Air Twister

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 35 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • story
Air Twister Game Cover
Air Twister is a fun arcade-feeling game directed by Yu Suzuki that has a great soundtrack and a decent gameplay loop. Though, it can get very repetitive if you are trying to play for long spurts of time.
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"Air Twister" is a rail shooter game, marking Yu Suzuki's return to the genre. Players navigate through various levels, battling enemies and bosses while avoiding obstacles. The game features fast-paced action, sharp graphics, and a variety of weapons to choose from, providing an immersive and thrilling experience for fans of the shoot 'em up genre.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 35 reviews
music15 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning graphics and surreal environments, providing a unique visual experience that stands out.
  • The soundtrack is highly praised, with many players enjoying its theatrical and Queen-like style, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • There are numerous unlockables and challenges that add depth and replayability, making it engaging for players who enjoy completing tasks and customizing their experience.
  • The gameplay can feel slow and lacks the intensity of classic rail shooters like Space Harrier, which may disappoint fans of the genre.
  • Some players find the music to be off-putting or repetitive, detracting from their enjoyment of the game.
  • The controls and mechanics can be frustrating at times, with issues related to visibility and clarity during chaotic moments in gameplay.
  • music47 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its epic and whimsical qualities, often likening it to the style of Queen, and highlighting its cinematic achievement. However, some players found the soundtrack repetitive and poorly integrated into the gameplay, leading to frustration. Overall, while the composition by Valensia is celebrated by many, personal taste plays a significant role in the enjoyment of the music.

    • “The music is definitely incredible, giving an epic and whimsical feeling as you play.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing to me, though your enjoyment of it will come down to your personal music tastes.”
    • “By far my favorite thing about the game though is how its soundtrack feeds into its vibe and setting.”
    • “Game is fun and looks great but this music is godawful.”
    • “It's like queen's basement tapes, christian music and cringe.”
    • “The general sound design is extremely similar to previous space harrier titles, but the soundtrack itself is genuinely shocking and nowhere close to any of the sega classics.”
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their smoothness, vibrant colors, and dreamlike aesthetic, effectively blending familiar and surreal elements. While some reviewers note a lack of detail in environments and a feeling of cheapness in certain visuals, the overall artistic vision and style are considered a standout feature, contributing to a captivating and trippy experience.

    • “It runs very smooth on my mid-range rig, and like I said, the graphics are actually really nice and crisp.”
    • “The visuals here are that perfect blend between familiar and outlandish, and the adventure which you fly through feels very surreal.”
    • “The music is an amazing, cinematic achievement and the graphics are beautiful.”
    • “Basically, many enemies get thrown into stage aesthetics they don't fit with because the low number of enemies means they needed to be reused.”
    • “Although the environments generally lack detail, the graphics are bright, smooth, and colorful.”
    • “Visually, the graphics themselves can feel a bit cheap, but the game's style and surreal sceneries really help in getting into it anyway.”
  • story12 mentions

    The game's story is rich and engaging, featuring a blend of heartbreaking moments and intriguing lore that enhances replayability through various unlockables. Players appreciate the unique storytelling mechanics, such as scripted sequences requiring timed button presses, which add depth to the narrative progression. Overall, the story serves as a compelling introduction to a high fantasy world, complemented by visually stunning presentation and a variety of gameplay challenges.

    • “There’s a lot to unlock under the surface, giving it good replayability, ridiculously fantastic visual presentation, and there is a lot of strange and interesting lore to read about in the world journal. The story is more fleshed out than I expected.”
    • “The story mode is more or less the intro to the rest of it, which includes challenges, new weapons, and outfit unlocks, so there's enough variety to play around more than once, especially with challenge modes and a reward board.”
    • “The story is heartbreaking at times, the sound design marrying perfectly with the action on screen to produce a delicate harmony of thematic elements.”
    • “These sequences are scripted story sequences that feature quick timed button presses necessary to advance the story.”
    • “Eventually you have to get a job to advance the story.”
  • gameplay12 mentions

    The gameplay is generally considered satisfactory but lacks the challenge and tightness of the original Space Harrier, with a relatively shallow experience focused on flying, shooting, and dodging. While the game features unlockable content and unique boss mechanics, the overall tempo is slower than expected, though it picks up in later levels and includes a turbo mode for faster play. Players appreciate the lock-on mechanic, but some may find the gameplay less engaging than anticipated, making it advisable to watch gameplay footage before purchasing.

    • “Even though they are mostly very easy too, the additional ideas for the patterns make them the one area which improves on Space Harrier where gameplay is concerned.”
    • “I dig the lock-on mechanic where it feels like you are literally painting with a brush over the targets you want to explode, but it's not so overtuned that there are times when spamming normal shots (or normal+homing taps which allow you to effectively double up on shots) makes more sense.”
    • “So there's a severe lack of challenge here, even on the harder settings in the arcade mode, but regardless, the gameplay just doesn't feel as tightly crafted or satisfying as the original Space Harrier anyway.”
    • “Although the gameplay is fairly shallow - fly, shoot, dodge - and it won't take you more than a couple of tries until you finish it, there's a fair bit of unlockable content to keep you interested for a good while.”
    • “The gameplay tempo is also a fair bit slower than you might expect, but the later levels speed things up quite a bit, and on top of that, there is an unlockable turbo mode that speeds up the gameplay an almost comical amount.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers strong replayability due to numerous unlockable content, an engaging world journal filled with lore, and various challenge modes that extend beyond the main campaign. Its simple arcade fun is particularly enhanced on platforms like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, making it an enjoyable experience for repeated playthroughs.

    • “There’s a lot to unlock under the surface, giving it good replayability. The visual presentation is ridiculously fantastic, and there is a lot of strange and interesting lore to read about in the world journal. The story is more fleshed out than I expected.”
    • “There are a ton of challenge modes to try out beyond the main 12-stage campaign to extend replayability.”
    • “The game is simple arcade fun with pretty good replayability, especially if you're playing on a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.”
    • “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
    • “Once you complete the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
    • “The limited variety in gameplay mechanics leads to a repetitive experience on subsequent playthroughs.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and time-consuming, with some achievements requiring unrealistic amounts of playtime, such as 100 hours. This has led to frustration among those who wish to enjoy the game without dedicating an overwhelming amount of time to unlock all achievements.

    • “Grinding can be a challenge, especially when balancing life and other games, but I appreciate the achievements that are not overly tedious.”
    • “I enjoy the grind in this game; it adds a sense of accomplishment when I finally unlock those hard-to-get achievements.”
    • “While grinding can be time-consuming, it makes the rewards feel more meaningful and satisfying.”
    • “My only significant complaint is extremely nitpicky - the achievements in this game are dreadfully grindy and unrealistic for even the most dedicated of players (one requires 100 hours of play, for example).”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I found the grind to be excessively repetitive, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game evokes strong emotions through its heartbreaking story and effective sound design that enhances the thematic elements. While the protagonist Ryo's voice may occasionally lack emotional depth, this is attributed to his upbringing, contrasting with his inherently emotional character.

    • “The story is heartbreaking at times, the sound design marrying perfectly with the action on screen to produce a delicate harmony of thematic elements.”
    • “Ryo's voice sometimes lacks emotion; however, I believe this is primarily because of the way he was raised. His character is very emotional.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The game features a straightforward monetization model with a one-time purchase of $25, lacking microtransactions or time-limited systems, aside from daily and weekly challenges. While it is a port of an iOS game, the focus remains on delivering a solid gameplay experience without ongoing costs. However, some users noted that the main menu UI could be improved.

    • “Yes, it's a port of an iOS game. I don't care, and neither should you, as the only monetization is a one-time payment of 25 bucks to play a solid but trippy rail shooter made by the guy who created Space Harrier and OutRun back in the day.”
    • “There are no microtransactions or time-limited systems (though there are daily and weekly challenges), but its origin is clear and the main menu UI is pretty ugly.”
    • “Yes, it's a port of an iOS game. I don't care, and neither should you, as the only monetization is you drop 25 bucks to play a solid but trippy rail shooter made by the guy who made Space Harrier and OutRun back in the day.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is subtle and often leans towards earnestness, suggesting a balance between lighthearted moments and a serious tone.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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