GUTS Department has taken their title Aegis Defenders to the crowd-funding scene. They're looking to gather up some financial resources to help finish producing their unique tactical, side-scrolling, strategy, action-platformer. They've also taken steps to get their game out into the wild by using Valve's Greenlight service.
The game is about a land at risk of being destroyed by a returning demi-god named Shem. A duo of adventurers, Bart the engineer and his granddaughter Clu, set out to stop the forces of evil while using some unconventional methods while traversing through an artistically expansive game world. The objective of the game is to get the adventuring pair to find Aegis, a legendary relic that kinds the kind of raw power to defeat Shem.
The story may seem like the typical action-adventure fanfare but you can really see how the story plays such a big part in the gameplay, as well as showcasing the heart and drive of the two main characters in the game once you see the Kickstarter video below.
The game is played by switching back and forth between Clu and Bart as they traverse through the harsh world filled with various obstacles and minions. As showcased in the video above, Bart will be able to set down tower defense-style traps and contraptions. Clu, alternatively, will focus heavily on using ranged weapons with some light defense mechanisms to thwart off enemies.
Aegis Defenders is like a mix of side-scrolling platforming with strategic tower-defense gameplay. It's a very rare breed of gameplay that we haven't regularly seen before in the industry. There are also some genuinely inventive looking moments that seem to mix up what gamers can expect from the gameplay, as well as throwing in enough diversity to keep the momentum moving along.
As noted on the Kickstarter page...
“Aegis Defenders had its start as a graphic novel with a rich lore and backstory and we envision this game as a venture into a vast, fantasy universe. Aegis Defenders takes place in a world where a great war has wiped humanity's memory clean of its once technologically advanced past. Once commonplace items like microwaves are seen as black magic. Humanoid artificial intelligence that demonstrate supernatural strength and intellect are regarded as gods.”
Players will get to see a mix of varied and dynamic worlds throughout the game, as each location offers an interesting and unique look at some of the deeper lore that resides in the game.
As usual, the stretch goals for Aegis Defenders includes some really nifty items, including a potential local co-op mode so two players can play at the same time, each taking control of Bart and Clu.
Additionally, if GUTS Department can accrue enough funds they'll also attempt to bridge the experience to the eighth generation home consoles, including the PS4, Wii U and Xbox One. That's definitely something many gamers would probably look forward to experiencing. You can support Aegis Defenders on Kickstarter right now or give the game an upvote or two over on Steam's Greenlight platform.
