Air Twister

Overall, Air Twister is a fine arcade title. It’s initially fun to play, and its trippy fantasy visuals do a decent job of drawing you in. However, once you’ve managed to topple the final boss and are treated to the end cutscene, there really isn’t much to keep you playing or cement the game in memory. The main story mode becomes just what you grind on to afford better butt dressings. I think the fallen swan deserved better.

While we were desperate to love Air Twister, it feels like an undernourished Space Harrier homage full of missed opportunity. For Sega fans who want little more than a Space Harrier experience in new clothes, there's little to complain about… except maybe that soundtrack. But, while the extra modes expand the game's longevity and encourage a clear, they feel tacked on. It's fine to go back to for a quick blast now and then, but sit with it for a day or two and its lack of inspiration starts to gnaw. The arcade hardcore are most likely to reap the greatest rewards, but even then there may be a nagging feeling of uncapitalised promise.

If you're looking forward to play some good rail shooter on consoles, then there are lots of great alternatives to Air Twister. Just take a look at REZ on PS5 or Panzer Dragoon Orta on Xbox consoles.

Air Twister is a fun adventure to go through once, but fending off an alien invasion more than that feels more like a chore. At least you can ride a giant swan for a short time.

Yu Suzuki has done something original here. Definitely not for everyone, but it has its charm. Unfortunately, it also has its flaws. It is hard to get into the game when one of the bosses is a clock. The final boss is just a geometric formation. The story is there, but it's as if it's not there at all. The gameplay isn't bad, but even that gets old after a while.

Occasionally fun but filled with modes that add little to the classic formula, Air Twister is a project as strange as it is nostalgic.

Air Twister is a very engrossing rail shooter that keeps luring gamers back for more. The steady stream of bonus content is a satisfying beckoning mechanism that makes replays rewarding. On top of the intrinsic rewards, it is gratifying to improve and master the levels with Valensia’s soaring music as the backdrop.

Walking the fine line between honoring and completely ripping off the classic arcade shooter Space Harrier

Fans of rail shooters and Suzuki's early arcade work should give this oddball a chance. While the game's core mechanics are rather shallow and its visual assets unimpressive, it succeeds in replay value, boss battles, and music.

There's no doubt that a lot of love went into the title, and that it was made more out of a passion for revisiting a classic formula than creating a new, groundbreaking brand. The production values ​​are decently pleasing, with its more primitive elements referencing its arcade-style older brother (the same Space Harrier graphics are used in every enemy projectile). But for the average player looking to discover a new indie game to try on the eShop, this is where the hesitation lies. All in all, if you already know who Yu Suzuki is and his legacy, you can dive headfirst into the world of Air Twister and you won't regret yet another spiritual successor that fails to live up to expectations and carves out its own identity.