Aye, it be time once more for another yarn and another game I must review. Quite lately, I be getting sick o’ all the bad platformers and bland shooters I play on me console, so I decided once more to turn to me trusty iPhone to entertain me. O’ course, once there, I realized that me app library had a little too many endless runners. When I found this out, I went on a mini-quest to find a new genre I could sink me teeth into. Luckily, I managed to find this little sparkler of a title called GeoDefense. It be a tower defence game, however, I was surprised at home many hooks it had that reeled me in to the cursed gamin’ deck.
The Basics o’ Tower Defence
No doubt, ye have probably found out about this genre a long time ago. Yer tasks involve the protection o’ yer line, and you do this with a multitude of towers. In this game one thing that truly sticks out is the design and the look. That will be discussed a little later on, because the gameplay is what is discussed here. First off, the many towers ye are given, also have many upgrades that ye can tweak and improve to make yer defences even more defensible. The thing is that the game takes a strange twist by making you guess how well an upgrade would work. Additionally, there are also multitudes o’ enemies ye have to face and quell to win. At times, ye’ll need to use a specific type of shot in order to take down one o’ these critters, while at others, generally powerful weapons suffice. As ye can see, it be a game that doesn’t try to deviate, except in two aspects.
The Look
This probably be one o’ the most digital games I’ve ever downloaded onto me iPhone. Everything is neon in color and contrasted against a largely black backdrop. Paths o’ the creatures are marked by the deep blue of the lines on the ground. Ye can plot out yer defense through that marker, and it does help that there be very little clutter to the look. The game almost emulates Tron in looks, but much more colourful. At the same time, the little explosions be very pretty, and I’m hard pressed to tell ye anything negative about the game’s look.
Tower Defence done in a Hard Way
Probably the biggest reason why this game stuck with me is that it be not a game that takes yer skills lightly. Too many a game have treated me to subpar challenge with little entertainment that I found it hard to review ‘em. This one gave me no quarter, no mercy, and no hand hold, and it was a gritty battle to the top. O’ course, unlike insane games like QWOP or the classics that are too ghastly to mention, this title seems to know exactly just how to bait you into playing more. Each battle feels impossible, so everyone of your wins feels like ye earned every bit o’ it. The enemies be tough, and the paths they carve through your line feel like an endless slaughter. This is also counter balanced by a slow difficulty curve, as it still wants ye to enjoy the game.
Challenging but Fun
For those who are faint o’ heart, this be no title for ye. It doesn’t hold yer hand, and it instead actively tries to swat it away. But at the same time, it shows ye its hubris, making ye feel like ye can take this great white whale down. Ye won’t be playing this for hours on end because o’ endless levels, you’ll be playing cause ye want to practice, and that be a massive batch o’ points in its favour.
