![]() ![]() On top of this, the visuals of LUFTRAUSERS are wonderful. In addition, this choice contributes to the feel of each ship part, as one comes to recognize the beat of a beloved part. This brilliant choice takes advantage of the systems already in-place in the game to add a further differentiation between different rounds (especially when selecting the ‘random’ ship parts). So those roughly 125 possible ships I mentioned above also have an accompanying roughly 125 variances to the in-game audio (in effect, around 125 similar-but-unique tracks). Let me start with the soundtrack and address any players that rolled their eyes at the word ‘dynamic.’ I promise you that I mean it quite literally, and not as some kind of flashy buzzword: the soundtrack actually changes depending on your ship part selections, each of which has its own associated sound elements. One place where LUFTRAUSERS, to me, unambiguously bests Super Crate Box is in its dynamic soundtrack and restricted-palette visual design. ![]() These subtle touches make snap-judgements more reliable and help stave off the sameness of the enemy set after they become familiar. The designs of LUFTRAUSERS‘ enemies are also to be commended, as the airborne types twist exactly like the player ship and their attacks are instantly understandable despite the cluttered screen. This level of customization is atypical in the arcade genre.Ī laudable touch that Vlambeer made was thinking of a unique name for every possible combination of ship parts, which gives some personality and flair to my head-canon when thinking about my favorite combos, and also provides occasion for an unexpected laugh every once in a while (there are more than a few gems among the large pool of names). The 15 ship parts can be fit together in roughly 125 possible ships in the game (plus one of the best final playable secrets I’ve ever seen-and which I highly recommend not spoiling for yourself). There are a surprising number of ship combinations available in LUFTRAUSERS. This mechanic may be a bit of a double-edged sword, however, as I suspect its responsibility for the enemy spawning issues I detail below. The enemy spawns in LUFTRAUSERS being based on enemy saturation is certainly nothing new, but it does give a frantic (even somewhat stressful) tone to the game as it never lets up even momentarily (as compared to a hypothetical design that is similar but has set waves of enemies instead). And, all that aside, it also gives some balance to the otherwise incredible cannon weapon, which precludes regenerating for the whole duration of its lengthy firing process. This gives an anxious edge to falling low on health as opposed to a sort of fatalist resign-you almost always feel like you can survive and keep the round going, if you just dodge that next volley! It incentivizes managing the enemies on the screen well enough to not become swamped in bullets. You have to master the momentum-based turning and stalling of your plane, because there will be times that you have to focus on dodging and can not return fire. You can not merely tank damage and keep shooting at an enemy that can not regenerate health. The regeneration mechanic is one of the best choices that was made in the design of LUFTRAUSERS. These two twists are not as new as the simple twist behind Super Crate Box, but they are equally well-implemented. In the case of LUFTRAUSERS, there are two twists: ship health that regenerates when you are not firing or being hit, and enemy spawns that depend on existing enemy saturation. I have written previously about Vlambeer’s Super Crate Box, another arcade-style game that takes a simple twist on a classic gameplay formula and designs a brilliant game around that. LUFTRAUSERS is a game that offers a great challenge that looks and sounds great, too, and is a stellar title (with only a couple notable exceptions). In the case of LUFTRAUSERS, I have a mixed-yet-positive opinion of the game after the many hours I have spent with it, and would like to use list elements to cordon off the good from the bad. ![]() They have their place, but they are generally overused. I am very sparing in my use of lists on this site, and have only written one list article before now (on 5 writing tips that can be derived from Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo), but this is not because I necessarily dislike them. ![]()
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