Awaken

Interesting take on beat em' ups. Each character is assigned to a button. They have their basic combo that ends with an oddly long unsafe state. To avoid taking damage you can quickly switch to another character to continue the combo or get out of Dodge. So it is sort of like the combat system from the Valkyrie Profile 1. Each character has a special move they can do as a support attack. If you press the button again you will switch to them and combo. You can also do an ultimate attack. Some characters have long ultimate attacks and you can switch to one of the other characters while that attack is going on to attack another enemy or combo with the ultimate or even do another ultimate. The translation could use some work. The default controls for keyboard work fine but I prefer to play a game like this with a controller. So I made and uploaded a config based on the default keys for my Xbox controller. I may update this review with more information later but I am happy with my purchase...

TLDR: Game is a bug-infested unplayable mess. On download you get asked which language you want the game to have - this has no impact whatsoever, the language settings are in game, it always starts in Chinese. This game has no controller support - keyboard only. In the tutorial, you start as a cube of energy or whatever - I got placed behind the map, and the camera moves off the map to the right, letting you adore the blue nothingness. It took me a bit to find out I can walk straight through walls, letting me back in the map to where Im supposed to go (its indicated by a marker). There I find a broken automaton and finally completely break the game. A cutscene plays in which all characters disappear and it says that you now repaired the automaton and why not try moving around with it. After the cutscene the automaton as well as your energy cube are gone and youre softlocked, all you can do is jump (which moves the camera, you still dont ahve a model) and quit the game. Ive tried this...

I really like this game so far. The combat is innovative, flashy, and fun -- with more depth than meets the eye. I'm about 3 hours in, and i already prefer this combat to the vast majority of party based 2d games i've played. The basic idea is you have three characters in a party at a time, but only one that takes damage in the front row. You avoid damage by activating a character in the back row's attack (but they need energy, cooldown based). A single press will cause the front row character to sort of briefly "dodge" while the rear character attacks. A double press will have the rear character take over, and come to the front row. So right now I have the mech character in the front row to tank, and the rear characters will add ranged attacks (a splash damage shotgun blast + a shockwave knock down attack) at the end of a combo. If I "break" an enemy and knock them down, I'll switch the rear characters in who are squishier but have higher DPS. Currently they apply burn (dot), corrode ...

So in short. ths game is unplayble with the controller. and with keyboard idk... hack. since i was on controller all the bottoms setup you cant change and the bottom replace is garbage. i guess for a game that 10 buck does saw the lack of enough in the game. so whatever. i recommend no one to buy this. its a waste

don't like the design choice of giving normal enemies super armor even if it can be broken after a few hits, by the time they can be combo'd they're already half dead