Fun, Fast and Awesome : The "I Can't Alliterate" Story
I didn't even realize that Climax existed until last July when I played it once in an arcade in Vegas. Therefore, my memories are slim. I am quite fond of the original After Burner, but most of that was tied to the arcade-ness of the game, where I got to sit in the chair and have it move and swivel with my actions, making me feel like I was actually flying the plane (I was 10, leave me alone). The console version of Climax can't really therefore play on any feelings of nostalgia. Really though, it doesn't need to.
As Giant Bomb viewers (or is it readers?) will probably be aware from their Quick Look, despite the lack of cabinets, this is still very much an arcade game. Every playthrough of the game comes with a certain number of credits. The premise is paper thin, fly your plane very quickly in one direction and shoot dudes. The game itself doesn't take very long to get through. What gives this game a sense of re-playability are all of the unlockable options. While there are trophies/achievements possible, the game's unlockables are far more in-depth, rewarding multiple playthroughs with very interesting new features such as automatically firing guns and increased amounts of Climax mode.
I don't need to say too much more because there isn't much more to say. The game moves at a frenetic pace where you are constantly dodging enemy fire and firing back. You have unlimited ammo so you basically just point, shoot and dodge. If I had one complaint, it would be that the game doesn't lend itself to any sort of extended playing periods. But all of the bonuses available to unlock mean that I'll be coming back for many (short) times.
