The Pros and Cons of Luftrausers

[@TheGemsbok]

Quick note: If anyone is curious why there are overly simplistic 'good randomness' and 'bad randomness' labels over some of the clips in the "Con 1" section, those were added quite late into the edit---after I noticed my narration might make it seem like I was using Super House of Dead Ninjas, Crypt of the NecroDancer, and Risk of Rain as negative examples (which I'm not).

[@journeration1]

I really appreciate how this channel gives serious analysis attention to indie games that are more than 5 years old. Other than speed runners, it feels like people completely forget about even very good games if they weren't ultra massive hits or console exclusives.

[@TheGemsbok]

Well, in all honesty, the reason for the age of the topics is usually the age of the scripts (most of the videos I've made so far are based on essays I wrote for my site in 2015/2016). But I wouldn't put in all of the work it takes to make a video like this if I didn't still think the info and subject were relevant and valuable. And I definitely think that high-quality indie games retain as much value over time as AAA games.

[@saidnobodyever711]

I love this game and this is a very articulate analysis! Thanks so much.

[@epicgamersaurus]

This game has the best sound design of a single song that is possible.

[@annepodgorski4437]

This is my first youtube comment - however this must be noted as a very detailed review. Congrats on your mention of isaac.

[@mrickard3621]

Agreed - I think the mention of Isaac was especially impressive.

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

I totally agree with the inconsistencies. There were so many more times than I can count where I was doing great and had a Max multiplier and would lose it because the only enemies spawning were ones that took longer to kill than the multiplier lasted. A string of bad luck with enemy spawns was ultimately the reason I got frustrated enough to drop the game entirely.

[@Sneeek]

How is this channel not larger? These videos are great!

[@TheGemsbok]

Thank you! I think I've only recently ironed out the last of the kinks in my editing and narrating style, so hopefully the videos I make this year will bring a lot of growth to the channel.

[@Tyrian3k]

I sadly have to agree that the randomness of the enemy spawns could really hamper the enjoyment when your mission was to kill one of the rare ones. There's nothing worse in Luftrausers than to play minute after minute after minute, finally see the enemy you want and then die. Considering how difficult this game can get, surviving for several minutes is quite a substantial challenge to begin with.

[@TheGemsbok]

Very well said. It's not a bad design, necessarily---just a bad implementation. The randomness could've worked perfectly with some further tweaking of the parameters, or (like I say in the video) including a mechanic for deliberately seeking important spawns.

[@legomeaker101potato]

"don't spoil the game unless you are sure that you will never complete all the games missions" *stares at the vita and the annoying bug that makes killing a secret enemy not reward you*. i am glad I got the secret as close to organically as possible (transferred my vita save to the pc) because it is truly a secret you have to live to enjoy (videos just don't do it justice)

[@TheGemsbok]

Ouch, I'd never heard about that bug on Vita. Congratulations on getting 100% in the game, though! It is a huge accomplishment (especially if it included having to get used to the game on a new platform part of the way through).

[@legomeaker101potato]

@@TheGemsbok the controls were the same, i just had to get the laser ace again (and that is the rarest in the game)

[@TheGemsbok]

Ah, okay. Yeah, that's not too bad. I was imagining a situation where you might not have had the 25K in SFMT and other endgame missions done yet.

[@legomeaker101potato]

The Gemsbok *ptsd intensifies* yeah, i just had to do that and i think kill like 300 enemies in sfmt (with the random body)

[@Sylvysprit]

Very interesting video I wanted to buy Luftrausers in 2014 but never did it This video is making me consider giving it a try nowadays

[@Nabrashaa]

Good to know that as a new player, it’s all pros! Not planning on 100%, so I’m excited to try this game!

[@OdinTheTall]

I like your video. Your review and commentary is very informative and helpful.

[@TheGemsbok]

Thank you very much! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it.

[@AbdurrahmanKhallouf]

as a fan of this amazing game. I agree with all your points

[@Mystic-Midnight]

The random enemy spawning can be cruel and fun sometimes because I had a round where I died to 6 Aces

[@emilchidoub4748]

would you mind telling me the game shown at 3:08? It looks really interesting.

[@TheGemsbok]

That game is called Devil Daggers.

[@tomorrowland8026]

oooh yeah that's the good stuff

[@TheGemsbok]

Haha, thank you . . .

[@niunai435]

am I the only one who finds it somewhat funny that the main guns on the battleships are firing at the plane but not the aa guns

[@nabeelbox7397]

What's the game shown at 7:04?

[@TheGemsbok]

That game is called Platformines.

[@nabeelbox7397]

@@TheGemsbok Thanks!

[@user-bo6vy5eg8g]

luftrausers is my favorite vlambeer game. huh.

