Aegis Defenders

I got this game on Steam about two months or so ago and started playing it. Even though it's simple to play at the start, the frustration level picks up rapidly as you progress. Since I played it on the PC I had to use the keyboard. The controls are a bit clunky as it demands around 10 keys. While you are in battle you need to keep an eye on your assets, as you will need to get crystals and rocks to create more blocks to defeat your opponents. Some of these blocks explode while others slow down the enemies. The controls will make you press so many buttons you will definitely make mistakes. And the game doesn't respond well to fast keypresses when you fire. This doesn't make it easy when the wave of enemies coming at you is just unforgiving as you pass the first few levels. Which brings me to another source of my frustration, some of the enemies can eliminate your blocks just by touching them! I find that very unfair for the player, it just doesn't make sense to me. I honestly tried to beat a certain level numerous times and got so tensed and anxious that I honestly thought something is wrong with this game. I just couldn't beat it. I strongly believe they didn't play-test this too much. You can buy powerups and give your characters the ability to create stronger explosives or strike your opponents with more force. So the more you engage in battle and farm for crystals and rocks the more experience you get and buy better weapons. The game is made to look like old graphics but is quite modern and has a very charming aesthetic, the visuals are very nice and the specs don't really demand a beefy computer at all. Give it a try by all means but be ready to start shouting with anger when you need to repeat a level.

After expecting the seamless, flowing mouse + keyboard control of games like Starbound, I was incensed to discover that there was ZERO mouse support for this game. Had that detail been properly displayed on the store page, I wouldn't have bought it. As is, I'm refunding my purchase ASAP. Couldn't stand playing for even a minute. Otherwise... If keyboard or controller gameplay is your thing, give this title a try. Graphics, sounds, and premise were wonderful.

Playing this game solo, this game is tough... but managable. With a Pad 360 the Standing moments will require all your strategic skills. Upgrading shovel,hammer, weapons, switching with Clu for fast dashes,switches, Bart for quick build up, fast character switchs to make fall ennemies into traps/opening passages that will provide you things to build. 5 rounds. 5 rounds that will get your hand wet when Round 4 & 5 come. For an hard but reachable solo challenge, don't go over normal difficulty. Great lines of dialogues, Ghibli character/background drawings & pixel art. Nice original sountrack. If you except that "good guys" can kill every living creature/plants to scavenge and fullfill their Aegis destiny. This is the most Myasakiest game i've ever seen , excepting the two Ni No Kuni. <3

I bought on GOG instead of Steam, and i wish i had bought it on Steam, because even after setting up a way to play co-op via internet, the GOG launcher did not recognize the controller. Overall the game is pretty and very fun and nice in the beginning, where most of the enemies do not overwhelm the player. From there on, however, local co-op (restricted to 2 players) are necessary for progresing and completing the game - making it almost impossible to complete in NORMAL difficulty if you're on your own. That gets even more difficult since the timer for "build mode" is not generous at all (1 minute only to go around the area and collect resources and to build the turrets) - I wish there wasn't a timer in this case. If you die and managed to get to a checkpoint somewhere in the middle of the level, you'll lose all the collectibles from that point backwards - forcing you to go back to the camp and then into level select even if you select "restart from checkpoint". This is an awful mechanic since the devs could just add a "restart level" option instead of "restart from checkpoint" AND it's unfair to the player that he has to go ALL THE WAY BACK just to get the treasures he/she already collected. (i dont know if this is a bug, but it doesn't seem like it is. I also found lot of bugs during my gameplay such as: - Character sometimes gets softlocked/stuck in a mecha suit after a special cutscene. - Some enemies in certain stages get bugged so i cannot hit even when attacking with their proper colors. - The yellow character has the "shovel knight jump" skill, but its very buggy in both controller and keyboard, undoing or almost not registering the input. (its not my equipment, really) - There is a bug that makes it difficult for the the blue character pass through a door, since it need an enemy to open it very briefly (managed to advance by pressing "->" while next to the door). -others i cant remember/didnt take notes; It has potential, but a lot of bugs.