Aeromachina: Test Flight Is Just A Demo, But It’s Already One Of My Favorite Games Of The Year
Soaring high.
Metroidvania games have exploded in popularity over the last decade, but they’ve mostly stuck to the sidescrolling platformer essentials the genre was born from. That’s not always the case, though, and following in the footsteps of 2023’s excellent Pseudoregalia, one of the most exciting action games this year is another 3D Metroidvania, this time with mechs, a dash of Metal Gear Solid, and a lot more combat.
Technically, Aeromachina: Test-Flight is just a preview of the upcoming Aeromachina, but despite launching alongside June’s Steam Next Fest, it feels like a full game on its own, and one that’s already in contention for my favorite action game of the year. You play as Bogey, a sort of anthropomorphic fighter jet that’s going through the paces of a VR training sim ahead of the real missions to come in the full game.
Part of what makes Aeromachina: Test-Flight so special is how it delivers the feeling of a full Metroidvania game in just an hour or two. At first, you’re extremely limited, with nothing in your toolkit but a simple melee attack and a jet-powered dodge. It feels great from the start, particularly the dodge, which quickly blasts you in one direction and can be chained three times before your engine overheats. But upgrades come quickly, and each one makes the game feel even better.
Combat is immediately improved when you get a ranged weapon to complement your melee attack, letting you dash between ranges to keep pressure on enemies. A double jump and upward dodge make you even more maneuverable and let you reach new locations, and you’ll need to use all these abilities to their fullest, as combat quickly ramps up in difficulty.
Test-Flight is punctuated with two boss battles, one against a stationary laser turret and another against a mobile flying pig with a missile launcher, like an extremely aggressive version of Porco Rosso. Both boss fights feel unique, with mechanics not seen elsewhere in the demo that force you to think about your movement and the environment.
Combat in Aeromachina: Test-Flight is demanding but incredibly satisfying.
Outside of combat, your upgrades are just as essential. The most original one is the glide ability you unlock early, which lets you soar huge distances if you have enough height and speed. Once you access the full suite of movement abilities, it’s a blast to just zip through Aeromachina’s world and blow past areas that used to be difficult platforming challenges.
Each new upgrade also reveals just how dense Test-Flight’s map is. Hidden doors abound, and even late into the demo, you’ll find secret vents and switches that grant you access to new upgrades and areas. Every new movement ability is a chance for another “a-ha” moment, as previously impassable obstacles become doors for your new skills to unlock. Uncovering the map involves experimenting with each new ability, making it far more satisfying than just opening obvious locks. Only after beating the demo’s main boss did I notice a patch note alluding to an “endgame sidequest” that I hadn’t even discovered, and when I booted the game up again, I immediately found huge new swaths of the map that I’m eager to explore.
Aeromachina’s cast of weirdos all sport fantastic designs.
Aeromachina also earns major points for sheer style. Its PS1-inspired graphics call to mind Metal Gear Solid, as does its radio system, which lets your commanders offer you advice in the field. Your allies just happen to be a bunny girl and a bird in a poncho, while your character resembles a mix between a shark and an airplane. Aesthetically and mechanically, the demo is a nonstop parade of fun surprises.
The full version of Aeromachina doesn’t have a release date, but Test-Flight is worth playing on its own merits rather than as just a preview of what’s to come. It packs more good ideas into sixty minutes or so than some games do in their entire runtime, and it does so with impeccable style to boot.
