AFTERBURN
- December 11, 2019
- MorfeoDev
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Afterburn" is a single-player simulation game with stellar mechanics and amazing visuals. The game features easy-to-learn controls, daily mini-campaigns, and an endless mode for arcade-style action. With simple aircraft setup and quick installation, it offers vibrant visuals and competitive leaderboards for an engaging experience.
Reviews
- Fun and addictive gameplay with simple controls, making it easy to pick up and play.
- Challenging missions that keep players engaged, especially with the daily leaderboard resets.
- Visually appealing graphics and smooth performance, even on lower-end systems.
- Limited content with only six missions and a lack of variety in enemies and environments.
- Frustrating difficulty spikes, particularly in the last mission, which can feel unfair.
- No background music and minimal sound effects, which detracts from the overall experience.
- story77 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 86 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, primarily focusing on fast-paced action across six missions, with the first few serving as tutorials and the last two presenting significant difficulty spikes that many players find frustrating. While the gameplay is engaging and encourages repeated attempts to overcome challenges, there is a lack of narrative depth, character development, or meaningful plot progression, leaving players to primarily enjoy the mechanics rather than a compelling story. Overall, the game is recommended for its addictive gameplay, but those seeking a rich narrative experience may be disappointed.
“The missions keep getting harder but also keep increasing the level of pure joy!”
“It's definitely very frustrating at first, but the feeling of getting better and beating a mission that had you struggling for hundreds of attempts is incredibly satisfying.”
“I really like the game and I'd like it even more if they added some stuff; I'd really love to pilot a bomber with massive bombs for missions to attack ground targets like the radar or new targets, maybe tanks or mechs, would be very fun indeed.”
“Ah, and the only goal to work towards is some leaderboard score that resets daily: no campaign, no story, no boss battles, nothing that might justify the full price or even a tenth of it.”
“The last mission is a huge increase in difficulty, and I gave up after many tries because of the ridiculous amount of enemies that suddenly appear around you.”
“Currently, you get one 6 mission campaign every 36ish hours, and once you finish, the only thing you can do is endlessly replay the final mission in search of a better score.”
- graphics45 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their appealing low-poly aesthetic and vibrant visuals, especially considering the game's small file size and low system requirements. While not on par with high-end titles, the visuals effectively complement the fast-paced gameplay and evoke nostalgia for classic arcade games. Overall, players appreciate the clean art style and smooth performance, making it accessible and enjoyable for a wide range of PCs.
“The graphics are phenomenal for being a game that takes up less than 100mb of hard drive space.”
“Amazing game, the controls are really smooth, the visuals are great for a game that can run on regular PCs, and overall it's a really entertaining arcade fighter jet game.”
“The graphics have a high enough polygon resolution and polish not to look like this game's pixel-dragging ancestors from the 80's/90's, whilst keeping the poly-count low enough that the gameplay stays blisteringly fast.”
“Graphics are not much different from FA, simplistic, low-poly, and minimum requirements.”
“Apparently 'vibrant visuals' means an acid trip of motion blur and chromatic aberration (can be turned off but bleh).”
“The graphics style reminds me of vintage 3D Gouraud shaded arcade games from when I was a kid.”
- gameplay36 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging mechanics, intuitive controls, and addictive arcade-style dogfighting, while others criticize its lack of depth and repetitive nature after the campaign. Players appreciate the streamlined experience and unique mechanics, but many feel that the game could benefit from more content and customization options. Overall, it offers fun and accessible gameplay, particularly for fans of the genre, but may not meet the expectations of those seeking a more complex experience.
“Great arcade dogfight action, with slick graphics and controls and addictive gameplay.”
“The gameplay is extremely fluid, and the controls are intuitive, though the inability to remap them can be an inconvenience to some.”
“Just really good fun gameplay that keeps me coming back pretty much every day for a session.”
“They aren't very fun anymore, they have a whole big story that doesn't really mean anything, and the actual gameplay is really not that great...”
“There's maybe 4-5 hours of gameplay here, and it's a little on the high side in terms of price for that.”
“Gets pretty repetitive after completing the campaign due to the high score-based gameplay.”
- music22 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The reviews consistently highlight a significant absence of music in the game, which many players find disappointing, as they believe a soundtrack would enhance the overall experience. While the sound effects are noted to be decent, the lack of background music detracts from immersion, leading players to suggest using their own playlists instead. Overall, the consensus is that the game would greatly benefit from the inclusion of a proper soundtrack to complement its gameplay.
“Great for when you just want to put on some power music and blow stuff up.”
“While it might not have music or any proper soundtrack to speak of, I'd say one of the biggest strengths is being able to put your own playlist on and sit down for a 30-45 minute session.”
“No music and a minimal FX soundscape allows you to put on your own jams in the background to fit your mood or just chill out and play quietly.”
“But the lack of music really bothers me.”
“There is no music.”
“Not including music with the game was to me a big disappointment.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, often feeling a sense of nostalgia that immerses them in the experience, likening it to the excitement of being in "Top Gun." This emotional engagement enhances their overall enjoyment and investment in the gameplay.
“Made me feel like I was in Top Gun every time I played.”
“Don't mind the emotional nostalgic rant.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, users find the game enjoyable and quick to play, contributing to its high replayability. However, some players express a desire for even more replayability options to enhance their experience.
“Simple, fun, play whenever, doesn't take much time, lots of replayability.”
“Something that would be nice is more replayability.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing moments, such as enemy collisions and AI antics, which provide entertainment despite some gameplay flaws. Players find joy in the chaotic interactions, like cargo ships ramming into each other and AI characters comically snuggling before exploding, making repeated missions enjoyable.
“You don't get time extension rewards when enemies crash into each other or the ground, but seeing two cargo ships ram into each other is still funny.”
“Though the movements are not as good as we've seen in Furious Angel, as they occasionally crash into each other which hurts the score, I don't mind doing the mission one more time. Plus, it's always hilarious seeing AI snuggling each other and explode.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, allowing it to run smoothly on a wide range of PCs, making it accessible for most players. However, players should be mindful of fatigue, as it significantly impacts performance during gameplay.
“If your PC can play any games, it can handle this one as it's so well optimized.”
“Regardless, it is a fun mode to play, if you don’t overwork yourself: fatigue takes a heavy toll on your performance compared to fatigue.”
“Regardless, it is a fun mode to play, if you don’t overwork yourself: fatigue takes a heavy toll on your performance compared to others.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious and unfulfilling, primarily rewarding repetitive playstyles with high scores rather than engaging gameplay. Players specifically mention the monotonous nature of tasks, such as flying a cargo box that drops mines, contributing to a lack of enjoyment.
“Essentially only rewarding a tedious playstyle with high scores.”
“A tedious flying box that drops flying mines when you fly by.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its stability, running smoothly without bugs and requiring minimal system resources. Its clean art style and intuitive controls further enhance the overall experience.
“It's totally stable and bug-free, and it doesn't require a powerful system.”
“It has a nice clean art style, runs great, looks nice, and has intuitive controls.”
