Stunt Flyer has arrived to the PlayStation 5. Developed by Torus Games, Stunt Flyer was originally released on the Nintendo Wii back in 2011. Ultimate Games have now brought the game to next-gen consoles with better graphics and improved controls. Is this flying adventure worth it in 2025? Lets dive in!
A Simple Flying Adventure
There isn’t much to Stunt Flyer in terms of gameplay. It’s a simple aviation game with more of a focus on an arcade type of gameplay. You can crash your plane or even UFO spaceship as many times as you want and you respawn again in the skies. A very casual type of aviation game and just wholesome overall. The target audience is definitely children but adults can have fun too. Just sit down and have a good time for a few hours in this casual flying adventure. No stress, just a relaxing time with a chill soundtrack and world to explore. There is also a split screen option where you can play with a friend and this is always a bonus. Two friends can have some fun here exploring the skies and playing missions.
The flying mechanics are great and easy to use and control. You can do barrel rolls and nose dive all the way down to the ground for more speed before pulling up. Very easy and not much else to it. You can also fly just above the water and skim it. There are challenges to be completed when you fly like this so its important to be experimental when flying if you wish to gain more XP to level up. Players also have access to a camera which they can us to capture pictures of any sights they loved.
Mission Types and Islands
You play as a simple pilot exploring the skies of three different islands as you progress through the game. Your pilot can be changed anytime from Jimmy Jetstream to a Pirate Queen and even an alien. They don’t do or say much, just there as avatars to fly your plane. The islands are big and offer a lot of exploration as you fly around. Gloster Island is the first island to explore and it is a beautiful opening level to explore. You can see towns and a ferris wheel from above and even follow trains as they circle around the entire map. It is green and colourful, and is truly satisfying to look at. Captains Cove is another island with a big volcano in the middle and the final island is Nimbus which is a floating island with some waterfalls.
The visuals are great and colourful and make exploring the maps more engaging. Lots of hidden areas can be found if you fly around. Exploration is highly recommended. Each island is unique in design and have their own dangers to encounter. The audio design is also strong with each plane having its own original sound and a soundtrack that is simple and chill. However, there times the music would randomly cut off before coming back moments later.
On each island, there are missions, 40 in the whole game, and these range from time trials to races. There are also random hoops scattered around the islands. One hundred hoops can be found around the islands and flying through them grants you more XP to unlock more planes and customisation options. Birthday presents are also hidden as well and can be found for more XP also.
Repetitive Missions
While time trials and races aren’t anything new to these types of games, there are also missions where you are required to follow a train around and record it. The recordings need to be clear and done in fast time for a TV show. These missions test your flying skills as they can become more difficult as you need to be close to a moving train as it comes in and out of tunnels. The best pilots need to have a steady hand as they follow them in. Another mission type is where players need to fire water ballons from their cannons to water various plants around the island. Besides that, the cannons can’t be used for anything else it seems outside of those missions.
Unfortunately, the missions can become very repetitive as the same types are present across all the islands and you will find yourself playing them over and over again. Only difference is the change of scenery. This can make the game boring at times but its exploration can make it easier. You can take breaks from just doing the missions and just enjoy flying around.
Customisation
There are multiple planes to unlock as you progress through the game and complete missions and challenges. Each plane has a unique design and different speed stats. Some are faster than others and can be vital for different missions especially races and time trials. You can also unlock different colours and patterns for the planes. From zebra to gold patterns, there is plenty of customisation here for players to experiment with.
Verdict
Overall, Stunt Flyer is a fine, casual aviation game. Flying is very good and easy to control from the start. The islands are big and have plenty to explore. There are plenty of missions to play but they can get a bit repetitive as the game goes on. Definitely more for children than adults with the graphics and art style. Split screen is available so you can have fun with a friend. The occasional audio bug where the music just stops is annoying but doesn’t take too much away from the game. If you are a fan of flying games, this is one to check out even if it is simple.
