The original Aaero came out of nowhere, and remains, to this day, one of my favourite rhythm-action games. Merging the classic gunplay of Space Harrier and Panzer Dragoon with musical movement was an inspired creative decision, and Aaero had you riding the rails – called ribbons here – in time with a bass-heavy electronic soundtrack, using your craft to mimic the changing notes. Aaero2: Black Razor Edition sees the Mad Fellows team returning to their signature series, this time boasting a stellar soundtrack from Monstercat, new multiplayer modes, and additional music packs, promising to take players on an even wilder ride through space.
Riding the ribbon is an exercise in deft left stick control. You roll from left to right, but as the music features pauses or major note changes, you’ll find yourself launching your spacecraft from point to point, trying to hang onto the ribbon and, in turn, your health. It’s far trickier than it has any business being, but, like a NASCAR driver, this is all about keeping things smooth, gently coaxing your craft around the track.
You’ve also got to think about shooting. The right stick controls your weaponry, and you can lock onto enemies by holding the reticule over them, increasing the number of missiles the longer you stay in one spot. If you release your missiles in time with the music, you’ll ramp up your score, and if you get it perfectly on the beat, you’ll immediately reload any empty missile slots.
You’ve also got an autocannon for faster-moving enemies, and the better you aim, the more points you’ll earn for each shot. When you’re chasing high scores – each track gives you a star rating and a percentage indicator – Aaero2 gives you a lot to think about. It all fits together perfectly once you’re in the flow of it, even if it feels like rubbing your stomach while patting your head at times.
Aaero2 wouldn’t work without a thumping soundtrack to accompany the sci-fi action, and it doesn’t disappoint, with one of the best electronic-infused line-ups since Wipeout. Collected via the Monstercat label – Beat Saber fans will definitely recognise the name – there’s something here for everyone. There’s a trio of MUZZ tracks; Salvation (ft. Bloodhounds) absolutely slaps, while Nemesis is an adrenaline ride of a track. There’s also artists like Habstrakt and Stonebank who keep your sub working overtime, while there’s plenty of light and dark thanks to Hoaprox, YUAN and Haneri collaborating on the more mellow Saviour.
This is a soundtrack that repeatedly had me grinning ear from ear, and when it’s combined with the sci-fi visuals flashing past, Aaero2 is capable of achieving the same kind of synaesthesia that you experience in Tetris Effect, Rez and Lumines Arise. In fact, in Aaero2, Mad Fellows have crafted the most Mizuguchi-like game I’ve found outside of his own teams, and that’s a huge achievement. Music is always going to be individual, and produce a unique response, but this feels like a Monstercat album that’s been produced just for me.
Aaero2 features a series of daily and weekly challenges, with each task netting you a chunk of extra experience. They might ask you to complete a track without using any missiles, or to beat every boss in one week, but they give you an extra reason to check back in for a cheeky extra track or two, and broadly add some longevity to proceedings, even for the most ardent ribbon-rider.
Also, each track’s star and completion percentage tickles the completionist part of your brain perfectly, and you’ll be locking in time after time, trying to perfect one more missile hit, or hold the ribbon just a fraction better. On the normal setting, Aaero2 is a little bit more forgiving on the ribbon riding than its predecessor, locking in more securely, though it doesn’t suddenly make it a breeze by any means.
Once you’ve completed your first run through all the tracks though, you’ll unlock Advanced, which removes the magnetic ribbon lock, gives you full ribbons and also more enemies to deal with. This is Aaero2’s true form, with a serious level of challenge, and the opportunity to hit some proper high scores. The fact that there’s Master difficulty above that only goes to show how much challenge the team at Mad Fellows has eked out of Aaero’s gameplay, but no matter what difficulty you’re playing on, it remains utterly enthralling.
You can share that experience with others as well. While online leaderboards remain central to the experience – I love reviewing unreleased games, as I’m currently the best in the world at a series of Aaero2’s tracks – the new multiplayer modes let you play in two-player co-op or PvP, both online or from the comfort of your own couch. It adds a new level of competition and collaboration to proceedings, and if you’ve got a similar taste in music to your friends or family, Aaero2 is an absolute blast.
