tower-defense posts

The tower defense genre just keeps on growing, and Defenders of Ardania is the latest game in said genre. While the core game is much like a normal tower defense, there's one caveat: you can buy units to send to the enemy side. This isn't particularly new to anybody who played Warcraft 3 custom maps, but it is the first time that we can recall where it was implemented into a retail game. The first trailer, above, is a cinematic that shows off a brief bit of gameplay, while the trailer below is a developer interview. All we have to say about them is that they are about a tower defense game. There's not really much else!

Download HD Defenders of Ardania Teaser Trailer
Download HD Defenders of Ardania Developer Interview
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While Anomaly: Warzone Earth has a terrible name, it does not appear to be a terrible game. While not much of the cinematics have been revealed before now, this trailer shows the events leading up to the soon-released tower defense game. It doesn't show off any of the gameplay, including the game's core twist (you actually play the attackers rather than the defenders), but it will hopefully get people interested in finding out more about the game. After all, it's just the right combination of overly serious and goofy to fit perfectly in the realm of B-movies.

Download HD Anomaly: Warzone Earth Cinematic Debut Trailer
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Lovers of the Tower Defense genre are having a good month. First, Immortal Defense is released on Impulse, making it even easier to get into the classic indie title. Now comes Elements of War, a tower defense game made using UDK. It's the first tower defense game using Epic's free development kit, but we're sure it won't be the last. After all, tower defense is a very popular casual genre, and it appeals to strategy enthusiasts and action gamers alike!

Elements of War is about the place you live in being assaulted by an alliance of power-hungry nations. You must defend the empire, not out of nationalistic loyalty, but because you want to protect the ones you love. You do this by combining six different basic elemental types into a variety of different towers. It's similar to a tower defense map for Warcraft 3, so those that are involved in the custom maps scene in Warcraft 3 will be happy to know that one of the mods has received a significant graphical overhaul. You can check out Elements of War at the developer's website.

If you haven't tried out one of our favorite games, Immortal Defense, it's now easier than ever to get into this excellent tower defense title. You no longer have to visit the developer's website to buy it, as it's now available on Impulse. While the game is mostly finished in terms of updates, the availability on Impulse is convenient for those that want to keep all of their games in one place. It is currently retailing for $10, and the developer is looking to release on Steam next.

For those that haven't tried out Immortal Defense yet, here's a brief synopsis: you play as a disembodied immortal who must protect his home planet from the onslaught of a hostile alien race. While this is not particularly amazing on its own, its the writing and unique design that makes it compelling. Towers are vastly different from those seen in other games, and the writing is so ridiculously complex and psychological that it easily surpasses modern AAA titles in terms of quality.

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

Much like Freeware Friday alumni 10 Second War, Drone is marginally based upon the tower defense formula. You can build towers which kill enemies, giving you money to buy more towers until you survive all the waves. However, where 10 Second War decided to merge in puzzle-oriented gameplay, Drone throws arena shooting mechanics in with tower defense to bring a distinctly action twist to a tired old genre. The result is one of the more addicting games we've come across on Freeware Friday, especially given that it'll take a good amount of time (3+ hours) to complete. It's always great when a freeware game is the quality and length of a mainstream title.

In order to celebrate his birthday, the developer of Immortal Defense has announced that it will be available through October 4th (this Sunday) for the low price of $3. All you have to do is order the game and, at the payment prompt for BMT Micro, enter the code BMCN000H7 in the coupon/discount area. You will then receive a download link through email. Ordering is done through the site, and if you want to try before you buy, there is also a demo that includes a full third of the game's levels for you.

For those that have no idea what Immortal Defense is, it is an independent tower defense game. It combines unique gameplay through the different towers and the player cursor with a truly affecting and disturbing story. We mean it. This game might give you nightmares, but the depth of its meaning definitely makes it worth playing. There's a reason we included it in our list of the best indie games to buy in holiday 2008, after all.

The tower defense genre (as we have said many times) is a crowded one. Add another entry to the list of tower defense games. However, this one is different. Revenge of the Titans is an RTS/TD hybrid where the enemies attack you in an entirely free-form way. Something of a cross between Harvest and traditional TD games, it has interesting features such as indirect upgrading, resource gathering, and mazing. For example, you can place batteries next to a tower to increase its damage, or a scanner to increase its range. The trailer shows off some of these features as well as the high quality of production. Definitely keep an eye on this one!

[Via IndieGames]

Most tower defense games have you defending your base by placing towers along a route that enemies will travel through. Others have you create the route yourself by placing towers on a free grid. The solitary tower that defends an entire base is very different from these two standard formulas, and it is this gameplay that comprises Wizard Defense. It has an unoriginal name, but it is an addictive entry into the tower defense genre of strategy games.

Wizard Defense revolves around you, a wizard, defending your village from hordes of monsters. In gameplay terms, this translates to you researching spells dropped by enemies you defeat. There's up to nine spells, each with several upgradeable components. There's nothing new and flashy here, but good art and a solid, addictive gameplay system help elevate it above its peers. You can give it a try over on Kongregate.

It's interesting to see the evolution of games from a common starting point. The starting point in question is Harvest: Massive Encounter, which through its generalized template and addicting gameplay has managed to push forward with an army of similar games. Creeper World is one of these games. Released not too long ago, it utilizes the basics laid down in Harvest and changes them to create a game that is very different from Harvest in many ways.

Creeper World revolves around using your defenses to push back an ever-advancing wall of goo. You do this long enough to activate the rift generators, which then warp your ship out of the area. By using energy collectors, relays, and different kinds of turrets, you gradually make your way across several worlds in search of an escape from the advancing creeper. It's not particularly pretty or amazing, but the gameplay itself is good. You can try out the demo or pick the game up for $20 at the developer's website.

Ever play Harvest: Massive Encounter? Then you know how The Space Game: Missions plays out. Playing like a mix between traditional RTS games and a tower defense game, it is a great strategy game that just about anyone can pick up and play. And who knows? Maybe after trying it out, you'll move on to bigger and better games! Never underestimate the power of simple browser games to introduce new players to a genre.

The Space Game: Missions is a very easy game to learn. Mine asteroids, defend against space pirates, and supply energy to both your miners and your defenses. There's not a lot of strategic depth to the game, as defense consists of little more than spam defensive structures in any configuration and upgrade them, but it is still a lot of fun. The direct comparison will always be Harvest: Massive Encounter, and while Harvest has much better graphics and more strategic depth, The Space Game: Missions is still worth playing.