Chinese gaming developer Yostar has come out with a new game called Aether Gazer, a more fluid and responsive open-world game that utilizes world-building, exploration, and some insane combat flexibility. Originally known most for their game Arknight which leans heavily on story and tactical RPG, the game works more like a tower defense game. Aether Gazer is their first step in not only experimenting with a different game genre, but also trends that have been most popular since Tears of the Kingdom, Genshin Impact, and Tower of Fantasy were released. So, what exactly is Aether Gazer?
What is Aether Gazer About?
Yostars has a handful of games in their belt with all of them mainly starting in a story based on sci-fi, a classic genre, especially for a game that centers around gacha and a game full of characters to pull for. So Aether Gazer itself doesn’t stray too far from that concept so soon after Arknights!
After a war that leaves the world pretty much ravaged, a system was created to replicate the time before the fighting broke out. Human souls were uploaded from their consciousness into programs so that they could continue to live out their lives in the system called Gaea. Thus far, the game sounds incredibly similar to The Matrix. Hopefully, the world system is a bit better than the one we see in The Matrix. The purpose of Gaea is to provide a protected world free from the threats that plagued it before. Through this program, people can have a second chance at a peaceful life.
Gaea is not without its complications though, the world occasionally is teemed with viruses and programs called Visbane which seek to destroy the world it created to protect people and ensure a better life. Gaea’s security program evolved to send out Modifiers, human programs that can battle and defeat the Visbane before they disrupt Gaea any further. They are thus sent out to deal with the Quakes that come with the Visbane, and to ensure the safety of civilization within Gaea. Aether Gazer is the organization that fronts as an insurance company that sends out Modifiers to deal with any of the disasters that Visbane brings to any of the 10 districts within Gaea.
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How is Aether Gazer Thus Far?
Honestly, this game is a marriage between Punishing Gray Raven and Honkai Impact 3rd. Although its graphics and storytelling can’t quite be compared to the levels that PGR and Honkai have achieved, it definitely is the birth of a new game that can compete with these two games. Not only does it have an interesting storyline that drops you in the midst of the action like any good game would, but its combat is absolutely incredible.
Punishing Gray Raven can have some pretty tricky mechanics that all do well to make a memorable gaming experience, and Aether Gazer manages to achieve something incredibly similar. This game isn’t too hard to figure out even if you have to flounder around. You won’t be punished for your mistakes and if you are familiar with these types of games then the mechanics feel a bit like home in a way. You know what to do, it’s just experimenting to figure out, “Oh yes, this is how I do combat. I switch between these two to do bigger attacks and more damage.”
I compare it with Honkai Impact as well, because it just gives off that feeling that Hoyoverse gave me when I was playing that game for the first time. The storyline is similar but unique enough to stand on its own and play with its narrative. You have your cast of characters that feel like they are young girls, but are actually military-grade soldiers sent out to deal with the Visbane. This reflects both storylines that are present in Punishing Gray Raven and Honkai Impact 3rd, and I’m sure nothing bad is going to happen to this innocent band of friends recently indoctrinated into the Aether Gazer program.
Similar to Yostar’s other game, you play the role of an Admin who is involved in the story but also takes a backseat in terms of their responsibilities. Yostars has utilized this formula in the past for Arknights. Therefore, what you have here is a comparable storyline that Yostars can experiment with, but with significant enhancements in terms of game genre, gameplay, and combat. If Yostars continues to upgrade and develop time and energy into Aether Gazer, it really can compete with Punishing Gray Raven and Honkai Impact 3rd.
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This isn’t the end of this amazing game. If you’d like to see more, be sure to check out our other articles covering its release date and the game’s redeemable codes so you can begin the age-old challenge of pulling for characters! Because what is a great sci-fi game without a bit of gacha?
