Owlboy headlines the Nintendo Switch’s releases this past week, but it’s not the only anime-influenced platformer worth your time. GUTS Department finally published its long-awaited tactical platformer, Aegis Defenders, to a crowd of hungry backers, and so far, the reception has been strong.
Aegis Defenders is available for the PlayStation 4, PC, and the Nintendo Switch, so naturally, I scooped it up for the Nintendo platform without looking back. I can only thank GUTS Department for being so forward-looking and switching to the Switch halfway through development. The portability and ease of access make it a perfect game to play on the fly.
But what is Aegis Defenders. What does GUTS Department mean by tactical platformer? Basically, it boils down to two different genres that we all love to play and love to reminisce about. Imagine your favorite pixelated 16-bit platformers and added with a dab of good, old-fashioned tower defense. In the game, you’ll control Clu and Bert, a duo of ruin explorers who must combine their unique skills to fend off waves of monsters from stealing or destroying their hard earned loot.
Aegis Defenders takes its plot further than most games in the genre with a well-written story that comes overloaded with fun characters and more than a fair share of Hayao Miyazaki references. You wouldn’t be wrong to say the art style looks like it was lifted straight from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
Kickstarter countdown
Aegis Defenders was one of the last games I decided to crowdfund way back at the end of the Kickstarter goldrush days of 2014. Its release shrinks my list of expected games down to six! Happy is the day when I can finally close that chapter of my life entirely.
Between Owlboy and a recent run-through of Final Fantasy V, my gaming life feels fulfilled at the moment. The new “my pace” routine has allowed me to get some much-needed perspective on my hobby, and overcrowding myself with a third game isn’t the way I want to go right now. However, Aegis Defenders is a game I’ve believed in for a long time, and delaying my time with it any further also isn’t what I want to be doing.
Consider this a shout out and a recommendation for you to give a look at what GUTS Department has to offer. I’ll be back with a full review somewhere down the line.
Aegis Defenders is available now for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.
Add magic to your living space with these string lights
String lights add personality and soft light to your living space. Here are some of the best.
Disguise your little one with the help of a themed costume
From roaring lions to hoppy bunnies, costumes speak to every child's unique spirit. And we've collected our favorite options.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!
Use a chess clock to keep track of move and play times
These chess clocks feature dual clocks for players to control their own timers, and loud alarms so everyone knows when time is up. These clocks can be used for other 2-person games, like checkers, that may benefit from a game timer.