In our attempt to bring you the best iPhone game reviews, the AppSmile Team has come across one gem that should not be overlooked. Aera, the much-anticipated, side-scrolling, casual flight simulator game from iChromo, has finally hit the app store and it does not disappoint. Beautiful graphics, fluid animation, and terrific controls combine to create an enjoyable experience, whether you are shooting down aircraft or simply taking a scenic flight.
You’ll be presented with four planes and three locations to explore in Aera. Choose from a number of different missions like Aerobatic/Solo, Dog Fight, Race, and Free Flight. Can you grab all the defined floating objects before running out of time in Aerobatic/Solo mode? It’s not so easy, as you need to dodge mines and hit hovering rings in your attempt.
If you feel extra competitive, try a quick dog fight. Last plane flying wins. Give your huge supply of ammunition and rockets a workout. When you defeat the enemy, bonuses will be awarded you. These come in the form of points, rockets, etc. Race mode tests your speed to finish a course while avoiding mines along the way. Free Flight mode allows you to enjoy the controls and style of Aera in a relaxing atmosphere. Choose from Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulty levels in Campaign mode or Quick Play.
Even though the screen you’re playing on is 2D, a polished 3D feel is well delivered. Listen to the propeller and explosion sounds as these are nicely accurate sounding. Since Aera is more of a simulator than an arcade-style game, no background music is provided. One of our favorite features is the control mechanism. The majority are handled by the iPhone’s accelerometer, just tilt it to change the altitude. Shake it quickly to cause a 180 degree flip. Use any of the on-screen buttons to fire, speed up or slow down, boost, or change viewing cameras. All options are appropriately arranged in an uncluttered manner. An in-game walk-through and tutorial are offered to bring you a little experience before venturing out on your own.
Aera sports some interesting features that make it standout. One is the “TimeBack” function, activated when you crash your rig into an object. This freezes time, rewinds several seconds, and allows you to continue from moments before the crash, correcting whatever misstep led to your plane’s demise. This is great, as you get to avoid returning to the start of the level and having to play through several minutes of gameplay to attempt a successful pass at the area in which you previously crashed. We found this extremely helpful. You can also check out a video replay of your mission upon completion, allowing you to evaluate you flight and find areas that need correcting for the next time. Local wi-fi multiplayer is the closest you’ll get to online play. You can either play Duel or Capture the Flag in this mode. The Config menu allows you to adjust sensitivities, as well as invert controls and turn on/off the Prediction line, a path of arrows that indicate your current trajectory based on your altitude and speed.
There may be other flight simulators, side scrollers, and arcade fliers available in the app store, but none that so nicely marries the three. Dog fighting is especially fun and the controls feel very intuitive. Solo can be a fun way to show off your skills while giving you a goal to achieve. It’s just a nice presentation all around. In fact, we can’t remember too many iPhone game reviews that we had so much fun writing. You can tell that a lot of work was put into making this game special. Replay value is high, as the fun, smooth gameplay alone will keep me coming back for more. There are also several Achievements to be earned during the course of gameplay. Unlocking crafts/locations and replaying previously unlocked areas will also increase the replay value. iChromo sends Aera flying into the app store with an attractive $0.99 price tag, a bargain for this terrific 4-star stunner.
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