Air Twister

After the [b]Shenmue III[/b] fiasco, it was right to be wary of Yu Suzuki's throwback to his early years with [b]Space Harrier[/b], even more so after seeing the less-than-impressive screenshots, and knowing it started life as an iOS title, which means elements of mobile game design are present in the many unlockables and rewards to collect. Before anything else, however, what gets noticed is the soundtrack. After the ominous chanting of the intro, the action is accompanied by rock opera-style songs from Dutch artist Valensia, apparently quite popular in Japan (if the fair number of comments in that language under videos of his songs is any indication) and expressly sought out by Suzuki. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, of course, but it's still a pretty unique choice among video game soundtracks and the quality is undeniable, even if sometimes the line between "homage to Queen" and "plagiarism of Queen" feels thin. Predictably, it's very easy to pick up and play and takes full advantage of the mouse on PC. Just like decades ago, the perspective often makes it hard to determine the distance and position of incoming enemy projectiles, not helped by the size of the main character except during boss fights, but it gets considerably easier the moment you realize that, once again like yesteryear, most attacks simply home in on your current position on the screen. The lock-on shot, along with the fantasy vibes, may be an homage to [b]Panzer Dragoon[/b], from Suzuki's former employer SEGA; it's quite satisfying to use and rewards are given for destroying entire formations of enemies with its help. I was afraid it would require a lot of grinding but in truth, the first run can easily net enough stars to immediately unlock a lot of upgrades for health on top of the first shield pieces and a special weapon, making the player strong enough already to tackle the later levels; even with just two credits, incredibly fast regular enemies, and bosses with some unfair attacks that shave off one entire life, it becomes manageable. I also cleared most time-limited challenges quickly and naturally. All the positives still can't hide that [b]Air Twister[/b]'s graphics aren't much. There are some good surreal vistas that mix well with the soundtrack - the desert where skeletons of dragons roam, the third level that clearly takes a darker [b]Space Harrier[/b] vibe - and a few cool bosses like the stone crab, but quite a lot screams of low budget and stock assets, with little consistency between the worlds and the monsters. The last level looks blatantly too different from all the others, even if I really liked the final boss both in looks and gameplay. By the time you unlock all the challenge modes and levels, you may have revisited the main game mode so many times that your interest may have waned, and some of those extras are lame - what is even the Tap Breaker minigame?! If you can accept the lack of visual spectacle and a few "useless" features, the game is quite fun and manages a decent mix of old arcade style and modern pizzazz. The regular price is quite steep but at the discounts it's reached by now, it's worth more than a shot.