Press Kit & Media

Factsheet

Developer:
GUTS Department
Based in Los Angeles, CA

Founding date:
2013

Website:
aegisthegame.com

Press / Business Contact:
scott.stephan@gmail.com

Social:
Aegis Defenders Twitter
Aegis Defenders Facebook
Aegis Defenders YouTube

Releases:
Aegis Defenders

Studio Guts

GUTS Department is an independent games developer which aims to reignite the magic and imagination of classic 16bit-era titles by combining the best of old school flair with new school gameplay. The team is currently Kickstarting Aegis Defenders from July 30th, 2014 to September 3rd, 2014.

History

The universe of Aegis Defenders has been brewing in the mind of Creative Director Bryce Kho (Bloom, GameDesk) for years. When the opportunity came to unveil a piece of the story as a game, he and Lead Engineer Lifu Lin (Bloom) jumped at the chance.

Aegis Defenders had its start as a project for USC’s notable Intermediate Games class. Taught by Richard Lemarchand (Uncharted, Naughty Dog) and Peter Brinson (The Cat and the Coup, Rehearsals and Returns), the class focuses on guiding the development of experimental projects over the course of a semester. When Bryce & Lifu's completed demo was met by obsessive playtesters, the team knew they had something special.

Coming together as GUTS Development, they enlisted the help of Lead Producer Scott Stephan (GameDesk, Anamnesis) and Brian Ott (Sony Pictures, 87Eleven Action Design) to embark of an adventure of their own: Kickstart the game they love and bring the world of Aegis to life.

Aegis Defenders Description

Aegis Defenders is a Metroidvania-style action platformer featuring defense arena combat for Mac & PC. You play as Bart, a machinist capable of reviving lost technologies, and his granddaughter Clu, an ace hunter and trapsmith, as they search for the one thing that can save their village from an encroaching empire - an ancient weapon known as Aegis.

The World of Aegis Defenders

Humanity has been brought to the dark ages by a great calamity but remnants of a once highly advanced civilization still exist. In this world where control over lost technologies equals power and some nations even worship humanoid robots like gods, two explorers from a small village have just discovered Aegis, the legendary weapon said to have brought on the calamity. Although its true purpose remains mysterious, one thing is certain - powerful people will stop at nothing to obtain it.

Game Features

EXPLORE
Uncover a Gorgeous 16-bit World
The look and feel of Aegis Defenders is a love letter to an era of games when the sprite graphics of games like Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, and the Legend of Zelda captured our imaginations. Featuring 16-bit inspired sprite visuals, every detail in the world of Aegis is painstakingly hand painted.

BUILD
Defense Inspired Combat
Aegis Defenders features fast-paced, flexible combat fueled by defense mechanics. Players must utilize Bart's ability to craft powerful defensive and offensive structures as well as Clu's arsenal of firearms and traps to survive an onslaught of monsters coming from all directions. With the ability to customize and upgrade Bart and Clu's abilities on the fly, no two rounds are alike.

DEFEND
Dynamic Character Swapping
The dynamic character swapping feature allows players to switch between characters at anytime. Survival will depend on the player's ability to utilize the passive abilities of inactive characters just as effectively as active characters.

TOGETHER
Cooperative & Competitive Gameplay
Too dangerous to go alone? Play the story campaign cooperatively with a friend or team up in Horde Mode to fight off endless waves of enemies. For those with a more competitive edge, battle it out in Siege Mode where players fight to take down the opposing team's base.