Luftrausers Reviews
A simple yet fun little game by the devs who brought us: Super Crate Box and Nuclear Throne.
Luftrausers arrives at a point where the indie game market is stronger than ever, with developers continuing to raise the bar in terms of product quality. With the aforementioned strife that Ismail and his team have undergone through the production process, it wouldn't have been a surprise to see this title banished into mediocrity. But make no mistake, this game is up there with the best of them.
Luftrausers is a perfect case study for the benefits and limitations of a game concerned solely with fun. On the plus side, it takes all of four seconds to get into the game and start enjoying it. On the other hand, anything that detracts from the fun (in this case, balance issues) damages the overall experience more than it normally would. As a result, all but the most dedicated fans will give up on Luftrausers after a short time - not because the game itself is short, but because it's not fine-tuned enough to maintain interest. However, it must be stressed that before that drop-off point, the game's sharp controls, dynamic presentation, and unique combat options make it irresistibly addictive. Two days' worth of constant entertainment is time well spent, and if that doesn't deserve a recommendation, nothing does.
Matched with an attractive sepia tone and a thumping soundtrack, Luftrausers is an enthralling and time-sapping trial of nerve and persistence. It's certainly a game much more suited for pocket gaming and the Vita release will likely prove to be the essential version, but whatever your chosen flavour there's a quality to the design that'll shine through on any platform.
Luftrausers is a nice little getaway from the story-focused games that populate the landscape nowadays. It's a great game that is both fun and challenging for those who appreciate simpler experiences. Those not interested in chasing high scores will still get some mileage out of the challenge and unlock system, but the game is really made for those who adore points. The short playtimes for each round ensure that you can sneak in a round or two between other things, but the addictive nature proves alluring enough that hours can fly by before you notice. For anyone who enjoys a fun, solid game, Luftrausers comes highly recommended.
Luftrausers is a beautifully balanced exercise in frustration and release – a simple but excellent instance of what can be done with slippery physics, simple graphics and a lot of guns. A lot. Deeper and longer games are on the market for $9.99, but few will match Luftrausers' addictiveness or its knife-sharp balance of frustration and elation.
When everything comes together, Luftrausers is a blast of skillful maneuvering; using the wobbly controls exactly to the point of swerving through bullets and taking down baddies in retaliation.
Luftrausers is the very definition of replayable insanity. It's difficult,intense and feels smooth when you master the controls. And yet you'll come back for more in a new and improved Rauser time after time, with the constant flow of action never getting old.
I could talk more and more about how enjoyable Luftrausers is, how exciting the gameplay is, how easy re-starting the game after death can be, how addicting and exhilarating the experience is, but at the end of the day, you can kill a battleship by flying your plane through it.
Luftrausers is a good game with an excellent presentation, it's just too repetitive to recommend to all of the gamers out there.
Ultimately, Luftrausers is a game that balances a lot on its plate. It is easy to pick up but demands a lot of patience. It is challenging but lays all its cards out on the table within a very short time. It is fast and exciting, but requires the player to adapt. But it also doesn't pretend to be anything it's not, and all in all I found it to be a fun experience.
The easiest way to summarize Luftrausers is to call it the Hotline Miami of dogfighting games. It's incredibly difficult, but it's really good at sinking it's claws into you to keep you launching your planes onto the battlefield. It's a game that's really easy to binge on, but since it naturally comes in bite-sized battles, you might get a bit more staying power if you get it on the Vita and play it a couple hours at a time.
Like the best of Vlambeer's cannon, a simple concept executed beautifully. Limited enemy and level design, though.
Luftrausers has a strong pull
As an example of the purest gameplay Luftrauser's is almost unparalleled, but the almost total absence of mission structure of plot means that, unfortunately, it won't be everyone. For those craving a pick up and play arcade classic though, it's hard to go wrong with a spot of 'Rausers.
Luftrausers is an entertaining blast. Its two- to three-minute forays into the skies provide some of the most enjoyable arcade fun we've had outside of... well, an arcade, for some time. A crudely drawn cipher of Richthofen you may be, but there's no denying the majesty those basic pixels bestow upon the player, your inner Red Baron leaping for the chance to prove your worthiness amongst the clouds.
Playing Luftrausers is like jumping back to a time when the only requirement for a good game was to be fun. Thanks to varied battles, customizable planes, and challenges, it manages to improve on the classic formula of simple and addictive entertainment.
There are no secrets to Luftrasuers; it has no surprises. It comes to you with open hands, unwilling to explain if you'll enjoy playing it because you're reminiscing about how this style used to be cutting edge, or if you just need to see if there's that perfect configuration that will take you all the way. It's not about being good or bad, it just about being what it is and if that's something you want.
Often frustrating and sometimes unfair, but the glorious flight mechanics, general compelling gameplay, and attention to detail mean Luftrausers is easily worth considering.
Unfortunately, that's all there really is to Luftrausers. It doesn't have the personalization of Beat Hazard and it doesn't have the level of content that Pac-Man Championship Edition has. In many ways for the entry point of ten dollars there are better options out there. But if any of what you've read sounds intriguing or if you see the game on sale, take to the skies and enjoy the ride.