There’s a mechanic in many racing games where you get extra points or boost for getting close to other cars without crashing into them. It’s a thrill to test your mettle and see just how close you can skirt with disaster.
It’s precisely this daredevil spirit that’s the driving force behind AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome (Henceforth referred to as For The Awesome), a sequel of sorts to 2009’s AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity.
For The Awesome is base-jumping game. You leap from the top of a preposterously tall building, with the goal to collect as many points as you can before safely parachuting to the ground. Points are gained by getting kisses and hugs, which are falling close to a building and staying near it for a prolonged amount of time, respectively. You can also gain points by falling through different-colored panes of glass, giving a thumbs up to your supporters - or the middle finger to protesters - and tagging government buildings with graffiti – as they don’t approve of your choice of extreme sport. Once you near the end of your descent, you must open your parachute and attempt to guide yourself safely to the ground, earning extra points for landing in a red target ring. The more reckless you are, the more points you receive.
Gameplay is chaotic due to the breakneck pace at which you hurtle towards the Earth. Players must weave through buildings and other obstacles with surgical precision, while looking out for scoring opportunities. Suffer from motion sickness or vertigo? This might not be the game for you. For the Awesome demands your complete attention. Slack off for one second and you’ll splat against a building. There’s no one correct path through the levels; you can choose to fall through the buildings whichever way you like, discovering the route which will earn you the most points.
Stunning visuals make the game a joy to play; neon backdrops, flashing billboards, glowing magma and more whiz by as you sail to the bottom, blurring together to beautiful effect. Environments vary from city skyscrapers, to jagged cliff sides to meteors in outer space; but they all pop out of the screen with vibrant color, daring you to smash into them.
For the Awesome contains all 80 levels from the original game, plus 45 brand new ones - providing 125 distinct levels of varied difficulty. To start with, levels are simple and allow you to get a feel for the controls, while some of the new “awesome” tier levels can be extremely challenging, and should only be attempted by an experienced player.
You don’t have to play these levels in any particular order; instead, you can choose your own path by unlocking new stages with the teeth or kneecaps (points) you’ve earned. This adds a bit of fun exploration to level selection. Choose a level that’s too hard for you, you can re-trace your steps and unlock a level in an easier area. There are also unlockable hints and bonuses – some of which are quite bizarre. In one, you listen to an elderly narrator recount her recipe for chocolate-chip cookies. In another, you are treated to a man reciting a relaxing mediation to you in a soothing voice. (The latter is actually a welcome respite from the frantic and tense gameplay). Some unlocks provide in-game abilities, such as drinking coffee to temporarily slow your fall - something which proves to be particularly helpful for the more challenging drops. All in all, it’s a relatively short experience just to play through every level, despite the sheer number on offer - but you’ll want to revisit them frequently to explore the paths less traveled and achieve the coveted 5 star ranking.
The sound design is one of For The Awesome’s biggest strengths. There are plenty of audio cues that tell you how well or poorly you’re doing, as well as when you’re nearing a group of supporters or protesters - so you can quickly look up and offer them the appropriate hand gesture. The sound of the wind rushing by you grows louder as you pick up speed, and the thumping bassline of the music will have your heart pounding as you plummet downward, trying not to smash into a Wile E. Coyote-style puddle along the way. The music is an eccentric mix of classic guitar riffs and orchestral, almost gospel-like tracks that proves to be a pleasant accompaniment to free-falling thousands of feet.
For the Awesome is an enjoyable, sometimes sarcastic - and always thrilling - base-jumping game, with an arcade feel that will have you on the edge of your seat and clutching your mouse with an iron grip. It demands for your full attention and provides a good test of your reaction time. The levels are varied in difficulty and design, though it would have been nice to have more gameplay features to keep the challenges fresh. The main game can be beaten in a few dedicated play sessions, but finding all the paths through a level and aiming for the high score will keep you hurling yourself off buildings again and again for a long time to come.
