Jet Lancer

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"Jet Lancer" is a thrilling aerial combat shooter where you play as Ash Leguinn, a skilled mercenary pilot taking on sky pirates and giant robots. With precise controls and a challenging story-driven campaign, you'll dodge enemy fire, upgrade your plane, and save Root City from mechanized weapons. The game offers a rush of supersonic speeds and intense battles, making it easy to learn but hard to master.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 570 reviews

story82 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Extremely fun gameplay with tight controls and a satisfying combat system.
Beautiful graphics and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Variety of missions and customization options for the jet, allowing for different playstyles.

Some missions can feel frustratingly difficult, especially with score-based objectives.
The story and character writing can be lackluster and predictable.
Certain gameplay mechanics, like the visibility of projectiles, can lead to confusion during intense moments.

story
358 mentions
23 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story in Jet Lancer is generally regarded as enjoyable but not groundbreaking, featuring a mix of familiar anime tropes and engaging characters that add depth to the gameplay. While some players found the narrative to be a bit cliché or lacking in substance, others appreciated its humor and the way it ties into the fast-paced action of the missions. The inclusion of a New Game Plus mode with additional story elements and challenges provides further incentive for players to engage with the narrative beyond the initial playthrough.
- “The story is surprisingly enjoyable for a small game like this - definitely worth playing through it (even on ng+!).”
- “The story is engaging and draws you in.”
- “The story is nice and doesn't intrude on the gameplay.”
- “And this is a very personal preference but I really, really didn’t like the story and by the end just hated the main character.”
- “The story is the weakest part of the game, and it's pretty good!”
- “The story was like watching a bad 'Americanized' dub to what would otherwise be adequate scripting in the natural language.”
gameplay
152 mentions
38 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its fast-paced, tight controls and engaging mechanics, drawing comparisons to "Luftrausers" while offering deeper customization and a more structured experience. Players appreciate the blend of offensive and defensive strategies, alongside a satisfying progression system that keeps the gameplay fresh, despite some reports of repetitiveness in later levels. Overall, the combination of polished mechanics, vibrant visuals, and a catchy soundtrack contributes to a highly enjoyable and addictive gaming experience.
- “Great, smooth, fast-paced gameplay with beautiful pixel work and an amazing chiptune soundtrack; this game just doesn't miss.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, and I enjoyed getting better and more agile in my movement.”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and frantic.”
- “Such a game (and session-breaking) bug is certainly not worth the Sopwith-style gameplay.”
- “Certain stages become extremely repetitive, and since the gameplay itself isn't that varied, the frustration mounts very quickly.”
- “My biggest gripe is that there are some unexplained mechanics and the entire experience feels a bit railroaded if you want to 'ace' every mission, but that's how the developer wanted to design his game.”
music
146 mentions
61 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its fantastic quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. The soundtrack, often described as a standout feature, combines elements of chiptune and upbeat tracks that match the game's fast-paced action, although some players noted moments of repetitiveness. Overall, the music is considered a major highlight, contributing significantly to the game's engaging atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal and fits what's happening on the screen extremely well.”
- “The music is genuinely great, but those of you who don't listen to a lot of speed metal might want for a more diverse soundtrack.”
- “The incredible soundtrack, combined with the tight controls, satisfying and intense gameplay, make for an incredible, exciting experience.”
- “The music is repetitive and eventually quite annoying.”
- “The 'upbeat' and 'hoppy' nature of the soundtrack does not fit with the overall tone of the story.”
- “Musical style didn't perfectly land with me but the game is really good.”
graphics
81 mentions
67 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their vibrant pixel art style, which combines retro aesthetics with modern design elements, creating a visually appealing experience. Many reviewers highlighted the smooth animations, colorful environments, and effective use of visual effects that enhance gameplay, while some noted minor issues with brightness and readability during intense action. Overall, the art style and graphics contribute significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment, making it a standout feature for players.
- “The art style is fantastic, with lots of bright colors, complementing the anime-esque opening quite nicely.”
- “Beautiful visuals and tight control make for a thrilling bullet hell experience.”
- “The stylish graphics, satisfying sound design, and highly adjustable difficulty really make Jet Lancer enjoyable for just about anyone.”
- “The controls are overcomplicated & the aircraft feels loose, the visuals are simplistic, too bright & often unpleasant, story's really bland (sky pirates blah blah), boss fights demand hard work - product is at least 3x overpriced.”
- “It also reminds me a bit of Sky Rogue, particularly the 'low-texture' art style (more prominent on the overmap).”
- “The graphics, this game gets some highlights on this part, with some notable effects like lens flares and chromatic aberration on the right touch, the animations are smooth and easy to read, the 3D part shines as well, the plane and some other elements on the map are amazing and well-texturized, the map itself is well translated for the in-battle game section, like the desert that has some background where there's some kind of tower in the distance and the city with some kind of buildings in the foreground.”
