The Battle of Aurinoxia is a new 8-bit-styled shooter from developer N11 Games Division. It’s out now on Steam, priced at $3.99, and has a demo for those who wish to try before committing. We’ve played through the first couple of hours of this classic blaster, completing the game on the easiest and normal difficulties. Of course, the story is that aliens are attacking, and it’s up to you and your squad of elite pilots to save the day.
The gameplay in The Battle of Aurinoxia is straightforward, with only a main shot, limited bombs, and the occasional screen-clearing power move to take out enemies. There is also a shield to activate and weapons to upgrade across six levels that all end with the classic boss fight. Controlling your craft is easy, and we found the overall gameplay tight. Once you get up to speed with all the mechincs this is a smart arcade romp that keeps things simple and entertaining throughout.
The main mode to play in The Battle of Aurinoxia is the story mode that connects each level with a basic cutscene that has a real 80s arcade vibe. It would’ve been nice to have a few more pixel art screens to help build the world more, but what is here adds an extra layer to proceedings beyond the standard shooting enemies and bosses. There is also a mission select mode that allows you to jump to completed levels and practice your runs. The final mode is survival, which has constant waves of randomised enemies bearing down, and this gives some longevity.
As you would expect, the levels in The Battle of Aurinoxia become increasingly difficult, and the bosses have interesting attack patterns that take a few moments to work out. As with any good arcade blaster, there are pickups that are dropped by enemey craft. The standard ones are bombs, which can be saved for the boss, and shields that replenish your craft’s health. Picking up weapon upgrades slowly builds your craft’s power and range of bullets. Other exotic picks, such as extra lives and screen-clearing bombs, appear every so often.
The presentation is great and will please retro fans who have fond memories of the vertical shooters from the late 80s. The bold pixel art stands out, and some of the bosses are huge, as are the sub-bosses. Some of the best parts of the presentation are the slick explosions and animations that give The Battle of Aurinoxia a high-quality feel way beyond its price point. The soundtrack is equally good and comprises a mix of chiptunes and synthwave-styled tracks.
Overall, The Battle of Aurinoxia is a fine shooter that doesn’t do anything new, but excels on all the important tropes of this genre. It’s approachable for newcomers, as the easy mode is quite easy to finish. And those veterans looking for a sterner challenge will enjoy trying to 1cc the hardest modes and clearing high scores in the survival mode. At this price point, it’s hard not to recommend this one to arcade fans and those who love great pixel art. Most will get a good few hours of enjoyment, and those who get into it will have a great shooter that could last a fair while.
