Aery - Vikings

Everything you need to know about Aery - Vikings!

Posted by Stealth David   21st September 2022

Publisher = EpiXR Games
Developer = EpiXR Games
Release date = 22nd July 2022
Genre = Adventure
Price = £8.39
Completion time = 1-2 hours

 

Summary

Aery Vikings is the ninth instalment in the Aery series. This time you’ll fly through thirteen beautiful levels inspired by Viking history. Soaring over the vast open levels to explore everywhere for level progression is both calming and relaxing. Combined with the beautiful music and charming visuals, Aery Vikings aims to offer a stress-free escape, for its short but sweet run time.

 

Gameplay and Achievements

 

Gameplay

Aery Vikings sees the player flying around thirteen 3D open landscapes collecting orbs to progress in levels. The game strives to be a short stress-free experience, which avoids deaths and skilful flying. Instead, relaxing exploration is the aim of the game. Aery Viking's focus on open world gameplay causes its relaxing story driven elements to suffer. Soaring through the sky is still fun, but the linear level design, found in previous Aery games, is simply more relaxing and enjoyable. 
 

Achievement Hunting Thoughts

Unlike some short completions, Aery Vikings achievements prioritise letting players experience the game. Its achievements avoid either stressful, missable, or effortless achievements. Instead, to complete the game, it simply asks you to enjoy its thirteen levels. Unfortunately, glitched achievements and repetitive gameplay/graphics slightly dampen the completion experience. However, those minor gripes haven’t stopped me from enjoying the respite offered by the Aery games series.

 

Presentation

 

Visuals and Animations

Aery Viking boasts beautiful landscapes to explore, which utilise the vibrant abstract art style perfectly. However, the reusing of assets between Aery games detracts from the game’s own appeal. The visuals are stunning, but after eight games with similar level design, they’ve grown dull. Fortunately, the smooth animations of the bird’s flapping wings and the ever so natural looking animated weather never cease to amaze. 
 

Sound and Story

Unfortunately, Aery Viking’s narrative struggles to be compelling, unlike its predecessor, which captured intrigue through the narrator gradually telling you about the world as you explore. Although the story is as bland as Aery needs to reach point b, the music does a nice job at telling Aery’s story through tone shifts (in each level). The music itself is phenomenal, being able to express emotions of escape, excitement, freedom, hope, and more. In conclusion, the music is still refreshing to hear as you peacefully fly across the sky.

 

Conclusion    

If Aery Vikings was the first Aery game, I would give it a nine out of ten. The relaxing nature of the gameplay, the gorgeous environments, and the pleasing music are all fantastic. The Aery series has huge potential because not much else offers the same respite from stress as these games do. However, my enjoyment of Aery Vikings depleted due to having played eight other Aery games with similar music, the same visuals, and the exact same gameplay. Aery Viking's repetitiveness has cost it two rating points, but if the next game experiments with the formula's potential, it could be a ten out of ten.

Aery - Vikings final score = 7/10

 

 

Links.

For gameplay on games we review.
Stealth David & Stealth Troy Twitch
Stay up to date with reviews, streams, and achievement hunts.
Stealth David Twitter
Stealth Troy Twitter

 

Reviewed by Troy (22/09/22).

No one has commented on this news article yet, why not be the first?

You need to register or sign in to leave a comment.