[@matsvandendungen2608]

Personaly, theres one topic that i didnt feel like got a full analysis, and that part is why i play this game, what am i talking about? Its real FEEL, What i mean by that is that i dont play luftrausers for the highscores pr the missions, but for the 'moments', the times where you have 4 aces on your tail and youre on a sliver of health and make it out, the times where you kill a battle ship JUST as the music hits that "du dun-dun-dun da DUUUUU" and speaking of the music, whenever i hear that beat play and the music turns all energetic, i go full crazy mode killing whatever i can and it usualy works witch feels AMAZEING, Luftrausers may have flaws, but the flaws like random enemy spawns can relly create these kinds of moments where you survive with just a millimeter in front of death

[@timothygeadeux6893]

Really solid analysis, and I agree with all of your critique. I think you went easy on SFMT mode though. That game mode is total nonsense and the fact that there are so many missions that require specific accomplishments in that mode is just cruelty by the devs.

[@TheGemsbok]

You're probably right about that. Just like my video on Offspring Fling!, I hadn't actually achieved 100% completion in the game when I wrote the original article that later became the video script; I only finished up the last few missions and made it to 100% while working on the video version. So when I was doing the 'script draft' for this particular video, I added a couple things pointing in that direction (like when I say "and some of the game's harder challenges" when talking about the achievement statistics, and when I use SFMT clips for parts discussing the high difficulty of the game as a whole). But I also consider SFMT to be kind of irrelevant to most players (irrelevant to new players, score-chasing players, and low-skill players---only relevant to people seeking 100% mission completion), so in the long run I figured it's not as important to the experience of the game as normal mode. As a result of all of that, the material about SFMT did end up a bit thin (although, moreover, I was also worried that the video was already getting too long for its premise).

[@the_cousin69]

Getting 25. 000 points on that mode... constantly waiting for the stars to align and that fucking ace marine to spawn and to get just enough fighters (all of which can one-shot you) to spawn to maintain your combo long enough to kill the ace marine... yeah, no joke, this is probably the most actively awful gaming experience I've ever had. I've half a mind to just stop playing with only this one mission remaining - which would be a shame because the game was pretty good up to this point - but the amount of sheer luck needed to accomplish that mission is honestly baffling. It's like they just copied some normal mode missions over to SFMT - an evidently unbalanced, unfair and underdeveloped fuckfest of a game mode - and called it a day. As a result, Luftrausers probably has the single most unbalanced end-game I've ever seen in a video game and I genuinely mean this without hyperbole. A pity

[@HobbesGaming]

Might have to drop $10 and get this...

[@TheGemsbok]

It's an enjoyable game, but no rush there. (Mixed-yet-positive opinion, yada yada.) Anyway, unlike Nuclear Throne, Luftrausers often goes on sale---and is likely to drop to about $2.50 in the Steam winter sale.

[@HobbesGaming]

@@TheGemsbok I could not wait for winter to hit, it is just too interesting - It's incredibly fun, and considering how bad I am at the game, I'm sure I'll get thousands of hours out of it! (I almost never get board of arcade games) I actually did a live stream when I first bought it last night (at 4am) kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3aXoKilf9eXptk - The Audio is a bit messed up as I didn't really test how loud the game should be for recording as I literally just got the game.. Edit: A blimp just spawned and idek if I have taken down any of the large battleships yet lol...

[@TheGemsbok]

It's definitely got that 'just one more round' quality that comes from fast, hard arcade titles with a quick restart. 100% can be had in less than 50 hours for sure (I got there in about 20), which is good because it has a lot less content and variety than something like Nuclear Throne.

[@ikman4006]

you are mistaking battleships for carriers. there are no carriers in the game

[@TheGemsbok]

You are correct. They are referred to as battleships in the game's missions and achievements. I believe that I made this mistake because you can see aircraft taking off from similar vessels in the background once battleships begin to spawn.

[@joshkindu3063]

well f**k it then, why not just mod to add new enemy designs?

[@TheGemsbok]

Ha, well, sounds good. Coming up with those enemy concepts and making the pixel art for this video wasn't too challenging, but I'm definitely not qualified to add them to the game myself (nor to improve the bigger issues related to inconsistent enemy spawning).

[@davidstrife165]

Imma have to argue on the blimps, probably only because of my rotten luck. I havemt had a round where the fucks didnt show up. Worse, they seem to come in pairs for me.

[@gappypeals]

anyone else get angry when he called the battleships aircraft carriers just me i guess lo

[@TheGemsbok]

You are not the first person to point this out. Sorry for the error, and I hope it didn't make you too angry. I believe that I made this mistake because you can see aircraft taking off from similar vessels in the background once battleships begin to spawn.