We’ve talked a lot about the advantages and power available to game developers when it comes to using modern languages such as Javascript and HTML5 when it comes to creating games. Not only does it make them platform independent, but both have been able to deliver games far more complex than the browser games of old that we used to remember created using Flash and tools like it. One that has impressed me recently is Tower Defense…
What Is Tower Defense?
As the name suggests, it’s a tower defense game. Following a medieval theme, you have to protect your castle against incoming hordes of soldiers and creatures out to destroy you. At your disposal are a series of towers that you can construct at predetermined intervals along the pathway to your castle. By earning coins as you defeat each enemy these can be upgraded to be more deadly and have a larger attack range.
Defeat every creature in each wave and you move on to the next until you have the boss creature at the end of each stage. Defeat them and move on to the next level but if your castle is destroyed then it’s game over. The game spans 16 levels in total, each comprising of several attack waves making for quite a substantial game overall.
Variety
There are four tower types available, each with their own strengths and weaknesses so it’s a careful balance between firepower and speed to protect your castle as best as possible. Towers can be sold if needed to bolster your cash flow or if they’re no longer needed and you need to strengthen your other towers elsewhere.
Each type of creature that attacks is different as well and some require more damage to take them out than others. Some of your towers are more effective against one type than the other, so this only adds to the strategic element of the game further.
Playability
Despite Tower Defense being a free online game, it plays remarkably well and is just as addictive as any other game I’ve played in the genre. While it’s not as deep as some of the commercial offerings and doesn’t have a story, or random environmental hazards as some do, there’s still plenty of variety on offer.
The graphics are clearly defined so it’s easy to see what’s going on on screen, controls are easy to understand, and nothing is cluttered so it’s simply and quick to get into. Sound is probably the only weakness as the music is somewhat bland and repetitive, and the sound effects are quite limited but I can forgive that here.
Overall
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Tower Defense. I certainly wasn’t expecting a game that with this much variety, genuinely challenging gameplay and diversity in the levels as the setting changes every few levels. If you’re looking for another tower defense game to play then this one is well worth checking out.
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