GameLight Review - Awesomenauts

Official Site: http://www.awesomenauts.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/204300/ Source: Youtube Channel MachinimaTrailer

Developer: Ronimo Games
Publisher: Ronimo Games
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, [PC]
Release Date: Apr 10, 2012
Genre: 2D-Action Tower Defense (Action, Platformer, Strategy, RPG)

Pros:
+ Cute and charming characters in a cartoon-ish world
+ Fairly easy to learn how to play compared to most MOBA-like games
+ Fast-paced and lots of action going on right from the start
+ Player drop-in/drop-out makes it easier to find a game to play
+ Continually unlock more characters, features, and items, even if you lose
+ New characters being added without having to pay more for them
+ Can play 3-player co-op locally and host private games up to 6 players online
+ Controller compatibility as well as keyboard/mouse combo controls

Cons:
- Limited customization in character builds
- Online community is fairly weak with very few players playing online (PC)
- Even with 3 distinct maps, they can wear out in interest very quickly
- Other than practice mode, there isn't much for solo play when no one's online

Recommended: Yes, if you can get 3-6 friends together, this game can be very fun

If we were to mix a 2D Multi-player shooter like "Soldat" with popular Warcraft 3 Mod "Defense of the Ancients" (DotA), masking it with our favorite 80's cartoons, we'd end up with something like Awesomenauts.  Players choose from a variety of characters in a 3 versus 3 battle royale to push their robot army into the enemies towers, base, and eventually destroy the drill.  Throughout the battle, players will gather "solar" from enemy droids, enemy players, and scattered around the field which will allow the player to buy more items to become more powerful.  Unlike most MOBA-like games, a character's strength and abilities come from purchasing them at the store rather than gaining experience points.  The game was really easy to learn and very enjoyable once the mechanics of the game was grasped.  It did bother me a little that the amount of customization to item builds were so limited.  This doesn't allow for much variation.  Still, for a regular price of $9.99 provides a decent amount of game play time.

Aesthetics
Art Style: 80's Cartoon style
+ Distinct and charming characters
+ A really "awesome" opening
+ Maps are colorful and easy on the eyes
+ Objects are easy to distinguish
+ User-interface is shiny and clean/organized
+ Each character has their own theme song and killing spree verison
+ Voice acting is great and embodies the characters

- Frame-rate drops drastically and erratically during split-screen multiplayer
- Lag issues from one side can be seen by others and affects hit-boxes
- Songs can be annoying and repetitive at times
Aesthetics: 9/10

Buttons
Controller: Any gamepad with directional keys and 4 buttons; keyboard/mouse
+ Compatible with a lot of different gamepads for PC
+ Keyboard and mouse provides the best controls for multi-directional aiming
+ Controls are easy to grasp and feels great in game
+ User-interface for the shop is easy to navigate and figure out
Buttons: 9/10

Concept & Content
Core Concept: Push droids into enemy base while getting more powerful
+ Smart approach for a 2D-Platformer MOBA with simplified game mechanics
+ The whole 80's theme is realized with the theme songs, graphics, and characters
+ Story is simple, but gets its point across on why these characters fight each other
+ 3 distinct levels thus far, each with their unique gimmick
+ Characters are gradually being added to the game for free
+ All extra paid content is solely aesthetics: alternate character outfits
+ Being able to bring certain items vary the playstyle of the player each time

- Item build variety is very limited
- The maps and gameplay can grow weary on a player after a while
- Some characters feel overpowered while others feel very useless
- Can't browse through available games, all match-made
Concept and Content: 8/10

Duration
+ Matches generally don't last that long, so lots of matches can be played
+ The level/unlocks system is a good incentive to keep playing
+ The game's a lot of fun, and time will burn through quite quickly
+ New characters come out slowly, but players will revisit the game for each one
+ It takes around 5 hours to unlock all the characters, so there's no grind for them

- The novelty of the game can wear out rather quickly, best to take breaks from it
- Can be hard to continue playing if no one's online or friends aren't on
Duration: 8/10

Fun
+ The title opening is what really got me, reminds me of Battlefield Heroes teaser
+ I really liked the idea of each character getting their own killing spree song
+ All the characters are lovable, especially Clunk, I love to hate him so much...
+ Battles are really exciting and fairly constant in action, less passive action
+ I like Leon and Raelynn the most, they're challenging to play but so satisfying
+ A few of my friends got the game as well and made it extra fun to play

- Not having that many people online makes it hard to enjoy playing multiplayer
- The game can get boring playing long durations in a short amount of time
Fun: 9/10

Overall
Awesomenauts is a solid multiplayer game.  I can't see it being a highly competitive e-sport tournament game, but it can provide a decent amount of entertainment for casual players among friends.  With the ability to play 3-player local, 6-player online, and against bots, the game can be a really fun distraction from other games or one that can be played during short breaks in the day.  It's not too complicated, so it's easy to jump in and out whenever one feels like playing it.  I'm not too certain with PS3 and Xbox 360, but PC players should try to grab a few friends who they know they can join playing together or against each other as the Online community is scarce.  Also for PC players, Steam occasionally has some good discounts for the game so be sure to look out for the game as cheap as $2.49-$4.99 from its usual $9.99.  Overall: 8.6/10