replayability
13 mentions
69 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, featuring an endless arcade mode, a new game plus option, and a variety of unlockables that keep players engaged. Users appreciate the challenge of perfecting missions and achieving high scores, making it a fun and addictive experience. Despite some concerns about the game's length, the diverse mission types and satisfying gameplay ensure that players will return for more.
- “The arcade mode adds infinite replayability and is super satisfying once you get a good run going.”
- “Gorgeous art, terrific gameplay, good difficulty controls, and enough replayability to be worth the price.”
- “Each mission is scored based on how well you performed, so for perfectionists wanting to achieve 'S+' ranks without being hit, you'll find plenty of replay value here.”
- “Replayability is decent; you can go back and try to ace all the levels, and there's a New Game Plus option that lets you unlock more weapons.”
- “Each mission is scored based on your performance, so for perfectionists who want to achieve 'S+' ranks without being hit, you'll find a lot of replay value in this alone.”
- “New Game Plus offers added challenge as they actually change things, enhancing replayability.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and cheeky dialogue, with characters that engage in amusing interactions without veering into cringe territory. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, likening it to beloved media like Cowboy Bebop, and enjoy the blend of humor with engaging gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game successfully combines a compelling story with entertaining moments, making it a delightful experience.
- “Love the game, love the music, love the cheeky cliché humor.”
- “The soundtrack is complex and dynamic, and the dialogue is hilarious with a mildly compelling story that you can skip over to just get to the shooty-shooty, bang-bang.”
- “The mechanics are smooth, the story has humor and is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop; there's a talking cat engineer and a giant laser beam mod on your jet.”
grinding
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often requiring repetitive attempts to complete missions due to poorly defined mechanics and aggressive scoring requirements. Many express dissatisfaction with the reliance on luck and specific loadouts, leading to hours of grinding without a satisfying payoff.
- “Hours grinding a single mission until the random chance that you won't be screwed over by the game isn't fun.”
- “It's about reproducing a single specific loadout that was in mind for that mission, and then grinding until the poor excuse of an AI allows you to be lucky.”
- “Some missions can be a little bit tedious; I personally struggled a lot on mission 37... literally the only mission I had to activate god mode otherwise I could not beat it.”
emotional
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's strong emotional impact, noting that the story is compelling enough to evoke tears at both endings. The combination of engaging characters, meaningful dialogue, and a focus on narrative depth enhances the overall experience, making it a standout in the shooter genre where emotional investment is often lacking.
- “Story is seriously good; I cried at both endings.”
- “This is exactly what a shooter game should be—fluid but weighty action, creative & pretty designs, bright & clear & spacious visuals (especially important for a game about flight), pleasant & exciting music, seriously crunchy effects, some earnest focus on story as more than an afterthought with some likable little characters and dialogue. It's absolutely vital that a game puts some genuine emotional energy into making you believe in and care about what's happening and to whom, and that's dishearteningly rare among arcade action games.”
- “Letting this diamond sit for that long without even touching it is such a crime because I should've played this the day I got it.”
stability
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while players appreciate the innovative mechanics and report a bug-free experience, there are notable issues with brief freezes during intense moments, such as dodging or engaging with missiles.
- “What is impressive here that I didn't note above is how my experience was entirely bug-free; the polish of this game is something to take note of.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a seamless experience.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by the stability; I didn't encounter any issues during my entire playthrough.”
- “The game often freezes briefly, especially when dodging or ramming missiles or other aircraft.”
- “The game has some great feedback with hit-stops/freezes, but the stability issues can be frustrating.”
optimization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally well-received, though some users find the use of letter scores for ranking performance to be arbitrary and potentially unhelpful.
- “You get ranked based on your performance in each mission.”
- “My only qualm with the game is that they use letter scores to rank your performance, which I have always considered arbitrary.”
- “My only qualm with the game is that they use letter scores as a way to rank your performance, which I have always considered arbitrary.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the main character design and accompanying music during dialogues are satisfactory, there is room for enhancement in both areas to elevate the overall character development experience.
atmosphere
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is noted as distinct but lacks the sandbox feel of similar titles, particularly in the campaign menu; however, it compensates for this with its unique qualities.
- “It might not have that game's sandbox quality (at least not in the campaign menu), or its unique atmosphere, but it more than makes up for it.”