Awesomenauts Xbox 360 Review - PAGE 1

Awesomenauts is a unique creature, 2D side-scrolling MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) with personality. The genre basics are all there, of course. You choose a character, kill computer-controlled creep for cash, kill opposing player-controlled characters for more cash, and destroy defensive towers until you’ve reached the enemy base. That's the "what" of a basic game, but the best of the Awesomenauts is in the "how.”

Here are those basics again, but with a bit more of Awesomenauts' personality: choose a jetpack-wearing, mine-dropping, laser-wielding space monkey; then kill the pawns of the opposing droid army, thereby securing "Solar" for the aliens which bought your mercenary contract. Players then battle to the death with opposing mercenaries – a gangster ice frog, a hovering brain in a bowl, and a space-cowboy replete with dynamite and a holographic bull – inevitably destroying the enemy droid army's Solar mining operation. Sets quite the stage for a unique and rewarding game, doesn't it? And that's only covering the basics.

As with any title, there are flaws. Similar to most console arcade titles, it's more of a problem of scope and likely affordability rather than poor design. Fun gameplay is, and often must be, prioritized over a support framework that will encourage players to continue playing a game for years.

This will be Awesomenauts true challenge: staying power. Much as in real life, things are evaluated on a scale of “one to awesome.” Yes, awesome is a measured sum, but how will Awesomenauts fare on this grand and sacred scale?

The Way of the MOBA

An evaluation of Awesomenauts can be broken into two sections – style and substance. Regarding the substance side, you could say that a strong, beating heart powers Awesomenauts. The gameplay at its core is well-designed and exciting to play. The basics of how MOBAs play out has been covered, so here are some of the more notable gameplay elements worth discussing.

There's only six playable characters currently in Awesomenauts, and they're all quite different in play style. Typical MOBA and online play styles like tank, ranged carry, lane pusher, and healer are all included. Awesomenauts ensures each character isn't square pegged though. For instance, Clank the robot can either focus on upgrading his lifesteal attack in order to maximize sustain or focus on his self-destruct, a high damage spike ability that also damages himself. Overall, it’s certainly not rock-paper-scissors, but novices will quickly discover a well-planned team that adjusts to teammates' strategies has a distinct advantage.

The "meta" is quickly falling in place, and experienced players will find themselves at an advantage for multiple reasons. Firstly, map knowledge is paramount, as knowing where health spheres and neutral creep (free health and cash) locations are is a huge advantage. In addition to all those factors, you’ve also got certain character environment-specific advantages like being able to hide bombs in brush or escape abilities that give access to certain out-of-reach elevations. Healer and tank duos are already terribly strong, as well as stun and spike duos. League of Legends or other MOBA players will feel comfortable straight away, and the small roster is initially refreshing, as opposed to daunting lineups of 50 characters or more.

Disconnected From the Awesome

Despite Awesomenauts' strength of gameplay, there are underwhelming aspects to the game when you consider it from a broader angle. Less is not always more in a MOBA, and the game's scant collection of maps and playable characters grows wearisome – though that could potentially be remedied through DLC. As with most XBLA games, the online services are merely adequate for matching you with other players. While Awesomenauts does have a leaderboard and ranking system, it doesn't feel accurate. Ranked matches fill in empty slots with AI-controlled bots, including games where one of your teammates leaves or is disconnected. More often than not you'll join the middle of a game where a clearly organized team is destroying your base. Or, you'll be winning a game and suddenly disconnect, earning zero experience for your time. Then there’s the possibility that your supposed ranked games won't be recorded due to your router or some other technical issue. 30 ranked games? Forever 0 wins, 1 loss.

The Sights & Sounds

Stylistically, it's hard to find fault with Awesomenauts. As a cheesy sci-fi parody, Awesomenauts is hilarious and inoffensive, akin to Team Fortress 2 in charm, and the setting is only loosely established. It's intriguing enough to invoke light curiosity, but not so rich or heavy handed as to be off-putting. The game's cartoony graphics are distinct enough to be clear in a fast-paced battle, but drawn with creativity and personality to spare.

What's likely my favorite aspect of the game is the soundtrack. After selecting a character, that character's individual theme will play throughout the match. During intense moments or after kills, the song will kick into a fast-paced remix that captures game momentum wonderfully. The songs are ridiculous, yet still character and game appropriate -- they may become a bit repetitive and tedious eventually, but I've yet to approach that point yet. Froggy G the, erm, gangsta frog, in particular has an amazing theme. If it was shared online I'd put it right here to listen to, but unfortunately my hours of searching have proven fruitless.

To counter the excellent soundtrack, the Awesomenauts voice work is disappointingly unimpressive. The brief introductory cinematic when the game begins is painful. Sheriff Lonestar’s initial lines can single-handedly make your ears bleed. The in-game announcer and the variety of grunts and angry yells in-game are simply generic. In an otherwise well put together game, Awesomenaut's voice work is an unfortunate sore spot.

Final Awesomethoughts

In retrospect, my experience with Awesomenauts can be broken into two phases. The first phase was as I was introducing myself to the game, unlocking its characters and deciding on different skill loadouts for each one. It was during this phase that I was drawn in and enjoying every single moment. In the second phase, after I had become accustomed with what the game entailed, I found myself wanting more. More what? More variety, mostly, whether that be characters, maps, team compositions and multiplayer options. What Awesomenauts provides is creative and fun, but it's not robust and certainly not built to last – except for maybe that Froggy G theme song I can't get out of my head.

What Romino Games has done is stepped their game up. Building off their success with Swords & Soldiers, Romino succeeds again in design, developing a vibrant, exciting experience that you won't find anywhere else. Their plight is akin to Small Arms’, pertaining to a lack of scope and perhaps the direct result of the limitations of the XBLA and PSN platforms. What Awesomenauts needs is a reliable online component beyond playing with friends and unfair matchmaking. The leaderboard goes a long way, but as explained above there's a disappointment involved when ranked games don't work appropriately. Considering XBLA/PSN's tendency to make things like balance patches, content updates or even paid DLC a lengthy and troublesome process, it's difficult to recommend Awesomenauts as anything more than a short-term, non-competitive experience.

Awesomenauts is a unique and gratifying take on the MOBA genre. Flipping the genre and making it a 2D side-scroller is nothing short of ingenious. Gameplay is simple and approachable, but with a high skill ceiling allowing for intense, strategic combat. Characters are ridiculous and entertaining, and the entire aesthetic is charming and original. However, the short, six-player roster and tinier map rotation are severely limiting. Compound that with an unimpressive matchmaking system and a lack of quick methods to update the game, and I can't claim Awesomenauts is a great game. Its competitive environment is the game’s one saving grace, but even this aspect is struggling, with no promise of significant updates. Awesomenauts is not great, so “unique, enjoyable and affordable” will have to do.