“Airframe Ultra is an online, multiplayer combat racing game. There’s only two types of racers in Megacity West: The winners and the dead. Down here, you’ve got a chop shop Airframe, a rusted machete, and blood on the motorway. Welcome to the violent underground world of Ultra Circuit racing!” – Steam Description

Airframe Ultra is a high octane racer from years past it would seem. Made by the same developer who brought you Rain World, this is a gigantic departure from that genre. When trying to sell my friends on this game it was like “Remember Road Rash for the Sega Genesis? Okay take that but you’re on air bikes, can boost yourself to literal death, and there are intermissions to fight to the death on foot.” I think that pretty much encapsulates the game and I’m here for it.

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Road Rash is Back

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Each time you load into a lobby you hang out until enough people join the lobby to make it a “Race Lobby.” Once you’re in a race lobby the circuit starts. The loop for this game is very simple. You race, you fight, you race, you fight. If you win a race, you get 3 points, if you kill you eliminate someone, you get 1 point. Kinda like Mario Kart Cups except you need 10 points to win. Once you have 10 points (or more) you have to come in first place in the next race (called Sprints) in order to win.

The sprints are fast and there are a few different maps each with their own challenges. The world is destroyed and it’s all very run down and dilapidated. On one of the highway maps, the bridge is degraded so you need to boost and jump or switch lanes, or even levels to avoid death. Not only do you have to worry about the other players but you have to worry about oncoming traffic or traffic you’re weaving in and out of. It’s a common theme it seems in the maps, giving the players many obstacles to worry about all while trying to manage their health, vehicle health, boosts, and any weapons they might pick up. On another level you’re moving through an active factory with structures on conveyor belts, it’s chaotic for sure but I think that’s part of the charm.

In between sprints, you enter into a deathmatch style arena. There are two types, vehicle and pedestrian. I suppose you always have the option to get off your bike and hoof it but that’s just begging to be the victim of a hit-and-run. The deathmatches are fast, maybe a minute in length, and then there’s a countdown to get back on your bike and keep racing as the gate opens. At one point I did grab molotov cocktails before the countdown started and I pitched them at everyone’s bikes as they were running back to them. Was it dirty? Yes, but screw them I went from 4 points to 9 points and I wanted to win. Weapons you get in the deathmatch can be carried into the race, or weapons you collect along the race can be carried into the deathmatch, it all flows together.

This can drag on a little, say player 1 wins 3 races and kills one person, they are at 10 points but then player 2 wins 2 races, and player 4 wins 3 races… You get the idea. In between the racing circuits you can buy cosmetics and you can stash them away at the end of a circuit but you can’t do it until the end. You are locked into the lobby until SOMEONE wins.

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Gearing Up

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Once you have cosmetics stashed and you’ve completed a full circuit, you can go back to the garage. The items that you can find and unlock seem pretty random, but you can find different helmets and clothing for your rider. You can find different paint colors for your bikes. Speaking of bikes, you can also find new parts, different engines and bodies to make new bikes. There is a lot of customization that can be picked up on in a glance which I think is super important for a game that plays at this pace.

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• Graphics– You gotta like this PSX style in order to think these crunchy pixel graphics look good, but boy do I. Even being so crunchy, there is a lot of visual fidelity here, you can make out the characters and obstacles pretty easily while putting the pedal to the metal.
• Gameplay– Gameplay is fast, unforgiving, and a complete blast. You have a certain number of boosts that you can do, and you can pick up more as you race. If you run out of boosts, you can keep boosting but it might cost you 10-12% of your HP. There’s a bit of a risk/reward to be balanced between being safe and being FAST.
• Sound– Sound design is good. Nothing stood out as great or bad.
• Controls– Airbike feels great to drive, the on foot controls are janky but it’s super charming. You can fall over if you jump and kick too late, but you can kick from the ground and still fight.
• Story– No real story to speak of. It’s a multiplayer only racing game.