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AereA

AereA, a musically driven RPG, hits all the right notes aesthetically and musically. Unfortunately in the long run, the game falls a bit flat.
48%Game Brain Score
music, graphics
grinding, optimization
45% User Score Based on 44 reviews
Critic Score 54%Based on 9 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationLinuxLinuxMac OSMac OSXbox OneXbox One
Buy Nowfrom $4.43
Buy NowGet on Steam€6.89

About

"AereA is a music-themed Action RPG where players, in single-player or local co-op with up to three friends, explore a floating island as one of four different characters to find and return the nine primordial instruments and restore balance. Each character has unique abilities and weapons, and players can collect music sheets to learn new skills. The game features beautifully hand-drawn graphics and nine unique boss battles."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
AereA screenshot
AereA screenshot
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+2

45%
Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews
music17 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • AereA features beautiful hand-drawn graphics and an impressive musical score that enhances the overall experience.
  • The game offers a charming concept of using music as a weapon, with a variety of characters to choose from and local co-op support.
  • Players can enjoy moments of fun, especially in cooperative multiplayer mode, where teaming up can add to the enjoyment.
  • The gameplay suffers from a lack of challenge, with enemies being too weak and player characters overly powerful, leading to a monotonous experience.
  • Level design is confusing and often frustrating, with large, labyrinthine maps and a mini-map that fails to provide adequate guidance.
  • Many players find the game tedious due to repetitive quests and a lack of engaging content, making it feel unfinished and lacking depth.
  • music
    91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in Aerea is widely praised for its captivating and well-composed soundtrack, which enhances the game's thematic elements and immerses players in its musical world. While the integration of music into gameplay and aesthetics is commendable, many reviewers feel that the execution falls short, with gameplay mechanics not fully leveraging the musical concept. Overall, the soundtrack stands out as the game's strongest aspect, overshadowing its gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The game's visual and auditory aesthetics are undoubtedly its greatest triumphs, immersing players in a world where music shapes every aspect of life.”
    • “On top of this is one of the nicest game soundtracks I’ve heard in a while, all classically themed and impressively composed for a game set in a musical world.”
    • “Aerea, a musically driven RPG, hits all the right notes aesthetically and musically.”
    • “While it enchants with its thematic elements and captivating soundtrack, it falters in execution, leaving players navigating a discordant melody of strengths and weaknesses.”
    • “In conclusion, Aerea's enchanting premise and musical charm are overshadowed by its gameplay shortcomings, including unbalanced difficulty, confusing level design, and tedious achievement requirements.”
    • “However, I was expecting a musical Diablo-style game with perhaps some cool musical puzzles or combat, yet none of that occurred.”
  • graphics
    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautifully crafted top-down visuals and charming hand-drawn art style, showcasing the capabilities of the Unity engine and rendering well in 4K. Players appreciate the integration of musical themes into the artwork, creating an immersive experience, although some feel the "cute" aesthetics may not appeal to all audiences. Overall, the visuals are considered a significant strength of the game, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and difficulty.

    • “The artwork, without a doubt, shines through here with wonderfully crafted top-down graphics that, to my eyes, seem like a shining example of how the Unity engine can be used well.”
    • “Graphic-wise, it looks beautiful and renders in 4K just fine as noted on the Steam page.”
    • “The hand-drawn graphics are very inviting.”
    • “Even most young teenagers are going to be quickly bored and uninterested in the 'cute' aesthetics found in this game.”
    • “[the lack of challenging difficulty makes it quite a boring adventure, visuals leave a lot to be desired, far too many severe glitches]”
    • “Aerea, a musically driven RPG, hits all the right notes aesthetically and musically.”
  • story
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story features an intriguing premise centered around the mystery of stolen sacred instruments, enhanced by a strong integration of music and character involvement. However, players criticize the narrative for becoming repetitive and overly reliant on fetch quests, leading to a lack of engagement and minimal payoff. While some find the storyline enjoyable, many feel it ultimately falls flat due to its monotonous quest structure and uninspired character development.

    • “The story and creatures are great, and the way music and instruments are integrated is a job really well done!”
    • “The character you play as becomes an important part of the story as you unravel a bit of mystery as to why some sacred instruments have been stolen.”
    • “I am filled with intrigue and interest with regards to the storyline.”
    • “Whatever the reason, what comes through the gameplay is a monotonous series of fetch quests and 'kill the boss monster' quests which take much longer to get to than it takes to complete once you begin to attack.”
    • “Early on, I assumed it would get harder, but in reality, the game just continued with fetch quest after fetch quest, ending with another boss fight that took all of 30 seconds once I discovered the boss level.”
    • “The story is adequate, but that is pretty much it.”
  • gameplay
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Aerea's gameplay is marred by unbalanced difficulty, confusing level design, and a lack of challenge, making it feel monotonous and tedious. Players find the combat too easy, with many quests feeling like mere fetch tasks, and the controls frustrating, particularly with mouse and keyboard steering. Despite its appealing visuals and musical charm, the gameplay ultimately fails to deliver a satisfying experience.

    • “It looks awesome and the gameplay is excellent.”
    • “If you watch my gameplay videos of the game, the only time I ever came close to dying was when I was ignorant of environmental hazards.”
    • “Towards the end of my first gameplay video, I take on the first primordial boss.”
    • “Aerea's gameplay suffers from several issues, notably its unbalanced difficulty and confusing level design.”
    • “Unfortunately, the actual gameplay is so easy that it’s almost impossible to die in this game.”
    • “Whatever the reason, what comes through the gameplay is a monotonous series of fetch quests and 'kill the boss monster' quests which take much longer to get to than it takes to complete once you begin to attack.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of Aerea to be tedious and unchallenging, with lengthy achievement requirements that detract from the overall experience. The game's enchanting premise is overshadowed by its dull combat and unbalanced difficulty, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement. Overall, the grind feels more like a chore than a rewarding challenge.

    • “Additionally, Aerea includes achievements that cater to completionists but often devolve into tedious and lengthy grinds devoid of challenge.”
    • “In conclusion, Aerea's enchanting premise and musical charm are overshadowed by its gameplay shortcomings, including unbalanced difficulty, confusing level design, and tedious achievement requirements.”
    • “- dull and tedious combat.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been criticized for failing to meet expectations, resulting in a lackluster and uninspired performance that detracts from its potential charm.

    • “It has the potential to be full of charm but instead delivers a dull and largely uninspired performance.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is marred by numerous severe glitches, which detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the lack of challenging difficulty and subpar visuals contribute to a sense of boredom during gameplay.

    • “The lack of challenging difficulty makes it quite a boring adventure.”
    • “The visuals leave a lot to be desired.”
    • “There are far too many severe glitches.”

54%Critics’ scoreBased on 9 critic reviews

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