspects. The game throws you right into the action, especially if you’re not familiar with flight simulators or World War-era aircraft. Nonetheless, as you begin to understand aircraft shapes, recognise markings, and master your own flying machine, the experience becomes gratifying. Once you shed the initial training wheels, the thrill of winning dogfights enhances that sense of accomplishment. The cockpit’s detail and clarity are only slightly surpassed by GT7, and the sky effects can leave you in awe. Unfortunately, issues like pop-in and LOD when flying close to the ground can detract from the overall experience, making it less appealing to engage in dogfights at lower altitudes. Nevertheless, Aces of Thunder has the potential to be a system seller for PlayStation VR2, particularly for the enthusiasts it targets, thanks to its cockpit-first design tailored for virtual reality.
Copyright / The VR Realm / 2016 -
