As a threat from beyond looms over the solar system, Project Aether: First Contact is ready to deploy! Take control of the AETHER prototype mech in a variety of environments to combat this alien threat.

Fight the alien threat across 9 unique levels, each with a powerful boss to defeat.

Customize your mech's loadout with an assortment of powerful weapons, including the rapid fire assault rifle, high impact railgun, concentrated laser beam, or EMP Burst system, allowing you to detonate weakened enemies in a devastating chain reaction.

Choose your own approach to combat. Pick your foes off with ranged weapons, or get in close with devastating sword strikes.

Use the enemy forces to your advantage! As you damage foes they become primed for a powerful EMP blast, which will destroy them and any ships caught in the blast.

Project Aether: First Contact also features survival and boss rush modes.

Light Weapons
Generally, these will be the bread-and-butter of your assault. Light weapons are balanced for constant use, with noticeable examples being the assault rifle, shotgun, and pulse laser.

Heavy Weapons
Heavy weapons are your most damaging options, but come with some large downsides. Including the railgun, missile launcher, and concussive shot. Their ammunition is significantly more limited, they have a longer reload time, and fire quite a bit slower than their lighter counterparts. Finally, they can't be used to weaken enemies to set up an EMP Burst - a weakened enemy will be destroyed outright.

EMP Burst
When an enemy has been sufficiently weakened, a circle will begin to grow around them. Activating EMP Burst while within that circle will destroy that enemy,  and cause heavy damage to any other enemies in close proximity. The intention on this feature is to promote mobility and risky play. This feature was added to reward getting in close to enemies.

Dash
Aether's thrusters can give you a burst of added mobility to let you escape dangerous scenarios. With well-timed use, you can quickly dodge otherwise unavoidable attacks. This can also be replaced with a charge attack, letting you turn it to more offensive uses as you slam into enemies.

Melee
Aether comes equipped with an energy blade for close-range combat. Weapon combos can be used to knock enemies backwards and disrupt enemy patterns.

Project Aether: First Contact is in development for PC, scheduled for summer 2019.