Air Twister is a bizarre but charming arcade rail shooter that harkens back to Yu Suzuki’s roots. It can be a bit repetitive and has some depth perception issues, but there’s some fun to be had in this weird little title.
Air Twister
Developer: YS Net
Price: $25
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch (reviewed), and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review.
Yu Suzuki is one of the most intriguing individuals in gaming to me. As a massive Shenmue fan, it can be easy to forget that even before that, he had put out classics like OutRun and Space Harrier. His most recent title, Air Twister, harkens back to those arcade days, but with plenty of odd and interesting charm – despite its its issues.
Air Twister is an arcade rail shooter with a third-person perspective. From behind the main character, your goal is to blast away all sorts of enemies while soaring through colorful and surreal environments. At its core, the game can be very fun as you blast away at monsters while alternating between regular shots and locked-on barrages. From the simple Arcade mode to the more diverse Tap Breaker and Fluffy modes, there’s a range of activities that all offer their own unique experience, even if the main gameplay loop can feel repetitive if played for too long a sitting.
While the gameplay can be quite fun, my primary issue with Air Twister is that I experienced some difficulty with the game’s depth perception. Enemy projectiles would grow a fair bit as they came towards me, but they would take up such a portion of the screen that it became hard to tell where I was safe and where I would be hit. This led to a fair amount of hits I didn’t expect to take, which could be irritating – especially as I tried to preserve health in the more challenging stages.
There’s a story to the game that is largely presented through the occasional dialogue-less cutscenes and text on the unlockables screen, but I didn’t find it to be especially interesting. The surreal world is enough on its own for this sort of game where straightforward and quick gameplay is the primary focus. The steady stream of unlockable cosmetics keeps the game worth playing, though I think the price is a bit steep for what’s here.
The visuals are a little too simplistic but the aesthetic itself is the most engrossing part of Airt Twister. The levels have everything from floating mushroom islands to angry armoires and alarm clocks that try to blast you out of the sky. The main character looks somewhat like an Evangelion protagonist who soars through the sky – sometimes on giant swans and other flying creatures – as she obliterates surreal shapes and demonic creatures.
If that wasn’t enough, bizarre operatic music that feels like a tonal riff on Queen blares throughout, complementing the mind-bending environments and creatures in a surprising way. I’ve never seen such a tone in a game, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the very weird clash between everything on screen. Like Space Harrier before it, this is a completely unique world that Suzuki throws you into, which I can respect.
The Final Word
Air Twister is a peculiar game that can be intriguing and fun despite its flaws. It’s neat to see Yu Suzuki go back to the success of Space Harrier all these years later, though the price may be a bit steep for those who aren’t arcade enthusiasts.
MonsterVine Rating: 3 out of 5 – Average
