Review: Armed with Wings: Rearmed: Slippery Butter

Armed with Wings is a series that originated as a small flash browser game, and has grown into a full Steam release in Armed with Wings: Rearmed. Now we see how that Flash game experience has affected a full, retail price game.

And in short: it's not all that great. I enjoy it, but that's because the combat system is buttery smooth and it has a wave based survival mode. But the single player campaign, level design, and other irksome choices make this game a sale-only purchase.

Let's walk through it piece by piece.

1. Level Design
1. Level design in this game is, to be honest, somewhat sloppy. Especially considering the game's combat focus. It's designed as mix of combat and platforming. Where as this is more of a side scrolling 2D beat'em up, and doesn't quite have the sharp air control that would fit it, as the next point clearly illustrates.
2. No Jumping?
1. There is no jumping. It's all automatic, activating when you reach an edge. And it's floaty. Which means it can be somewhat unreliable. Now, you can unlock a jump, but it's an ability tied to an unlockable weapon system, which, in short, means that you'd have to sacrifice a different, more combat focused ability for it.
3. Invincibility Frames??
1. In combat, it's important to be able to break out of literally impossible situations, otherwise, it can feel like the game is screwing you. Of course, this depends on the situation, but in Armed with Wings: Rearmed, it can feel like it's on the game. Why?  There are no invincibility frames. Which means that enough enemies, when grouped together, can juggle you better that that one guy who is the only person you know who is good at fighting games and always brings them over whenever he visits just to rub it in your face.
1. If you are one of those people, you are literally the worst. 
4. Limiting Combos???
1. This is probably the most sinful choice made here, bringing this game pretty close to the first circle of video game hell(I think. I keep messing up one and two. Wait, which one's the one that's just the FFX laughing scene played over and over again?). The main thing that makes this game's combat good is a nice assortment of moves that you can switch between mid-combo. Unfortunately, half of every string is locked behind an extended combo ability, which means that if you're chosen sword doesn't have that, you're pretty much at a major disadvantage.

Soooo, I can't say its perfect. In fact, it's far from it. But the combat is amazing. Smooth combos occur when you combine your up attack with your neutral to two successive downs then a airborne down special. A buttery smooth combo of powerful attacks. Beautiful.

Too bad the rest of the game slipped on shitty margarine.