Flying Red Barrel: The Diary of a Little Aviator
- June 19, 2020
- Orange_Juice
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Flying Red Barrel: The Diary of a Little Aviator," players navigate a bullet hell/STG game set in an era of advanced flight technology, where they follow the story of a young aviator amidst the Guild's efforts to establish order in the skies. The game offers multiple endings and a unique bonus for players who own it on Steam. People's childhood dreams have become a reality, as they now reach for the sky and the memories of their journeys.
Reviews
- The game features a cute art style and engaging music that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers a unique gameplay mechanic with missile-score-chains and multiple story paths, promoting replayability.
- Players have reported that the game has helped them bond with others, creating memorable experiences.
- The difficulty level is steep, making it challenging for newcomers to the genre, which may deter casual players.
- The controls can feel awkward, especially with the need to mash buttons for shooting while moving quickly.
- The scoring system is not well explained, leading to confusion about how to maximize performance.
- gameplay8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a steep learning curve, particularly for newcomers, but features engaging mechanics like missile-score-chains and a combination of shooting and dodging that enhance the experience. While the game offers a challenging and rewarding loop, some difficulty modes may detract from the experience by making enemies overly resilient. Overall, players find the gameplay tight and enjoyable, encouraging mastery of its unique mechanics.
“Gameplay is quite good as well; you use WASD alongside two other keys to shoot and fire missiles/charge missiles. You build up combos with rockets, and your score gives you more lives. To effectively kill enemies, you must alternate between using your main gun, missiles, and sheer dodging ability to get by.”
“It's a very rewarding gameplay loop that encourages a lot of aggression.”
“The difficulty modes seem to mainly make enemies bullet sponges, which drags down the gameplay.”
“Definitely a hard curve for someone new to the genre, but the unique missile-score-chain mechanic and cute presentation kept me playing for the 5 hours it took me to get my first win.”
- story7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game features a charming storybook art style and offers multiple story routes, enhancing its replayability despite a relatively short length. While the narrative is not groundbreaking, it effectively develops its quirky characters and is complemented by fitting music. Players should be prepared for a challenging experience, as the difficulty may catch some off guard.
“It lured me in with its storybook art style and different story routes, and kicked me in the nards with its difficulty.”
“It's not crushingly difficult, and the story, while nothing amazing, does fill in the blanks of these cute and quirky characters.”
“It's short, sure, but fairly challenging and there's a crazy emphasis on replayability, since there are so many story paths, even if they're fairly similar.”
“If you like games with many story paths then you should try it; however, it is deceptively hard, which may also be a plus.”
“In terms of story, the game is actually surprisingly more involved than one would expect.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with standout tracks for key bosses, including superboss and final boss themes. The tunes effectively enhance the game's narrative and are primarily royalty-free compositions.
“The music is pretty good; notable tracks include Boss 3, Superboss, Final Boss, and Boss 4, among many others.”
“The tunes effectively service the game's plot and are mostly royalty-free music, if I'm remembering correctly.”
“Good music.”
“The music feels generic and doesn't add much to the overall experience.”
“The soundtrack is forgettable and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The tunes seem to serve the game's plot but are mostly just royalty-free music.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are characterized by a charming storybook art style that captivates players, enhancing the overall experience despite the challenging gameplay.
“It lured me in with its storybook art style and different story routes.”
“The graphics are absolutely stunning, creating a vibrant and immersive world.”
“The cute art style adds a charming touch to the overall experience.”
“It lured me in with its storybook art style and different story routes, but the graphics ultimately fell short of my expectations.”
“The art style is cute, but it lacks the depth and detail that would make it truly engaging.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its multiple story paths, which, while somewhat similar, provide a challenging experience. Players find it fun and engaging, making it one of the standout titles in the bullet hell genre.
“It's short, sure, but fairly challenging, and there's a strong emphasis on replayability due to the numerous story paths, even if they are fairly similar.”
“Fun, replayable, and challenging; one of the best bullet hell games out there.”
“It's short, sure, but fairly challenging, and there's a crazy emphasis on replayability, since there are so many story paths, even if they're fairly similar.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back; the story paths don't offer enough variation to make a second playthrough worthwhile.”
“The game tries to promote replayability, but the lack of meaningful choices means that subsequent runs feel repetitive and uninspired.”
