# Punishing vs Aether Gazer

The clearest difference is ads: Punishing at none against Aether Gazer's shown. Punishing also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and chart position (#179 vs unranked). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Punishing sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Aether Gazer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Punishing against 4.3 for Aether Gazer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Punishing has 8.7K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Punishing's written reviews are positive against 57% of Aether Gazer's.

Punishing ships an update every 6 weeks, Aether Gazer every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Punishing | Aether Gazer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (8.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/punishing-gray-raven/id1571685286/reviews) | **[4.3 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-gazer/id6445892204/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.7K** | 1.3K |
| Positive reviews | **65.2% of reviews** | 56.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#179** | — |
| Size | 3.7 GB | 3.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [KURO TECHNOLOGY (HONG KONG) CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571685288) | [HONG KONG YONGSHI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798143269) |

## What reviewers say

### Punishing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/punishing-gray-raven/id1571685286)

**Currently charting:** #179 Top Grossing · Action (US App Store)

Lead an elite task force against a mechanical army in this fast-paced sci-fi action RPG. Assemble powerful cybernetic soldiers, master fluid combat, and uncover the secrets of a virus threatening humanity's survival.

**Highlights:** Lightning-fast combat, Real-time 3D control, Squad member switching, Dazzling combo system, Dystopian sci-fi story, Explore fallen planet environments, Stylized post-human aesthetic

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 Rainbow Card | $0.99 | one-time |
| 28 Rainbow Card | $4.99 | one-time |
| 34 Rainbow Card | $5.99 | one-time |
| 59 Rainbow Card | $9.99 | one-time |
| 71 Rainbow Card | $11.99 | one-time |
| 119 Rainbow Card | $19.99 | one-time |
| 299 Rainbow Card | $49.99 | one-time |
| 600 Rainbow Card | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Unique characters
- 💎 Generous free-to-play model
- 🎨 Impressive visuals and soundtrack
- 🔥 Addictive combat system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Confusing UI and menus
- ⏱️ Slow progression and stamina system
- 💰 Expensive monetization practices
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🌐 Unequal treatment between global and other servers

**Reported bugs**

- Account resets after updates
- Unresponsive controls and camera issues
- Difficulty spikes in certain missions

**Requested features**

- Improved co-op mode
- More cinematic story cutscenes
- Faster stamina recovery
- Controller support optimization
- Consistent rewards across all servers


### Aether Gazer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-gazer/id6445892204)

Engage in fast-paced combat within a sci-fi anime world where humanity's consciousness resides in an AI orbiting Earth. Battle viruses threatening this digital paradise by customizing characters, building combos, and strategically forming squads to save humanity's future.

**Highlights:** Fast-paced action combat, Character skill customization, Squad building and combos, Explore a dystopian world, Premium character design, Immersive soundtrack

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 60 Shifting Flowers | $0.99 | one-time |
| C-Obs | $4.99 | one-time |
| 490 Shifting Flowers | $7.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Contract | $9.99 | one-time |
| $14.99 Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 990 Shifting Flowers | $14.99 | one-time |
| Outfit Voucher2 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Acumen Contract | $18.99 | one-time |
| 1990 Shifting Flowers | $29.99 | one-time |
| 2990 Shifting Flowers | $44.99 | one-time |
| 6000 Shifting Flowers | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Generous free-to-play model
- 🎨 Beautiful character designs
- 🎮 Engaging combat mechanics
- 💎 Rewarding gacha system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Performance issues on some devices
- 🕹️ Lack of controller support
- 📚 Confusing tutorial and UI
- 🌐 Lack of Chinese language support

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during boss fights
- Inability to progress past certain story missions
- Graphical glitches and visual bugs
- Login and connection issues
- Gacha and purchase-related bugs

**Requested features**

- Add Chinese language support
- Improve controller compatibility
- Enhance tutorial and onboarding
- Optimize performance for older devices
- Introduce more endgame content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Punishing free?

Punishing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Aether Gazer free?

Aether Gazer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Punishing or Aether Gazer?

Aether Gazer is rated higher. Punishing averages 4.2 out of 5 from 8.7K ratings, while Aether Gazer averages 4.3 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Punishing or Aether Gazer have ads?

Aether Gazer shows ads; Punishing does not.

### Which is updated more often, Punishing or Aether Gazer?

Punishing ships an update every 6 weeks, and Aether Gazer every 4 months. Most recently, Punishing was updated on November 1, 2026 and Aether Gazer on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*