Aegis Defenders is a hybrid platformer/action/tower defense RPG. You start the game playing as Clu and her grandfather, Bart. Each of them has their own abilities that allow them to navigate through the levels and fight off enemies. Clu is armed with ranged weapons that can defeat enemies from a distance. She can also set mines and traps to attack them and slow them down. Bart uses his hammer to engage in close-quarters combat, and can build turrets that can attack from a long range. As you progress through the game, you are joined by other characters who also have their own unique skill sets.
Each stage is divided into two parts: the puzzle platforming section and the tower defense section. In the first section, you will have to navigate through the stage, using each characters’ skills to traverse obstacles and make it to the end of the stage. Once you reached the end, you will have to defend yourselves from waves of enemies. Usually using the same skills you’ve practiced progressing through the stage, you will alternate characters to fight off enemies. The enemies and the portals they spawn from are specifically color-coded to be vulnerable to attacks and abilities from specific party members. Therefore, it is important to plan your strategies for each party member accordingly.
There are different rewards to be acquired for completing different objectives within each level. The standard bonus is for defending the tower from all the waves of enemies. There are also 4 pieces of a different collectible that are scattered throughout the stage. Collecting all of them usually require some problem-solving to reach. There is also a bonus for protecting your tower from enemy damage. You can find a bonus heart in each stage that gives you some wiggle room in getting the bonus. Depending on how thoroughly you choose to pursue these bonuses and how much you choose to replay the levels, Aegis Defenders will take about 10-15 hours to finish.
Aegis Defenders is primarily a two-player game. You can have two different players controlling a different character at the same time. However, if you are playing by yourself you have the option of quickly swapping between players when you need to use them. This option works, but it makes the gameplay run more slowly, and in some situations, make it less than fun. In some cases, your opponent is being operated as a CPU player, and they don’t really do much.
If you are looking for an interesting 2-player game that combines puzzle platforming and tower defense, Aegis Defenders is not a bad choice. It has a lot of niche check boxes to fill, but if you are looking for something that fills all of them, it does the job very well.
Final Score: 8/10
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