Plot: What’s it about?
The tower defense genre has evolved a lot in recent years, but with the release of Dungeon Defenders, it takes a quantum leap forward. While some games have combined third-person action with tower defense, Dungeon Defenders polishes it to a high shine and then takes the genre to a new level. The strategic element of tower defense is in place, as barricades and towers are crucial, not just an activity to do between battles. You’ll need to put every last bit of mana to good use if you want to progress, so the strategic angle is well covered here. You’ll need to pick up your sword, bow, staff, or blade as well, as you do real time battle with the foes that assault your bases. While your towers can be quite powerful, your presence on the battlefield ensures they take less damage and the waves of enemies are thinned. The combat is crisp and fun, but not all that deep. Even so, with the kind of chaos this game forces you to face, the skills you’re given will be put to ample use.
But Dungeon Defenders doesn’t rest after it gives us great strategic and action elements, not even close. The game also provides a deep RPG system that lets you power up yourself and your towers. Perhaps you want to focus on your defenses, so you make them stronger, more brutal, and their area of attack larger, or maybe you want to be a whirlwind of death in battle, so you ramp up your own damage and build up a massive health pool. Or just make a jack of all trades, with good skills across the board, but no high level focus. This system relies on experience points you gain from the epic clashes, but also from the Diablo level flood of loot that drops as you protect your bases. Ever want to use a huge dragon as a cannon or wield a hammer three times your own size? Dungeon Defenders has a loot system that lets stat lovers go wild, while the insane weapon design will have you hunting down every last tool of destruction you can.
All of that sounds great, right? But the best part is that you can surround your heroes with up to three other players, either local or over X-Box Live. This adds even more depth to the experience, as you can work to combine your defenses in creative ways to bring death upon your enemies. Set up an electric field in front of your spiked barricade to deal double damage, or protect that same barricade with a gas trap that paralyzes your foes. Each of the four characters boasts unique defenses that dovetail when played in a group environment, so playing with friends is a real pleasure. In addition to the campaign mode, you can unlock challenges and try out special modes that will test your skills. These side missions offer some of the finest loot and high experience gains, so don’t just focus on the main campaign. Dungeon Defenders is one of the best games I have played this year, even when stacked against full retail releases. This is simply a masterpiece of game design that offers endless hours of fun and of course, earns our highest possible recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
The visual design is excellent, putting some fresh spins on classic fantasy archetypal elements. The playable characters are so cute too, which makes slaughtering thousands of enemies even more awesome. A squire is a great warrior, but one in boxer shorts is even more bad ass. The level design is great as well, with later stages being intricate layouts that will have you scrambling to hold down the fort. This is a wonderful take on traditional fantasy gaming and it suits the game play to perfection.
Audio: How does it sound?
The music in Dungeon Defenders is fantastic. I was humming along as I hewed down waves of foes and was never annoyed by repetition whatsoever. The tunes fit the game quite well and really enhance the experience. The sound effects are rock solid too, with satisfying slices and dices, as well as the always fun shout-outs to mark your location for squad mates. While the visuals tend to take center stage here, the sound design is impressive and deserves some love.
Supplements: What are the extras?
N/A
