AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome is the semi sequel to AaAaAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity. I say semi sequel because Awesome contains all 82 original levels from Reckless in a remastered form, in addition to the 43 new levels that come with Awesome. Also, I will be saying "awesome" far too much in the remainder of this review.
Awesome is classified as Action/Indie/Sport, but it's
probably best to look at it like it's a twitch BASE jumping game, in which you
leap from great heights and must successfully navigate through floating
buildings, down the side of a mountain, or around asteroids to reach the bottom
with the highest score possible. It requires dedication, good reflexes, and a
resistance to seizures. If you've got all that, Awesome can make for a really
fun, as well as really frustrating, time.
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| Sometimes subtle moves are more effective than grand sweeps. That doesn't mean they're any easier to pull off when you've got the wind at your back and you're moving a double speed though. |
Each level, upon completion, gives you a rating from 0 to 5
depending on your score. You increase your score by doing a number of things,
though predominately it's from hugs and kisses. Kisses are what you get when
you get close enough to a structure, such as a building, railing, platform,
etc. Kisses are worth 10 hugs, and are a great way to rack up a lot of points
when your zooming past a series of rails that you can't hug. Hugs are far more
important when there are few objects in a level, or on the few where there
aren't any buildings, but rather a mountain. Hugs are rewarded for maintaining
a close proximity to an object, but are risky because you might hit something,
or get bounced off of it and back out into space, losing big points.
In addition to hugs and kisses, there are a few special
items you can unlock, and some tricks you can pull off, to increase your score.
Once you obtain the glove you can either flip a thumbs up or obscene gesture at
groups of fans/protesters, which you will see around certain levels on walkways
that are color coded as to what they are. The other item is they spray can,
which you can use to graffiti special buildings if you are close enough to
them. Both sets of actions give you plenty of points, but they also make the
game harder because you are now trying to focus on steering around objects
rushing up at your face, while also hitting the correct button (by default,
Mouse 1, 2, and 3) for the given circumstance.
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| Just make sure to flip the right gesture, which is hard when you're flying by a group every few seconds. |
The final ways you'll get points are as follows: hit the
colored score plates stashed around a level, which generally guide you on one
of several routes to the bottom, with the hardest worth the most points; pull
off stunts, such as threading the needle, which requires you to squeeze through
a rather tight spot; and, ultimately, make a perfect landing within one of the
two colored circles, which requires timing what is essentially your parachute
deployment, considering your momentum and the wind. In short, if you want a
high score, you'll have to do a number of things right, which is part of what
makes the game so frustrating at times.
The reward for getting a high score, in addition to bragging
rights if you make it into the top 5, which are broadcast for all to see, is
that you get more currency to unlock more levels. One of the interesting things
about Awesome/Reckless, is that all the levels are essentially available from
the beginning. To unlock a level, you must buy the cube it resides in, but you
can only do this from an adjacent cube, so you basically navigate your way
around the level selection screen, picking up the ones you want, and skipping
the ones you don't. This is more important when you want to get some of the
items, like the glove, or the caffeine that you can use to slow down time for a
short period, because they are available as cubes on the level screen as well,
and they function the same way. It is, however, not that important once you
really get going.
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| Here is where you unlock the levels and items, since my words don't paint the proper picture. |
While Reckless incorporates features like wind, bounce pads
for a second try in an area you just cleared, and teleportation pads in a few
levels, Awesome takes things to a whole new level. Some levels take place in
space, where you fall much slower, and so you can make these big sweeping turns
to try and grab several kisses at once. Other levels double your fall speed,
pushing your reactions to the limit. Still other levels, perhaps as a show of
pity, have checkpoints, such that if you die in that level from hitting an
object, you respawn at that point, though you will be penalized when the score
is calculated. Overall, the core gameplay is the same - Awesome just makes
things a bit more challenging.
While this is a short review, Awesome is anything but, at
least if you set a goal. I wanted to achieve 4 out of 5 on every level, both
old and new. In the 12 hours I put into the game, I almost reached my goal, as
I absolutely could not do better than a 3 in two different levels, while I
achieved a position in the top 5 on a handful of others. I did enjoy the game,
but it can be more than just a little frustrating at times, particularly when
you come in too hot for a landing and make a splat rather than a score of 5. There
is definitely a level of skill, and perhaps madness, needed to do well in this
game, and it can be a bit intimidating if you're not prepared for it. Look for
it around $5 if you can, because it really is a very good game - 8 out of 10.
So, the final breakdown:
Score: 8/10
Suggested Price: $5
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