Approaching it’s 10 year anniversary, Aksys Games are best known for their fighting game series such as Blaz Blue and Guilty Gear, as well as a handful of fantastic JRPG’s ranging from such franchises as Zero Escape all the way to the upcoming Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei. But almost nobody expected the company would come out swinging last fall, with an announcement of a new tower defense-like IP titled Aegis of Earth: Protonovous Assault. Sure it was an exciting new take on what had been done before, but Aksys had also done similar things in the past, but to little or no avail. So would this be their big breakthrough? Only time will tell, but what is true is that Aegis of Earth: Protonovous Assault is one of the best titles the company has released in years.

Gameplay:

Main gameplay elements include lining up turrets and missiles to take out enemies, but this is much more complicated than it seems

In Aegis of Earth: Protonovous Assault, (don’t let the clunky title fool you) players are tasked with the purpose of rebuilding, expanding, and defending a city, all in a day’s work. While this might seem like a daunting chore, it’s presented in an inviting yet challenging way. For example, there are a variety of different missions to choose from the get-go, yet all have difficulties set for a specific play-style. Add this to the abundance of tools, defense, and comrades at your disposal, and you add up to not only an enjoyable yet asserting adventure, but also an expansive one.

Plot/Design:

At the end of every mission, you can choose who was the most hardworking and helpful, which increases morale

In addition to it’s gameplay strengths, Aegis of Earth: Protonovous Assault also has a well made management system. You can R&D new items, broaden and level up your skills, and make varying purchases to increase your ever-growing tactics in battle. This might sound just fun, but it’s the game’s characters that bring this up a notch. They all have great quips and a good sense of overall chemistry, which can sometimes make it hard not to root for the one you like the most. The only real issue I had in the end was how you couldn’t restart missions if you made a grave mistake, but hopefully this can be ironed out in a patch or two.

Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:

New operators are introduced every so often, adding yet another level to the game’s extensive managing systems

The presentation in Aegis of Earth is also top-notch, with everything being straight forward and told out in detailed ways. This could have gotten on player’s nerves, but the good folks over at Aksys were able to note that this doesn’t become a problem when there is a lot to learn. The over-joyous and charismatic voice acting helps this, and reissues what is supposed to make a game like this, truly great. Even better is how the game’s character’s designs never feel off-place, setting good examples for how games can be accomplished without gratuitous fan-service.

Conclusion:

Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault will definitely be remembered as one of the best strategy games of the year. From personified individuals to tight gameplay mechanics, everything blends to create a game that is way less chaotic than one would seem. There are the intense moments from time to time, but winning these feel so self-deserved, that it causes me to fall right back into the great gameplay loop at the heart of Aegis all over again.

Aegis of Earth: Protonovus Assault gets a 9/10 (Spectacular)

We’d like to thank Aksys Games for giving us a code!

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