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Platformers are a tricky thing to iterate on. Given they’re one of the older genres in the medium, and there are only so many ways to play with the idea of ‘jump over platforms, sometimes fast’—it can be hard to come up with something that feels fresh. Aureole – Wings of Hope, by Team Stargazers, has succeeded, given it feels nifty and unique as hell.
Or heaven, I guess, since it sees you playing angels who are really into ring-tossing. The story is straightforward and charming enough. The Heaven Kingdom’s been getting lax with its security, something that’s been taken advantage of by a very buff devil with nipple-tape and a coterie of similar bad guys.
You play as Ramila, a slacker angel, and Ryleth, a soldier who got wrecked during the initial invasion and turned into an aureole—a special kind of ring housing Ryleth’s soul. It’s this ring you’ll be tossing around levels, cursing the laws of physics as you try to dash and bounce towards a high score.
Mercifully, you can control the ring. You have a directional double-jump that can send it in a direction, and then course-correct you in mid-air, as well as a slam to bring you quickly to the ground and a charge-able dash that serves as a way to break—or send you shooting off at mach heaven directly left or right.
Given the ring itself has its own physics, it can bounce off walls, clip ledges, and shoot up curved inclines like they’re half-pipes. In fact, the level geometry itself is your only obstacle between you and an elusive gold medal—and it’s deeply satisfying to pull off a speedy run.
This produces a feeling not unlike playing the game’s clear inspiration, Sonic the Hedgehog, except Sonic’s on ice skates and he’s wearing a suit made out of rubber. That description sounds terrible, but in practice, thanks to your additional aerial options? It’s a ton of fun to wrangle.
If you’re into technical, speedrunning platformers, then there’s a ton to like here. Even though I’m just starting out, I already have a lot to consider. Your charged dash can either slam you right into a wall or send you sailing over half the level, based on your height when you use it. Your ground-pound can combo into it, allowing you to hop over chasms—but it also has a little bounce of its own, letting you essentially triple-jump your way through tighter corners.
Right out the heavenly gates, you’re already making a lot of interesting decisions about whether to speed up or slow down—and that’s me nary an hour in. I don’t doubt that runners far more dexterous than I are going to have an absolute ball with this one. Aureole – Wings of Hope is available on Steam for around $12.50/£11, though it’s 25% off for its debut offer until May 29.
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