Stereo Aereo is essentially Macross 7 minus the transforming robots. It follows a space-faring rock band with fighter jets that are dead ringers for musical instruments. The motley crew (or would that be Crüe…) starts the game on the run after skipping out on a cheque at a bar. From there, they take down robotic mobsters, cruise through a desert prison, and face off against the apparent queen of all instruments. While it’s all very zany, some pretty painful jokes and awkward performances undercut it.
For example—the chief of police is a guy who looks like Sting. He threatens to turn the red light on you and tells you not to stand so close to him. Get it? Yeah, that’s about the bar here. While it’s charming in fits and starts, it often feels obvious and forced.
Luckily, the gameplay fares a bit better. It plays like a blend of Audiosurf and a shmup—avoid enemies/debris to the rhythm, then shoot enemies/debris to the rhythm. This mostly works, but some later levels throw in some pretty questionable visual design that creates some unclear hitboxes. Along the way, you’ll fight some bosses, which I think is the best part of the whole thing. The core gameplay gets pushed to its logical extreme and is used for some snappy, thrilling battles. Shooting back the Space Queen’s mines while dodging junk she hurls at you is a total blast. Longtime rhythm fans looking for a novel twist on some tried, and true gameplay will likely find some enjoyment here.
“The core gameplay of Stereo Aereo gets pushed to its logical extreme and is used for some snappy, thrilling battles.”
However, rhythm game enthusiasts might take up issues with the music itself. Every track is a deliberate riff on 80’s pop and rock, and some tracks are better than others. Unfortunately, a lot of it sounds like generic hair metal and sort of runs together. The tracks that try on different genres usually work out a little better. That said, some disclosure here must be given—Journey fans might notice one track’s riff is a bold-faced rip-off of the chorus of “Faithfully.” I’m all about musical homages, and some of my favourite rhythm games have plenty of them. However, lifting a hook and speeding it up isn’t homage, it’s stealing, and that’s really not cool.
Rhythm games are one of my favourite genres, and if you love them the way I do, Stereo Aereo merits a modest, reserved recommendation. The art direction, core mechanics and the boss encounters are worth experiencing, yet it’s held back by some middling music and clumsy gameplay later on, not to mention a lack of replay value. If you can snag it on sale, it may be worth a playthrough (it’s a little over an hour long) for fans of the genre.
