Developer: aPriori Digital
Publisher: aPriori Digital
Platform: PC, Switch, Wii U
Tested on: PC
Aperion Cyberstorm – Review
Lately, the Nintendo Switch got more and more indie games. Logical, knowing they often are accessible, easy-to-play games that are good for a 5-minute bus ride as well as an hour-long gaming session in bed, covered in pizza crumbs and dirty socks. Aperion Cyberstorm, available for Switch, Wii U and PC, is one of those games. It’s a twin-stick shooter, meaning it’s best played with a controller because you can accurately aim and move in any wanted direction.
Story
At the start of the story, you are quickly thrown into an event where ”an alliance of enemies” is coming towards your home after destroying numerous locations in the galaxy. The three of you, Kate, Joseph, and Sam, start to flee at the same moment the bombs start to fall. Barely making it out alive, Kate’s A.I companion teleports all three of you to a safer location. Having some busted circuits, however, you get split up as soon as you are teleported. Knowing where to meet, you try to reach the place in time playing as Kate, but for some reason, Joseph and Sam use the terminal to travel further without you, not only leaving you behind with your A.I but also draining the power cells. This drainage ensures you are stuck for two entire years trying to juice up the power without success. As you try to advance through a maze of enemies and empty corridors that appear one room at a time, you slowly learn more about the story while searching for your lost (traitorous?) friends.
Graphics
Simple, colorful, effective. The graphics aren’t so amazing with their square tiles, minimalistic rooms, and simplistic enemy design, but they do have some clear communication in what purpose they have. Basically, it’s very obvious that it’s just you and maybe a friend versus different enemies. By studying them you will quickly notice their looks and abilities which define if they will fight you or support their allies. You have some smaller suicide divers that try to run into you, some mines that explode into bullets once you kill them, healers, large tanky vessels and more. All this takes place in some dark rooms where only a few lights give color besides the neon-filled battle that takes place pretty much all the time.
Sound
The background tracks are good, maybe even the best part of the game. There are parts where the sound could actually measure up to other great indie titles such as Faster than light or Magicite. It adds more fun to the action thanks to a combination of retro-styled tracks as well as a bit more modern upbeat dance. Sound effects are, much like the graphics, rather generic but effective. Most of the time you will hear a lot of explosions and money grabbing sounds.
Gameplay
As a twin-stick shooter, Aperion Cyberstorm pretty much does what it intends to do. Bringing chaos to a spacious battlefield where you try to outmaneuver the enemy while shooting them in the face at the same time. That being said, it’s pretty much all the game does. If it wasn’t for the small pieces of the story being delivered to you the further you get, it would pretty much be clearing room after room, wave after wave for too long. Especially when knowing there will be little change in the already basic environment.
There is some change being brought by the ”leveling” system. It doesn’t really affect that much though. You can choose between a ship in between parts of the story you try to complete and find new ships or upgrades as you go. Also, you get to use two different abilities at a time, such as a close range shotgun spray or an activated rapid fire mode. Abilities have a certain cooldown period of time, making them act almost the same as a way to temporarily be stronger than the hordes of enemy ships flying towards you. Besides that, however, it’s pretty much the same. You fly from room to room, bounce your head to the beat while shooting baddies, and try to not get bored by repeating this step over and over. At times, you will also find upgrades like elements where ice freezes your opponents and fire slowly damages them, but it’s really far from enough to stay entertaining in means of diversity.
If you do want to try this game anyway, maybe try to play it with a friend and also make sure to check out the Onslaught mode where you try to survive for as long as possible. They are small additions compared to the basic repetitions, but they are small additions that might just let you enjoy the game a bit longer.
Conclusion
Aperion Cyberstorm gives you what you would expect, but is also a bit disappointing in what it could have been. The environment and enemies feel like there simply hasn’t been enough work put into the game. It can be enjoyable for short burst of time but lacks depth and artistic touches besides its story. Even though the sound design stands firmly, this is not enough to make it something lasting and truly worthwhile. It’s variation or rogue elements, after all, that makes twin-stick shooters last longer, something which Aperion Cyberstorm simply lacks.
Aperion Cyberstorm - Review,
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