Aaero 2 Is Revitalizing a Lost Genre

There was a time, not so long ago, when rhythm games reigned supreme. Throughout the mid-2000s and into the early 2010s, entering the home of a gamer all but guaranteed that a lightweight, plastic guitar controller was stashed somewhere in that house, its colorful buttons worn down with use and love. Behind that guitar may have been a small, cheap drum set or even a horrible quality USB microphone with a game's branding etched into the front of it. Regardless of what console you owned or how often you played, the ability to plink around on Guitar Hero or Rock Band helped define a generation. They may not have been the first rhythm games to grace living rooms across the globe, but they were, without a doubt, the most popular.

That surge in popularity had one major unintended consequence: oversaturation. 18 Guitar Hero games and spinoffs, in addition to 12 Rock Band games and spinoffs, were released in a single decade. By the time the final Guitar Hero and Rock Band games were released, the veneer of fun, quirky rhythm party games had lost all of its shine, and genre fatigue led to the industry moving away from console rhythm games as a whole. Despite arcades consistently showing that there's still a market for these titles, the last ten years have seen very little success in the rhythm game genre. The market hasn't seen a true genre standout in years.

The 2010s burnout on traditional rhythm games forced studios creating these experiences to branch out and redefine what a rhythm game could be. Games within the Cadence series used rhythmic timing as its core mechanic for everything from movement to combat. Games like METAL: Hellsinger smartly integrate the music into every encounter, forcing the game to become a heavy metal ballet. That ingenuity torch was passed seamlessly to Mad Fellows' brilliant indie rhythm game Aaero 2.

The experience here is a bit difficult to pin down. It's an on-rails rhythm game that follows a spaceship as it flies through levels, navigating obstacles and shooting down enemies. While navigating the tunnel that serves as the level, streaks of light will appear around the outside of the tunnel, serving as guides for you to follow. This is all done to an absolutely phenomenal, pulse-pounding EDM soundtrack, featuring licensed tracks from artists like KUURO, Droptek, and MUZZ. Your ship tends to follow the lyrics, if there are any, and musical beats in the lyrics' stead.

As you zoom around the tunnel, watching the pretty blue lines satisfyingly break against your ship's hull, enemies will occasionally fly onto the screen for a limited amount of time. You have two choices when taking out enemies: a machine gun, which is the safer option to deal chip damage in a steady stream of fire, or missiles, which require you to hold down the fire button and release it at the correct time. The closer you release them to the beat of the music, the more points you'll get.

Enemy encounters can be sparse, but they're an excellent way to break up the standard rhythm gameplay, and they force you to split your brain into 3 different directions. Aaero 2 seems like a simple, fun time-waster on the surface, but some of the levels can be legitimately challenging and demand you pay attention if you want to get a good score.

Where Aaero 2 hits its biggest stride is when it's played in multiplayer. It can be played with up to two people, including a staple of rhythm games: couch co-op. One player controls the original blue ship, while the second player controls an identical orange ship. Songs are split into different parts, with one ship's guiding trails focused on the rhythms and melodies themselves, and the other ship focusing on the lyrics or opposing rhythms. While there can be some lulls for one person (more than once I found myself aimlessly rotating around the tunnel while my partner slammed her notes,) more often than not the blue and orange ship will float and dance around each other in a mesmerizing menagerie of sparks, bullets, missiles, active levels, and a pulse-pounding sound track.

Aaero 2 does exactly what a rhythm game like this is supposed to do, putting you in a trance that itches that very specific part of your brain that loves to see everything come together. Pair it with a decent sound system or good, bass-heavy headphones, and you get a bona fide hidden gem in indie rhythm development.

The only major drawback here is the game's short length. There aren't a ton of different tracks to choose from, but the vast majority of the music on offer are excellent and flawlessly fit the whole aesthetic of the game. EDM isn't even a music type that I lean towards, but thanks to Aaero 2, I now have a multitude of new artists who have found their way into my playlist rotations. Rhythm games are supposed to make you fall in love with the music they're supplying by hypnotizing you into a flow state that's unlike most other gaming experiences, and Aaero 2 nails that in pretty much every aspect.

The game only costs $15 on Steam, so if you're into rhythm games and want another fantastic one to add to your collection, I can't recommend Aaero 2 more.