Awesomenauts

Awesomenauts is a fascinating first step in bringing the MOBA genre to console.

Summoning a ghostly raging bull to smash the monkey into a turret? Nonsense, but a strong tactic. Blowing yourself up to slow down a group of invading attackers? Same deal. Awesomenauts loves how silly it is, but it takes its strategy seriously. This is a deeply tactical game, but it needs to be played a certain way. Awesomenauts requires patience, both to tolerate and enjoy it, especially if you’re playing against high-ranked players with objectively superior characters. You get what you put into Awesomenauts, so be prepared to commit to it if you throw your chips in.

Awesomenauts is a game that walks a very difficult tightrope, and for the most part, does so with a good deal of success. Cracking the code and delivering a game that entices both the casual and hardcore crowd is no small feat, and Ronimo has done a (mostly) solid job. Anyone who doesn’t need the acronym MOBA explained to them will almost definitely enjoy what this game serves up. The other crowd however will either be completely turned off by the beating they will take for the first few hours of play, or be driven to persevere because of the solid gameplay. Awesomenauts has plenty more to giv...

This also brings about the main concern of any XBLA game focused so heavily on online multiplayer. How long will the community last? It’s an enjoyable and very different experience from anything else on Xbox Live, but console gamers are known to be fickle. Call of Dutys and Halos aside and players frequently cast aside great ideas after the novelty factor has ended. Awesomenauts certainly doesn’t deserve this but there is that risk. Ronimo Games is promising a series of DLC, offering new ...