Aperion Cyberstorm | Wii U | Review

---

Yes, you read that right, folks: Aperion Cyberstorm is a brand new twin-stick shooter for the dusty, clapped-out Wii U (it’s also available on the Switch and PC, plus it’s on the way to Xbox One, if you’re suitably modern). We enjoyed our brief hands-on preview with the game at last year’s Rezzed, but has that early glimpse of glitter faded, or blossomed into something altogether more splendid?

---

by Rob
​Holt

---

@acousticmagic

---

Developer: aPriori Digital
Publisher: aPriori Digital
Platforms: Wii U, Switch, Steam, Xbox One
Players: 1 - 5

From bullet one, Bristolian developer aPriori Digital ladles on the neon colours and hammering techno beats and synthesisers, bombarding the senses across all three main game modes. Something that sets the game apart from the opening salvo of mayhem onward is the option to play any mode with four fellow humans, which is an enticing addition for those of you with multi-chums.

Cyberstorm’s gameplay is pleasingly simple: blow everything up, look for collectibles and survive - not necessarily in that order. Left stick moves your ship, right stick fires the guns, the bumpers provide a welcome speed boost, and the triggers utilise two special abilities, chosen from a selection including rapid fire, spread shot, shield, shotgun and more. Combining these abilities with the right ship - some crafts trading manoeuvrability for firepower, and vice versa - will aid in meeting your personal playstyle.

The enemies you engage get progressively more difficult, graduating from teeny-tiny buggers during the infancy of your quest(s), to truly dangerous foes with brutal, express bullet patterns. The power-ups you gather from the fallen (freeze bullets, fire shots, etc.) will, in turn, assist you in destroying the next batch of baddies - trust us when we say, you’re going to need ‘em!

Campaign mode takes you on a tour of four worlds, each consisting of several branching levels in which you endeavour to uncover the mysteries surrounding a faceless organisation, your lost crew, and a bunch of dudes called the Paladins. The levels are largely made up of quiet, empty corridors and loud, enemy-filled arenas, but the balance never quite strikes it right.

Cyberstorm’s gameplay is pleasingly simple: blow everything up, look for collectibles and survive - not necessarily in that order. 

We would’ve loved to have seen more emphasis on the calmer, explorative sections, as, although the arena and boss encounters are regularly thrilling, juxtaposing moments serve to make them all the more special. A stronger story and deeper exploration would’ve elevated the campaign on the whole, though that doesn’t do too much to detract from the fabulous, frenetic combat and boss designs that are on display and can be tweaked to your liking with a well-balanced array of difficulty settings.

Versus mode brings the party to your front room, in a way only a handful of titles do these days. Get four friends over and you really are in for a treat; you’ll fight each other in a variety of arenas, across nine different match types, in a sea of retina-obliterating colours and patterns.

There’s good ol’ fashioned arena fragfest, a heart-limited survival mode, the you-only-live-once anarchy of Last Stand, timed matches, standard King and Control match types, and even more. This Doctor recommends a prescription of pop and pizza to perfectly compliment the glorious, is-it-skill-or-luck fracas on offer in Versus. If you do happen to be a William-no-associates, fear not, as aPriori have been decent enough to include an option to add bots instead of flesh and blood players.

Onslaught mode is the tenser, Gears-esque Horde mode, where you smash endless waves of radiant rascals, achieving a star rating based on your lasting power. These stars then unlock new, trickier Onslaught maps to weather.

Versus mode brings the party to your front room... Get four friends over and you really are in for a treat!

It’s hard to deny the sheer amount of content on offer here, both in single and multiplayer, but there are a few areas that could’ve done with an extra bit of chim-cheroo. Aside from the Campaign mode misfires, the chief culprit here is the music, which just doesn’t quite achieve true synergy with the game's visuals. Fights generally develop into bullet hell madness, so it’s strange that the techno doesn’t follow suit and amp up the rhythmic intensity.

So, in spite of its limitations, it’s hard not to recommend Aperion Cyberstorm. The music might be a bit of a letdown, the campaign might be a tad corpulent, and the gameplay might not be particularly innovative, but what is here is just ruddy good fun. Get some friends round, bust out those Wiimotes (or Joy-Cons) and enjoy £10.99 well spent.

Pros

• Huge amount of content
• Fantastically fun multiplayer
• Intuitive controls
• Great value for money

Cons

• Music doesn’t quite match the action
• Campaign lacks variety
• Low on originality

7/10