Air Twister
If technology was as advanced in the 1980s as it is now, I truly believe that Air Twister would be a game straight from that decade. This contrasts with making a game with a "retro idea" in mind. Those games are usually homages to other titles, like the many "Metroidvania" and "Mega Man"-inspired games that are out. By the end of this review, I'll explain what I mean but make no mistake, Air Twister was a pleasant surprise. A special thanks to ININ Games for the opportunity to cover this modern classic by Suzuki-san.
Air Twister's role as a spiritual successor to Space Harrier is evidently clear from the opening cutscene, with the familiar-shaped enemies opening their maws as they fire egg-shaped prismatic beams. If the menu layout is a giveaway, Air Twister was originally a mobile game released exclusively on Apple Arcade. For a mobile game port, it plays surprisingly well on the PC, with beautiful graphics and art direction. Air Twister is set in a high fantasy world with various environments from the depths of space, forests, deserts, and floating cities. It reminded me of Panzer Dragoon's remake, using soft warm vibrant colors over realistic hues.
Bringing the fantasy setting home is the music, which admittingly began as a mixed bag but it managed to win me over in time. Crafted by Dutch composer Valensia, the soundtrack screams the 1980s as much as the base gameplay itself. This was one of the major reasons why I felt as if this game was a game meant for the 80s, developed in the 2020s. Every song in the game has vocals and lyrics, not unlike Sayonara Wild Hearts. In many ways, that game is to Rez like how Air Twister is to Space Harrier (despite being the same creator). If Space Harrier was a musical, this game would be it. However, it doesn't feel out of place in the world of AIR. Its whimsicality is complemented by some of the absurd yet catchy lyrics.
The story, as shown through its opening cutscene, deals with the inhabitants of the planet fending off an alien race known as the Needles. Princess Arch is AIR's last line of defense, armed with a crossbow and backed by four mythical beasts that come to her aid during boss battles. Air Twister is a rail shooter that shoots like most games of this genre on-rails but there is a twist to the "point-and-click" shooting found in similar genres. By moving Arch, the player will instantly lock on to a certain number of enemies. Firing her crossbow while locked on will shoot all enemies that are targeted.
Air Twister's targeting is automatic so long as the enemy is within Arch's line of sight. Obstacles aren't taken into account, meaning players will have to line their shots in certain levels and boss fights. While there are variations between the enemies, there are ultimately a handful of enemy types. There are formation enemies that hover around Arch and are used as arrow fodder, but some formation enemies fire back at Arch. In the later levels, enemies will fire volleys of projectiles and it can reach "bullet hell" levels of clutter. This was the main issue I had with Air Twister and it's such a simple fix.
While giving the player the option to change graphic quality, resolution, and FPS settings is always appreciated, a FOV slider would have helped tremendously. I found my view obstructed by my projectiles and the enemies. Oftentimes I'd get hit by a flying bullet that I'd had no idea was coming in my direction. Increasing the field of vision would have increased the range in which I could see bullets flying toward me. A different camera angle that was slightly overhead would have also been an alternative, but in keeping with the After Burner and Harrier feel, a "behind-the-back" perspective was necessary.
The game's main mode consists of twelve levels with two continuous and a limited starting number of "hearts." Once all hearts are depleted, it's game over and the only way the player earns more is by scoring high at the end of each stage. The amount of time it takes to defeat a boss, the number of formations defeated, and finishing a no-damage level run all count towards rankings. An S ranking is the highest and will net you the most yellow hears. Obtain twenty of them and the player earns a new heart. However, there is another way to earn more starting hearts and other beneficial power-ups.
Air Twister's bulk of the game is in its Adventure Mode. Throughout the main game, the player will earn stars upon defeating enemy formations and clearing stages. The stars are used in this mode, which acts as a skill tree for Arch. This is also one of the two ways Arch can earn cosmetics. There is a surprising number of customization options for hair, outfits, and cosmetics. As the player redeems stars, they will also earn yellow hearts, which are added to the total number of hearts in a game session. As the player unlocks more heart nodes, they will also begin to unravel Air Twister's surprisingly complex world, including Arch's origin story and information on the enemies.
Weapons and accessories meant to help the player progress through the game are obtained in this mode as well, however, some weapons and accessory combinations can outright break the game. The player does have the option to use the default weapon and forego accessories for a challenge, of course. However, the player must at least complete the main game once to unlock everything on the Adventure board. That's because there are locks that the player needs to fulfill in order to open them, including clearing "X" level and obtaining "X" amount of pieces on the board.
Lastly, there are timed events that solidified its origins as a mobile game. A system that would seem out of place in a non-live service game such as this, Event Mode gives the player daily objectives to complete. Usually, it's "defeat X number of enemies" or "kill X boss," but there are also weekly events like "Log in 'X' days of the week." Completing these will net you stars, which are used for Adventure Mode. The weekly events will give you minigame tickets that enable some of the fastest ways to earn stars. There are also special timed events that can be unlocked by doing things within the game. These will earn the players exclusive variants of customization items for Arch to wear.
Overall, Air Twister is a game that feels like it came from the eighties, yet with the modern quality of life investments found in modern games. Rain shooter virtuosos will be able to clear Air Twister without much of a problem. There are also bonus modes such as Arcade and Boss Rush for those looking for a challenge outside of what the base game provides. However, for those who may not be great at the genre, some items can be earned over time which will help the player eventually clear the game.
In typical Yu Suzuki fashion, Air Twister is a game meant with a vision he had in mind. If this was the Harrier game he wanted to develop without technological limitations, this was it. There are other games within the Sega AM2 catalog that he created, not counting the obvious Daytona USA (like I don't talk about it enough here), where Suzuki-san let his passions flourish.
He created an entire game based on the Ferrari F355 Challenge he had in real life. He was such a fan of the artist Valensia that he asked him to do the soundtrack for Air Twister in which he agreed. Shenmue 3 was made possible because he knew the effectiveness of crowdfunding and wanted to see his dream become a reality.
While a mobile game port may not usually be considered "a big deal," Air Twister is a rarity in that it never felt like a "mobile game." It felt like a console game, a major release on a platform that usually sees half-baked investments. While consoles and PCs are the best way to experience, very little is compromised to make Air Twister an enjoyable experience. With enough content for multiple playthroughs, Air Twister is a step in the right direction for well-known developers pursuing the independent dream.
Air Twister is available on Apple Arcade. It will be available on Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 10th. This review is based on the Steam version courtesy of ININ Games.