Ascend into the skies to battle pirates in twin-stick diesel-punk shooter Airheart, out on PS4 today

Hey, Jeremy from Blindflug Studios here. Based in Zurich, Blindflug is a small indie studio that aims to make awesome games that relate to relevant topics of our time by transporting them into fascinating and surprising game worlds. You might know us from games like First Strike, our enjoyable take on nuclear proliferation.

Airheart is our first console game and we’re incredibly excited to share it with you all when it launches on PS4 tomorrow. Let me tell you about some of the features that will make this a go-to indie adventure for your summer…

1. A touching story and a saga for its characters

Airheart is actually a sequel. You will play as Amelia, who was a little girl and one of the main characters in our last game Cloud Chasers. Ten years later, she’s remained tough, brave and uncompromising in reaching her goals; we think everyone will really care about guiding her through this part of her long journey.

Way back then, Amelia was in fact inspired by Amelia Earhart, the legendary aviation pioneer and the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. And now we can commemorate her birthday by unveiling our game on the same day.

2. A vertical, colourful world in the clouds to explore

The game is set in Granaria, the flying city, whose airspace you’ll be able to explore at your leisure. The gameplay will add an extra layer of (literal) depth, with its levels building up, one after the other. As the seasons change, you ascend ever higher or dodge previously passed islands on your dive back home to to bring back valuable spoils to your base.

Granaria is lush, colourful and has a diesel-punk theme that we hope will spark your imagination of exploring the unknown.

3. A killer soundtrack for the ride

We recently released our debut trailer on the PlayStation channel that featured some of the in-game music and the response to that in particular was brilliant – we think you might like it too. Featuring a kind of movie-score spin on chip-tune, it evokes fond memories of classic game soundtracks of yore. There’s plenty more of it to enjoy in the full game, all perfectly put together by our long-term composer Michel Barengo.

4. Twin-stick action meets responsible fishing

In this world, sky-fish are what balance the economy in the air, providing fuel to power the diesel machines to get around and money for those that catch and sell the fish. Competition to catch the valuable fish is fierce, and the ecosystem of every layer is changing as you play. Species might get replaced and a rare catch might wait in every corner.

But beware, fishing grounds might be inhabited or guarded by pirates, drones and all kind of enemies who will take you on in fierce battles, should you try to cross their territories. This isn’t just a fishing casual mini-game.

5. Build your own wings, if you have the ideas for it

We want players to feel part of Amelia’s journey. As you bring back home the treasures of your explorations, it’s your task to tinker that trash together in a unique crafting system. Try to combine your inventions and get rewarded with new bodies, wings, engines and tons of weapons.

Close range battering ram with a flamethrower or a nimble sniper plane with a laser sight? It’s up to you. Amelia’s hangar is as much your home as it is hers, so go to town.

Airheart will be available on PS4 today, an auspicious date as the birthday of the great Amelia Earhart herself.

We’re thrilled for our first foray into the console world and share our world with you. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the game!