Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
A mysterious meteor has crashed into the planet, spraying forth red and blue crystals everywhere.
Four unsuspecting wage slaves have been affected by these crystals, granting them super powers
and the ability to form a group called Team Awesome. As impressive as that sounds, the
rest of the experience is grinding through repetitive levels to gain enough coins to
unlock the next level, only to do the whole thing all over again.
But at least the controls are based around one touch gameplay! Touching the screen will
engage your character's power of flight which will lift them off the ground towards the
sky. The power of flight is sometimes hampered by low ceilings, but once out in the open,
you can glide along to your heart's content, especially when there are steam vents to launch
you in the stratosphere. Each level is an endless runner, granting you three missions
which upon completion should net you enough experience and/or coins to unlock the next
level. The missions themselves are pretty easy to complete, and shouldn't take more
than a couple tries, but having to actually unlock each new level rather than just being
able to play through the game is a curious design decision and one that impacts the experience
negatively.
The actual running and flying portion is based around energy. Your energy gauge will constantly
deplete, and you have to keep collecting blue crystals to keep it going, all the while collecting
coins and attacking evil-doers. Once that energy runs out, play time is over. Completing
missions also allows you to level up your character, and your super powers can be upgraded
in the shop.
The visuals combined with the game's sense of humor do a lot to give Team Awesome a lighthearted
feel. The animations of your character running, jumping, and smashing through walls are great,
and the cinematic camera really lends itself to placing you in the action.
It's just a shame that so much of this game is centered around in game currency, and the
omnipresent presence of the store. You even get coins for logging in daily, bringing back
bad memories of the worst of the freemium movement. Team Awesome has some inventive
design and great presentation, but the unlock focused design is going to turn a lot of players
away... possibly to something less awesome.