Aegis Defenders is a beautiful Metroidvania (the style of Metroid and Castlevania that has become a known term in the gaming community) 2D RPG-esque platformer with tower defense aspects. GUTS Department will be releasing this fantasy action platformer today, February 8th, 2018. It will be available for PC/MAC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. “GUTS Department is an independent games developer which aims to reignite the magic and imagination of classic 16-bit era titles by combining the best of old-school flair with new school gameplay. The studio Kickstarted Aegis Defenders in 2014 and has been working on it ever since” published their PR. From reading comments on their Steam page, I can gather that this is a long anticipated game.
Jumping straight into the game you are introduced to Clu, a trapsmith and hunter, and her grandfather Bart, a machinist who can salvage old technology. They live in a world that has been forced back into the dark ages but the past is still lingering in the form of ancient ruins, and their society has come to worship humanoid robots called the Deathless. Clu and Grandfather are Ruinhunters, who scavenge this ancient technology for trading. As you progress you will gain a team of these Ruinhunters to help you find the Aegis, a legendary weapon that can save them from the Empire. You will add Kaiim, the monk, and Zula, the thief, to your party.
During gameplay, you will explore this 2D world and battle enemies through the controls of an action platformer. This world is vast and has 18 different levels, roughly 8-10 hours of gameplay. You will defend your ruins and build weapons by using tower defense mechanisms. This game has 20+ different turrets and traps for you to craft and us to defeat enemies. You are able to switch between the four characters and use their unique abilities simultaneously or you can play co-op with split screen. If you are playing on Steam I suggest using a controller, like with most platformers, it will be much easier this way. I did have some trouble figuring out some of the mechanics and I do think their tutorial method could be expanded and more detailed.
The art is absolutely phenomenal. The time and effort that the GUTS Department has put into designing this game are obvious. The 16-bit style is illuminated with outstanding hand painted colors and broken up with detailed cutscenes and closes shots of the characters during dialogue. It is very reminiscent of the Legend of Zelda (and obviously Metroid and Castlevania) and was actually claimed as an inspiration for the style. I can already tell you that this game will inspire cosplayers everywhere. If you are intrigued by the art style you can find more of it at their Instagram @aegisdefenders or @bkho. Again this is a game that really makes you think of RPG tabletop games and your favorite classic 16-bit games. While being new and refreshing in style and gameplay, it is very nostalgic, which is what I think GUTS Department was going for.
Overall, I think this a stunning Metroidvania game that will be a huge hit with RGPers and Cosplayers alike. If you have a thing for older games, like I do, then I highly suggesting checking out this game.
9/10
Take a Look at the Aegis Defenders Launch Trailer:
Aegis Defenders is available for Windows PC and Mac in the Humble Store and Steam, and for PlayStation 4.
PC Review
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Overall Score - 9/109/10
I'm a postgraduate Information and Library Studies student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. I'm originally from Texas and have a BFA in Creative Writing from SFASU. I grew up playing video games and now enjoy watching other people play as well. I love anything with a good story!
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