AER REVIEW FREE

However, the art direction and vivid colors still manage to make everything look interesting and compelling. Technically speaking, there isn’t anything all that impressive happening on screen as everything is made from surprisingly few polygons and textures are incredibly flat. The look and sound of the game also help drive this urge to uncover every corner of the world. The fun of flying combined with the lore gleaned through exploration really makes the act of exploration worthwhile all by itself. Crashing into something reverts you back to your human form, but you can just as easily turn back to a bird with another button press. You can’t really fail or die, so the sense of fun comes through the feel as you flap your wings to gain speed and altitude and then dive or soar to your heart’s content.

AER REVIEW FREE

Leaping in the air and free falling hundreds of feet before transforming into a bird is exhilarating entirely thanks to great mechanical design. The variety provided by these dungeons is appreciated, but so is their brevity, because the real joy of Aer really is rooted in its flying. However, nothing is especially challenging or even all that long as these areas generally go by very quickly due to smart pacing and level design. Within these areas, you can’t assume your bird form, so you are left with your basic jumping, which is serviceable but still a little on the floaty side. Since the game is combat free, these areas focus on fairly simple puzzles, almost entirely based on flipping switches, and simple platforming. You come across a number of, for lack of a better word, dungeons that grant key items needed to access future dungeons and ultimately reach the end of the story.

Still, the ancient priestess and her journey remains a constant presence, no matter where you go.įollowing this main thread leads you to the most “gamey” aspects of Aer, and it plays out in a somewhat Zelda sort of way. Ancient scrolls spell events out in clear exposition, while the lingering ghosts of past people and events reveal how the now dead civilizations reacted to their dying world some took it in stride, others fled for hopes of finding a better home, and others devolved into war.

While you soar from one floating island to the next searching for your next objective, many interesting landmarks will catch your eye and most reward closer examination with new details, both stated and implied.

While the main quest reveals the thrust of the central plot, much of your understanding of the setting comes through simple exploration. Thus, you too must visit the nations of the world long separated by gulfs of sky and ask the gods if anything can be done to save the world.Ĭonsidering it’s the thing you are trying the save, it only makes sense that the world is the real focus of Aer. However, your journey is all the more urgent as the world is all but dead, having grown even worse since the priestess’ time. In Aer, you assume the role of a young girl with the ability to transform into a bird as she retraces the steps of a famous priestess who once set about on a pilgrimage that had her visiting every culture and communing with the various gods governing the land following a massive catastrophe that saw the land literally torn to pieces. Some have derisively labelled these sorts of games as “walking simulators” but Aer: Memories of Old dodges that label in a simple yet interesting way: it takes to the air. Narrative-driven games based around exploration are quite common now, as many gamers have indicated their desire to occasionally have a leisurely stroll through an interesting digital world.