Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot is an arcade FPS dripping with style. Its pumping soundtrack sets the stage like no other.
Since time immemorial (well, 1995), teenagers would flock to the arcade and be attracted to the most elaborate cabinet at the time: Time Crisis. And why wouldn’t they? Holding the plastic gun and shooting at every thug on-screen, pretending to be cool, signified a geeky rite of passage for some. There was an enviable simplicity to it all. Point, shoot, repeat. Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot echoes that slick vibe that characterized those classic arcade shooters.
Aerial_Knight is a proudly unapologetic Detroit-based developer that shows his inspirations front and center. His previous work, We Never Yield, had a stylish, graffiti-based art style in an Afro-Futuristic kingdom. Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot does not fall far from the tree. Boasting very stylistic imagery, the pumping electronic music set to a vaguely modern fantasy of fighting soldiers and dragons equally leaves no room for many questions.
Donning the kicks of Smoke Wallace, the story goes as wild as the rest of the game. Smoke was bitten by a dragon as a child, who then proceeded to murder his entire family. Roll credits! Hungry for revenge, our cooler-than-cool protagonist embarks on his personal vendetta to execute any dragons or criminals in the vicinity. Armed with dangerous finger guns and a kickass vibe, each of the 50 levels lasts a minute and a half at most, making it a short but thrilling affair.
Each level you are dropped from an airplane and must dodge enemy attacks or obstacles to reach the land in one piece. Because Smoke only has two lives, some cheap shots from enemies off-screen while trying to avoid lasers or bullets might end the run shortly. Smartly placed slipstreams across the sky give a boost while trying to get to land. Several eggs can be shot at to use brief power-ups such as a magic shield or a pulverizing laser or to be surrounded by many more finger guns on the screen. Once the flow of this first-person shooter gets a hold of you, it is difficult to put down. Breaking from the mold of the shooting and dodging, two types of major events are available: boss fights and races to the bottom.
The boss fights against the dragons are the most exciting, but the limited ammo sometimes cuts the action short until you find a special balloon that reloads it. Because they are few and far between, depending on the level, this could leave you hanging and reduce the high-octane impact Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot is going for. When the finger gun is locked and loaded, though, nailing several enemies in a row is exhilarating. In terms of replayability, you are given a score at the end of each level, and aiming for S+++ with the best performance on every round might reveal a secret or two. At the end of the game, an endless mode for sickos is unlocked.
Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot is a straightforward game. Once dropped from the plane, you can only move, aim, shoot, or punch. There are no difficulty or accessibility options to speak of, and you can earn the Platinum trophy, on PlayStation at least, after defeating the 50 levels. No need to go for a higher score, unless you really want to. This game feels like a developer having fun, unconstrained from modern conventions, and doing what they impulsively like. Yes, this also means a few rough edges, but when the pure flow of the gameplay is so raw, that is a sacrifice worth making.
Aerial_Knight’s Dropshot is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