VGCulture - Some Weekend Deals

There's a few things to look out for this weekend:

Awesomenauts is free for the weekend on Steam to try out until Sunday and will be 50% off for $4.99 until Monday.
Source: Youtube Channel MachinimaTrailer

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is only $3.75 on Greenman Gaming if you get it now and use this code at checkout: GMG25-UAAHK-6AI9S  Jet Set Radio is also $3.75 but these offers only have about 7 hours left, so get on them while you can! Source: Youtube Channel IGNentertainment

GameLight - Recent PC games

I have so many topics on hand right now that I'm going to have to talk about a handful of them in one post.  These following games are for mostly for PC (some available on consoles).

[The Walking Dead] - PC/MAC, PS3, Xbox 360, iPhone/iPad
Official Site: http://www.telltalegames.com/walkingdead/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/207610/
Source: Youtube Channel IGNentertainment

The series started as a graphic novel that launched in 2003 and was adapted into a live-action TV series in 2010.  An adventure game was launched this year and is split into 5 parts (2 are out so far) and the player only needs to buy the game once and will automatically receive the other parts when they're out.  It's much like other Adventure games where you point-n-click objects, make decisions, and added quick-time events for a bit of Action.  It is described to be like an interactive-movie with a great story, well written dialogues, and some pretty crazy moments that keep the player on their toes.

[Bullet Run] - PC
Official Site: http://www.bulletrunthegame.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/211880/
Source: Youtube Channel machinima

You're a contestant on a violent reality show where you kill other people for fame and fortune.  The premise of the game totally reminded me of Super Smash TV back in the old Arcade/SNES days.  Anyways, Bullet Run is a Free-to-Play First-Person Shooter published by Sony Online Entertainment.  On Steam, there are 3 available DLCs, each costing $9.99.  I'm not sure how "free" the game is.  That is, I'm not sure how balanced it is between those who play for free and how much of an advantage those who pay money for the game have.  I'll be trying it out when I get my new computer in.

[Awesomenauts] - PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Official Site: http://www.awesomenauts.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/204300/
Source: Youtube Channel ronimogames

As far as I can tell, Awesomenauts is a 2D Action-Platformer Tower Defense Game.  Perhaps an easier way to grasp it is to call it a 2D DotA?  I hear nothing but great things about this game and it seems a lot of people enjoy it.  It seems that on PC, players will have the advantage of a reticle to aim more precisely.  Also, if you get the game on Steam before September 5th, you get 3 exclusive Team Fortress 2 items based off the Awesomenauts universe.

[The eXceed Collection] - PC
Official Site: http://exceedseries.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/sub/15960/
Source: Youtube Channel Throneful

The eXceed Series ranges releases from 2005-2009 and was just released this year in English for the Western market.  eXceed is a doujin (indie) Shoot-em-up, Bullet hell (Danmaku) for the PC featuring Vampires.  Those who play the Touhou series may find the gameplay to be very familiar.  This is the first game that Nyu Media Ltd has brought over to Steam while I (and possibly many others) patiently wait for the release of Cherry Tree High: Comedy Club on Steam.

[Dark Blood] - PC
Official Site: http://darkblood.outspark.com/
Source: Youtube Channel loadstart

Dark Blood is a free-to-play Action Beat-em-up Online game with RPG elements.  Those who have played Dungeon Fighter Online from Nexon's site will be familiar with Dark Blood's gameplay.  Dark Blood looks a lot more gritty, violent and mature themed compared to the other online beat-em-ups.  Those who enjoy classic beat-em-ups will probably enjoy this game.  Those unfamiliar with the genre but have played other online games before might also take interest in this game.

[Born to Fire] - PC
Official Site: http://borntofire.aeriagames.com/
Source: Youtube Channel Funtree Main

This team-based First-Person Shooter has been talked about for quite a while now, and it looks like it's about to launch on Aeriagame's site.  In Born to Fire, you have your Shotgun-Man, Rifleman, Sniper, Heavyfire, and Dual-Gunner.  Sign up for beta is currently available.

[DayZ] - PC
Official Site: http://dayzmod.com/
Source: Youtube Channel icemotoboy

Those who are familiar with the ArmA 2 mod DayZ will be happy to hear that a stand-alone version of DayZ is currently in development.  This means that the limitations within the ArmA 2 engine will be lifted, no need to get an entire game just to play the mod (Counter-Strike was like that), and hopefully a more polished game will come out of it.  DayZ is a more realistic take on Zombie survival horror with real-time solar clock (it's bright out when you play in the day time and super dark playing at night time), perma-death, and real human interaction (you can betray each other, so that mentality causes paranoia).  It has already attracted over 1 million players to the addictive mod and hopefully will attract even more with a stand-alone version.


That's it for now.  My next line of action is getting through a lot of reviews.  More is on its the way!