Rogue Aces (PlayStation 4) Review

It doesn't take long at all for Rogue Aces to embrace its arcade influence. The moment the plane takes off in the tutorial, it's clear that this is a game intent on paying tribute to its roots. The controls are as simple as would be expected from the genre. Moving up curves the plane upwards, moving down curves the plane downwards, and firing off bullets is done with a hold-press instead of needing to rapidly press to shoot. It's a tried and true control scheme that works.

That said, it also doesn't take long for Rogue Aces to show off how it expands on a proven formula by adding its own spin. While the controls are simple, they are deceptively so. The enemy design doesn't so much encourage skilled play as it absolutely forces it. It's easy to zip around the screen and curve past enemies; it's another thing altogether to complete objectives reliably while taking down enemy planes.

There's more to movement here than just curving the plane at the right time and holding down the action button to fire a rain of bullets. Chasing after an enemy is sometimes required as it's easy to get tailed; other times, it's necessary to just hit the gas and boost away from foes. It's also important to time flights carefully as the plane actually has an engine. Thankfully, there are landing strips available for purchase with points throughout the campaign to serve as bases to refuel and relax.

There is still an element of strategy at play with the landing strips, however. Landing with enemies still in the air is basically a death-wish as they won't stop to honour any breaks. It's important to be mindful of what's flying around before basking in a moment of respite. This is an arcade-esque title, so a bit of non-stop action is to be expected, but there is a level of patience, or rather strategic thinking, required to succeed. There is absolutely nothing to be gained from rushing, especially since the core gameplay is fast on its own. Slowing down to tackle each mission methodically is important as there's absolutely no reward for carelessness.

The gameplay truly shines in combat. While flying around will typically aggravate some enemies, meaning they need to be shot down or avoided, finding a host of enemy planes and ploughing through them is a treat unlike any other. There's a genuine thrill about coming face-to-face with a fleet and outmanoeuvring them with some slick curved dodging, or simply by firing away at them like a proper hunter. Dogfighting is downright addictive, especially when taking into account the level-up system. Every time there's a game over, experience is awarded depending on which mission was failed. Experience is then used to upgrade the plane for the next playthrough, giving a dynamic sense of progression to the gameplay.

The campaign itself isn't bad, but it isn't as good as it could have been thanks to its procedural generation. It works, in a sense, since it's true to the arcade experience, while keeping playthroughs fresh in accordance to the relatively high difficulty, but the mission variety isn't exactly compelling. That said, the gameplay loop is nonetheless strong enough to make up for those problems, but it might leave a sour taste for anyone expecting more traditional level design.

Rogue Aces' visuals and sound design deserve a special mention due to just how well done they are. There is not a single busy moment on-screen, which is saying a lot considering just how much can happen at one given time. It's easy to tell what is an enemy, where the plane can land, and what the objectives are, all while flying by at incredible speeds. This is in large part thanks to the vibrant colour scheme. The usage of bright colours allows each sprite to stand out all the more. As for the music, the heavy rock n' roll soundtrack adds a layer of adrenaline to the action. Hearing the soundtrack kick in when in the face of enemy planes is an inspired sound design choice that feels like a shot of intensity in all the best ways.

More than anything, Rogue Aces is rewarding. Sitting down to master the controls leads to hours of engaging action where genuine skill is given the importance it deserves. Along with a very rewarding level-up system and a host of unlockables to play around with, there's little not to like about this homage to the arcades.