It took us a while to realise that Aeon Drive is the sequel to reasonably well-loved shoot’em up Dimension Drive. It’s a bold genre-switch from the developers, as Aeon Drive is an action platformer more in the vein of Bloodstained or Katana ZERO, rather than a Galaga clone. But it continues the story of Jackelyne and VERA just the same, while providing enough catching up and exposition to get new players on board.
Aeon Drive is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.
There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to get on board. The ‘Drive’ brand is all about speed, and there’s plenty of it here. Aeon Drive is a rapid little action platformer, mainly thanks to the Naruto-style teleportation jutsu. You will be using a hook-teleport kind of tool, which allows you to find a solid platform, connect to it and then blink across to it. This pattern of shoot-hook-teleport becomes second nature.
Adding to the speed is a 30-second loop mechanic. You only have half a minute to find the exit to the level, so time is of the essence. Your hook-teleport will help, but each level has also been designed with multiple routes in mind. You can play and replay to find the racing line to the exit, and even compete on Global Leaderboards and Discord for the best time.
And this is where Aeon Drive is most at home. It’s been designed for speedrunning, and already a scene is building around it. Players are outdoing each other’s times, and we fully expect this to be on Games Done Quick when it wheels back around.
If you’re competitive but not necessarily at a global level, there is still a four-player mode. You can play through the campaign together, or have a go at a PvP match, where the best time wins.
The key features in all include:
- Run through time itself! Aeon Drive features a unique time-warping system that saves players the frustration of repetition and keeps the challenge fresh.
- Teleport through lasers, spikes or saws, crouch-dash at the last moment to evade that incoming shot and run through 100 levels across several areas of Neo Barcelona!
- “Use Jackelyne’s Power Sword, Teleportation Dagger and time-bending abilities in this action platformer with a speedrunning twist “
- Modern & retro looks come together in the game’s pixel-art style!
- Enjoy a dashing (get it?) vacation in a cyberpunk version of the tourist darling, Neo Barcelona!
- Advanced scoring system that enables long term replayability!
- Real-time difficulty adjustment – collect time-warping devices and use them strategically!
If what you’ve seen gives you the chills, then check out our interview with the Lead Designer of Aeon Drive, and expect a review soon.
Aeon Drive is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S (fully optimised) and starts at £12.49 from the Xbox Store. It’s also out on PS4, PS5, Switch and PC.
Game Description:
Rush through the cyberpunk landscapes of Neo Barcelona in Aeon Drive, an action-platformer with a speedrunning twist! Whether solo or with up to 4 friends, sprint and dash through many areas of the neon-infused city – and use your time and space-bending abilities to get ahead.
