Shoot-em-up games, like God's greatest gift to us mortals (that's beer, in case you're curious), are an acquired taste. The first time you'll make a funny face and think "this isn't really for me" but you'll go back for more because all your friends are going on and on about how great it is. Also like the nectar of the gods, shoot-em-ups are better when shared with friends. Aegis Wing goes one step better than the competition. If you've got a 360 and a Gold account there's no excuse not to at least try Aegis Wing because Microsoft released it for free.

Aegis Wing features the same story as every other shoot-em-up ever. Some bad guys have screwed things up for the good guys. These bad guys fly in predictable patterns and, for some reason, randomly drop power-ups upon exploding. There is either only one ship or one team of ships that can defeat the rag-tag group of bosses and their pattern-obsessed underlings.

It doesn't matter that Aegis Wing's story is generic and interchangeable with dozens of other games' stories because like every good shoot-em-up there is a twist on the classic gameplay. Most player ships are on their own - even when working as part of a team, but the color-coded ships in Aegis Wing are different. In exchange for speed and maneuverability due to size, Aegis Wing fighters can join together for a power boost to both their standard weapons and any power-ups collected. Homing missiles are good when used alone, but they're a genuine force to be reckoned with when all four fighters are linked; they're more powerful and there are more of them. Similarly, the laser weapon is powerful when wielded by a single fighter, but when wielded by all four, the beam takes up roughly a third of the screen and nothing but bosses will escape its might.

Single-player is a little bland. Aegis Wing is built around multiplayer and its gimmick depends on having at least one more fighter out there in the thick of things. It becomes glaringly obvious that your fighter's main weapon isn't upgradeable when you've also got no friends to latch onto to up your firepower. Multiplayer is how Aegis Wing is meant to be played. There are options and trade-offs (do I want to be the fastest pea-shooter out there or do I want to be a part of the slowest, most powerful gun in the galaxy?) and it's actually possible to make in through Insane Mode where your lives are reduced from five to one, there are about twice as many enemies to deal with, and bosses actually present a challenge.

As long as you plan on playing either local of XBL multiplayer, Aegis Wing doesn't have any downsides yet. But no game is perfect, and Aegis Wing is no exception. For a game built around multiplayer, some of the achievements are contrary to that concept and one of them is positively harmful to the online experience. The "Diplomat" achievement can be earned by making it through a level without firing a shot. In a one player game this is fine, but half of the levels feature a boss that can't be bypassed and nobody wants a teammate that doesn't add anything but another target to the group. The highest score-based achievement, "Ace," is also contrary to the game's multiplayer-centric design. There just aren't enough points present in the game for four players to divvy them up equally and still let any one player reach 185,000 points. If you're going to design a game to be played online, don't encourage me to play the significantly less fun single-player game.

Aegis Wing is free. All you need is a 360 and a gold account. There's no excuse not to download this shoot-em-up, but get it while you can; it will only be available for a limited time. And if you try the single-player first but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, then give the multiplayer a shot. It's really a different game and a much more rewarding experience. If you have an interest in either shoot-em-ups or free stuff then you owe it to yourself to pick up Aegis Wing. And latch onto a buddy; it's fun to act as a turret while the other guy steers.

May 25, 2007 | 0 comments
Justin Last