Many players see After Burner Climax as one of the best modern arcade-style flying games. It is praised for its amazing visuals, with bright blue skies, glowing effects, and lots of missiles flying across the screen. The game feels very fast and exciting. Players enjoy doing quick barrel rolls to dodge attacks while listening to energetic rock music. The “Climax” slow-motion feature is also popular because it lets players lock onto many enemies at once and watch big explosions happen on screen. Fans of classic arcade games from SEGA really enjoy its fast and simple action.
However, some players feel the game is too short and lacks long-term content. A full playthrough can take less than 20 minutes, which makes it feel very short. Since it was originally made for arcade machines, the game is mostly about repeating runs and trying to get higher scores.
Some players also say it feels less fun when played on a normal controller or keyboard instead of an arcade machine setup. Without the arcade experience, the gameplay can become repetitive. Overall, After Burner Climax is a very exciting and fun game, but it does not offer much depth or a long story.