Aaero

It's my mission in 2025 to play through as many of my random Steam games as I can and I've had this game in my library for I don't even know how long.
Today was the day for Aaero, and it exceeded my expectations. The Sand Worm level blew me away, such a cool rhythm game, looking forward to playing the rest of the levels.

If Rez and Wipeout had a neon-drenched lovechild, it would be Aaero.
Bullseyes:
✅ Unique concept and execution.
Aaero combines rhythm game mechanics with a rail shooter that feels fresh and intuitive. Tracing the ribbon while following the music and targeting enemies constantly kept me locked in to the thrilling gameplay almost all the time.
✅ Stellar soundtrack.
If you like EDM, dubstep, or bass-heavy tracks then Aaero really delivers. Every twist, beat drop, and laser blast is in sync with the gameplay, my favourites being the boss level soundtracks like Habby 9000 and Stigma.
✅ Easy and simple controls.
The twin-stick controls are very responsive, allowing precise maneuvering. It's easy to pick up but learning how to balance flight, music tracing, and shooting may take a moment to master.
✅ High replay value.
Like many rhythm games, the scoring system, unlockable difficulties, and global leaderboards make replaying levels fun and addictive. Scores are based on how perfectly you trace the music ribbon and shoot enemies, and trust me it is quite difficult to perfect both, so many replays will be needed.
Dead Zones:
⚠️ Perfect laser shots need better gesturing.
Perfectly timing the laser shots requires a good internal beat rhythm, as sometimes the soundtrack's music will make you off-beat. This mechanic of perfectly shooting lasers eventually clicked when I got the master levels, but the game offers little to help you practice and develop this skill. An audiovisual or haptic indicator of the beat would be helpful to better time the laser shots.
⚠️ There is limited musical variety.
If you're not into electronic music, especially dubstep and bass, the soundtrack may not be your cup of tea. The game doesn’t offer much outside this genre, so the experience hinges heavily on whether you vibe with the music.
⚠️ No narrative or world-building.
While the gameplay design is unique and fun, the world of Aaero is more abstract than story-driven.
Verdict: 8/10
In the full mix, Aaero provides a pulse-pounding rhythm-shooter experience that is easy to pick up but also hard to master. It may be limited with musical variety and content, but the core gameplay is engaging and unique. And if you like games such as Rez, Thumper, or Audiosurf then I think it's worth giving it a try.

Rating:6/10
Completion difficulty:4/10
Controller only
This is a cute game based on the music.
The exteriors are fun, though some targets are frustrating to find and some of the later levels get relatively difficult.
Overall pretty good especially if you're fond of electronic music.

Pretty unique musical rhythm game to be honest. How much you enjoy it will probably be tied to how much you enjoy the music. Personally I don't really like the game a whole bunch. I find it frustrating when trying to deal with the incoming given the occasional wonkiness of how you target stuff. But that's not a huge deal breaker because practice makes things better I guess.
The thing I don't like? You need to do well enough to progress. It's not enough to finish a level, you need those stars to unlock new levels and difficulty levels. So if you're somewhat mediocre at the game you're just going to miss out on a bunch. I know there's a chill mode, but that seems to rely on you at least finishing some of the levels via Normal at a minimum.
In any case, there aren't a lot of games like it and it's arguably not a bad game by any meaning of the word. Just not one I'm too thrilled to ever touch again.

I've had this game for awhile now. Fun to pick up every once in awhile. Great music in the game and when you get going in rhythm it can be very satisfying. Simple but also challenging, I would definitely recommend just based on the music alone, if thats your thing.

I was super annoyed I couldn't play this with mouse and keyboard, finally got a controller and understand why. Game is very fun, very challenging but not frustratingly so like some others in the same genre. I feel less compelled to be pitch perfect which allows for more clearing of levels which I find super helpful.

The game is just okay. I wish there was a middle ground on Steam instead of just recommend or not recommend, but I cannot recommend it to every single person. It is definitely a rhythm game that takes a little bit of time to get use to, but some parts of it I will be happy to never do again. I am not going to say it is amazing, but it functions fine, the art is pretty, and the music is amazing. Definitely a game that I recommend on sale if it is a good price, but 15 is a bit high in my book on it unfortunately.