I've never really been a
prominent 2D shooter fan, and the aptly named 'bullet genre' has done little to
drag me into such games. But due to some freak change, a mind control event, or an act of God, I decided to give Luftrausers a go. And for less than £7, I'm glad
I did.
So what is it?
Luftrausers is a 2D bullet-hell
dog-fighting game, set in a seemingly random alternate WW2 setting and is highly
styled and notably arcade-ish in nature. Hiding behind the retro look is
essentially an insane arcade shooter, which is incredibly accessible and re-playable.
The game is controlled by five mere buttons, those being the arrow keys to
manoeuvre, and the 'x' key to fire. If you manage to stop shooting for a
fraction of a second, your 'rauser' repairs, and if you release the 'raus' key,
you can pull off stall turns and temporarily plunge into the ocean, (if that's
your thing).
If you thought that smashing your
plane into other planes was an nonviable method of aerial combat, then you would
be wrongly mistaken, and nothing is more satisfying than building up a combo
through smashing into ships and planes alike. There's even a body based around
the idea, so if you want to nose-dive into warships and frigates, go ahead.
Luftrausers does everything it can to make you feel like a truly bad-ass pilot,
and it’s very easy to get into, thanks to its simple controls and non-existent
loading between games. If you do die, you'll be back playing again before you
can figure out how to pronounce the title.
Between these games, you can
customise your aircraft with different engines, body sections and weapons. It’s
all very simple, but there’s plenty of unlocks to keep you going if the
gameplay fails to do so. Arguably, the best thing about Luftrausers is that it
never feels like a huge grind-fest, as other games can (I'm looking at you,
Payday 2). The small challenges are enough to keep you going, and the
customisable pieces ensure that you feel sufficiently rewarded for your
efforts.
You feel badass most of the time,
and the game is fair, mostly. When you inevitably die, you can easily
understand why, as a stray bullet clips you, or you stall into the ocean for
just a fraction too long. Luftrausers is great fun, and definitely worth the
price. I mean, it's also got a cracking soundtrack which fits the game really rather well.
Devolver Digital seem determined to solidify their image as one of the
best indie game developers out there, and adding Luftrausers to an existing
portfolio of Hotline Miami and Broforce is another leap towards that
title. It's an enjoyable combination of
fun gameplay and excessive amounts of projectiles which is accessible to all.
That, and it's only like £7. So if you want an addictive side-wards shooter which excels in short bursts, look no further.
