Armed with Wings: Rearmed by Sun-Studios
Armed with Wings is a long standing series of side-scrolling action games that began in 2008 with the first installment being made available as a free flash game. Since then, the series’ developer, Sun-Studios, has produced numerous titles, building on the ideas of the first game significantly. Armed with Wings: Rearmed re-envisages many aspects of the original game whilst adding several new features.
Armed with Plot: Retold
Rearmed features a reasonably tropey narrative, but sometimes the classics are all the justification that you need for an old-fashioned sword-swinging adventure. An evil king has just put down a rebellion, but one rebel is returning from the grave to have another go at unseating the tyrant. A couple stylishly animated cut scenes provide most of the story and they help to set the scene nicely.
Armed with Wings: Rearmed’s gameplay is a mixture of action, platforming and puzzle-solving. The game puts us in control of a sword-wielding warrior with an eagle companion, with the option of switching between the two at will. Combat feels satisfying, and the choice between charging in swinging versus a more considered approach is important depending on what kind of enemy is being faced. Foes range from aggressive monsters to more dexterous weapon-wielding humans. The latter sometimes require a little more thought that the more brutish creatures.
Fly Like an Eagle
I found the platforming to be particularly well designed; the levels built around traps and obstacles were more rewarding than most. Some of the later levels offered a solid challenge thanks to the spinning razor blades and crushing walls dotted around. Unfortunately, I found the puzzles to be somewhat less rewarding; most involve piloting the eagle down narrow passages and carrying key items around. A couple levels offered more engaging puzzles, but for the most part I found the combat and platforming to be the stars of the show here.
There is a good selection of modes on offer in Rearmed. The main story has 40 levels to fight through, and the game has considerable replay value thanks to the vast array of unlockable weapons and power-ups. There is also a survival mode and even a local multiplayer versus mode – an unusual sight these days. I found the 40 main levels didn’t last particularly long, but there’s enough replay potential here to make it worth a couple additional runs (not to mention higher difficulty options).
Soaring Sound and Vision
The monochromatic visual design is used to good effect in Rearmed and the game manages to convey a unique style that is somewhat oppressive. The music is even better, and some of the later tracks are superb. The soundtrack does a great job of creating an increasingly tense atmosphere towards the end of the game.
Armed with Wings: Rearmed is a solid platforming action game with enough replay value to ensure that most players will be coming back for more after their first run-through. I felt the puzzles were a little lacking in depth, but this is compensated for by the more enjoyable combat and platforming segments. This is all underscored by an engaging soundtrack that ramps up in quality as the game goes on. If edgy platformers with satisfying swordplay are your thing, then Armed with Wings: Rearmed is worth a look.
Armed with Wings: Rearmed is available via Steam.
[xrr rating=”3.5/5″]
Watch the official trailer for Armed with Wings: Rearmed below: