Awesome (video game)
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Reflections Interactive |
| Products | Awesome (video game) |
| Parent | Psygnosis |
Awesome is a science fiction action video game created by Reflections Interactive and released by Psygnosis for the Amiga platform in 1990. The game offers varied gameplay mechanics, such as top-down shooting and segments reminiscent of Asteroids, complemented by an impressive pre-rendered ray-traced introduction. Players aim to traverse the galaxy while managing scarce fuel and financial resources.
Gameplay
Taking place within the fictional Octaria star system, Awesome presents several distinct gameplay modes. Initially, players pilot the Elapidae spaceship through hyperspace, facing interruptions from space pirates and meteor showers. The controls allow for thrust and rotation from a bird’s-eye perspective, requiring players to eliminate threats before continuing their hyperspace journey. Managing energy is essential, as it must be distributed between shields and weapons to prevent damage effectively. After each encounter, players decide how to allocate energy and choose weapons purchased with in-game currency.
Upon arriving at a planet, the viewpoint shifts to 3D as the player operates a landing craft to combat a massive space serpent, firing forward and evading incoming attacks. Once the creature is defeated, the player descends into the planet’s atmosphere to destroy hostile alien ships and land on a designated pad before oxygen supply expires.
The concluding phase involves directing the crew to find an underground complex entrance. Completing contracts within this area rewards players with fuel, disks, and crystals—the game’s currencies used for acquiring cargo, armaments, and additional crew members. Strategic use of the Navcom Screen enables players to align planets optimally, conserving fuel by waiting for favorable planetary positions. The overarching business objective is to fulfill contracts across eight planets to gather sufficient fuel for escaping Octaria.
Development
The soundtrack for Awesome was composed by Tim Wright, while the cover art was created by renowned science fiction illustrator John Harris.
Initially released on the Amiga in 1990, Awesome was subsequently ported to the Atari ST in mid-1991. A version for FM Towns was published by Fujitsu on 27 March 1992.
Reception
The Amiga version of Awesome garnered generally positive feedback. ACE commended its visual design, whereas The One pointed out a lack of innovation but emphasized its enduring playability. Computer + Video Games found it somewhat underwhelming compared to other Psygnosis titles, and Zzap!64 described it as an amalgamation of different gameplay styles without any standout features. Amiga Joker gave it an overall average rating.
Interestingly, elements of Awesome's graphics and music were reused in a "crossover" level featured in Psygnosis's later release, Lemmings.