High speed thrills with sci-fi, anti-gravity racers. When done right, they can be pure joy to experience. Just so happens that Aero GPX, a recent Early Access release by Aaron McDevitt, has the formula down right. Aero GPX feels very much like a spiritual successor to F-Zero GX, but it has plenty of things that make it stand out as its own game. And dare I say, this could be better.
To start with, I jumped on practise mode on the first track to quickly get used to how the racers handled. There were plenty of things to note. The handling of these racers is very smooth. There’s a nice arc to the turns that becomes tighter when strafing in the same direction. That same strafe has a nice weight when using it on straights to line up for a boost panel easier. It never feels like I overshoot where I want to be when using it.
When I felt used to the movement, I started the career. The first event of it is the tutorial, which teaches everything about that movement. Including a few things I hadn’t encountered during that practise. The drill dive is a move performed in the air, which spins the ship as it flies to the ground. Those spins build power which provides a boost. With the air streams that some tracks have, it’s possible to chain drill dives to get some crazy air and some super boost.
Another thing is that vehicles can become unstable. While in this state, it is slower. But it can make some very tight turns. This usually happens after crashing into a barrier or another racer, but can be purposefully be done by hitting both strafe buttons. Keeping the vehicle driving straight for a few seconds will get it stable again. Knowing how best to employ these tricks provides a big advantage over other racers.
The career is a simple case of racing to win. First with single races for those featured in the cup, then the grand prix that brings them all together in an ending tournament. After completing a single race, a special event is unlocked. While these still require a win, the conditions are different. These restrict the racer being used, for one. They can also be things such as a 1 vs 1 or a time trial. Upon completion, a new racer is unlocked.
After unlocking a few of the racers, I spent a bit of time looking at the roster of those available. Each racer has a unique design, with each racer being controlled by a driver. Those drivers also have unique looks, with the paintjob on the their racer being similar to the colour of them. Of the starting racers, I chose the Passion Kite, piloted by Jett Jackson. Its purple colour and fighter jet design immediately jumped out to me.
Each driver has a best stat, out of top speed, sliding, flight, combat, and acceleration. That best stat is a lot higher than the others. The Passion Kite’s, for instance, is flight. Which is very close to maximum. If a person cares deeply about the stats, there’s an advanced tab that includes a whole host of extra stats, such as strafe ability, grip, handling, and body.
Body relates to health of the vehicle. How strong it resists being attacked. The combat side of things I didn’t know about until looking at the controls. A side bash can be utilised to hit racers I’m alongside. A spin turns the vehicle into a whirling blade, cutting through everything around it. But also makes it unstable. The default for that spin on controller is Y, which is a bit difficult to access when accelerate is on A.
Thankfully, controls can be changed. So I put it onto LB. Which was much better. But then I had a thought. Why not change up everything to better suit me? And so I did. And funnily enough, the spin was the only control that remained as its default (along with steering). This new control scheme I’d made felt a lot easier to use, with accelerate on RT to allow ease of access to both the face buttons and right stick.
Aero GPX is a fun racing game. It’s mechanics feel well constructed to allow for the high speed thrills. Complementing those high speed thrills are a guitar-led soundtrack fuelling the speed. And a pop-art visual style that makes the tracks and everything on them easy to read while at such high speed.
With 15 tracks and 15 racers, this Early Access release has the content to keep fans busy this soon into its life. And more are coming, including a few extra things as hinted to on the main menu. I can very easily recommend Aero GPX. Those who want to relive the glory days of F-Zero GX or other anti-gravity racers of the era won’t be disappointed with this one.
Images Taken From:
Aero GPX | Steam
