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Where things get a bit more fun and interesting are in the multiplayer versus modes and the more traditional Onslaught mode. If you’ve got some friends to play with (up to 4, yes, it supports 5-players) the multiple mode variants in Versus can likely add to longevity, with 9 options to choose from you can probably lock in on a few that work for you. If you’re more of a classic arcade fan the Onslaught mode is where you’ll likely want to spend your time, loading up one of 16 maps and then having your pick of any of the game’s ships and power-ups to play with. Most of these stages need to be unlocked by showing your skills, you earn a star for every 5 levels you complete, and some stages even add environmental hazards to the mix to up the challenge. This mode provides a nice skill test that scales up pretty quickly with a lot of enemies and power-ups to cycle through, helping to scratch the itch veterans may get from the slower pace of the Campaign. The primary flaw with Cyberstorm is that for the most part everything feels a bit generic. There’s a fair variety of enemy types you’ll need to keep track of, including shielding drones, ships that will repair others, and multi-stage variations, but I wouldn’t say any of it was a surprise or a revolution. The ship variations are nice, and the options for power-ups provide room for variety, but again put up against many of the shooters already available on the console it doesn’t do much to help it stand out from the pack. One thing worth noting, depending on how you prefer to play, is that due to the scaling and pretty dark look of the game handheld mode can be problematic for pulling out details when there’s even moderate ambient light. It can be done but there can be struggles seeing enemy fire and crystals that you want to collect in particular. Overall there’s nothing outright wrong with Aperion Cyberstorm but it also isn’t terribly inspiring, despite the obvious effort put into the game’s multiple modes. It is a serviceable shooter and can provide a fair test of your ability, but for veterans looking to be challenged there are better options available on the console. If you have friends you’d like to play with and against the game’s value rises a bit, though again depending on your collective tastes and experience it may not provide much longevity. However, if you’re a bit more of a novice when it comes to twin-stick shooters and are looking for an opportunity to progressively learn the ropes of the genre it may be a great fit.
Justin Nation, Score:Fair [6.5]