You won’t unlock Yuri until you reach level 11, but his jetpack and laser make him worth the trouble.In 3587, infinite armies of red and blue robots rush each other in an endless dance of mutual annihilation. You’ll join the side-scrolling fray as one of six oddball mercenaries, trying to tilt the balance of power in your team’s favor on three different battlegrounds.
The characters’ charming hand-drawn look might make you feel like a kid watching cartoons, but don’t be fooled: tough fights lay ahead. To destroy the other team’s vulnerable Drillcore machinery and win the day, you must push through respawning mechanical cannon fodder and blast apart powerful automated turrets. As a quick tutorial makes plain, success requires knowing when to stand your ground, and when to turn tail and run.
Whether you’re practicing against offline bots or blowing up human foes in seamless drop-in/drop-out online tussles, the basics remain the same. As your side’s galloping dog-sized bots bound within range, they’ll draw a turret’s fire. Stomp in behind them, and you’ll gain seconds to whittle down the artillery blockade before the distraction gets vaporized. Because every player-death gives the other side vital resources, success demands that you constantly shift focus between offensive destruction and defensive survival.
Defend your Drillcore: it can’t fight back.Why are resources so important? Ah, that’s the best part. Goodies purchased at the in-game shop can significantly expand your character’s abilities. Sheriff Lonestar might concentrate on tossing sticks of dynamite, or unlock a stampeding Hyper Bull that pushes back crowds. Yuri the monkey can hover with his jetpack, drop mines, and amplify the effects of a time-slowing bubble. And while you’re noodling around with varied character builds and fresh strategies, you’ll earn experience points that unlock even more options.
Awesomenauts’ peculiar mix of fast-paced 2D action and ever-shifting strategy plants it in a strange niche, but it also rewards adventurous players with hours of warfare and entertaining experimentation. With more characters coming via DLC, the options should expand even further.
You’ll do okay if you tear around by yourself, but you’ll positively ruin the opposition if you and at least one other player tailor your strategies and upgrade choices to suit one another. Clunk’s beefy missiles can do considerable damage on their own, but support that firepower with Voltar’s healing energy streams and the two of you will mop the floor with any lone-wolf challengers. Play around! You’re sure to find plenty of appealing combinations.
PUBLISHER: dtp entertainment • DEVELOPER: Ronimo Games • ESRB: Teen • MULTIPLAYER: 3 on split-screen, 6 on Xbox Live • ACHIEVEMENTS: Demanding • COST: 800 Microsoft Points ($10) • AVAILABLE: May 2, 2012
+ Six silly characters with lots of upgrades; slick character and destruction animations.
+ Rapid-fire tactical decisions keep you permanently on your toes; smooth match-making.
– Becoming effective requires lots of practice; only three different maps.
? Is Lonestar related to Bill Pullman’s character in Spaceballs?
