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PAX 08: Defense Grid: The Awakening, another tower-defense game, revealed photo

Although I’ve had a long-running love of both turn-based and real-time strategy games, the burgeoning tower-defense genre got no immediate interest from me. Perhaps it’s because I initially perceived them as “the lazy man’s strategy game.” After giving some a try, though, I started warming up to the notion of building only defenses to stop ever increasing hoards of bad guys. Still, you’d think that with the somewhat formulaic nature of the gameplay new games wouldn’t be coming out so regularly, but that definitely isn’t the case.

Announced today at PAX, Defense Grid: The Awakening is the latest contender that will be trying to capitalize on your tower building urges. The Hidden Path Entertainment developed PC title appears to be placed in a Sci-fi setting of some sort, and has a promised eight hour long campaign with several additional challenge modes to keep you occupied long after completing the main storyline.

"We have spent a lot of time studying the emotional curve of the game and worked to ensure that the challenge of each enemy wave creates an enjoyable pace and progression throughout the campaign," said Mark Terrano, Design Director and co-founder of Hidden Path Entertainment.  "We added a number of game mechanics in each level to create a large dynamic range of emotion and strategy so that we can engage both the hardcore gamer and the novice through one shared emotional experience."

Twenty different environments, ten different tower types, and fifteen different enemies will also be included to help compliment the “large dynamic range of emotion,” that you’ll apparently be experiencing. Is being set in the future enough of a hook to get you to try another tower-defense game?


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10 comments | showing # 1 to 10
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ShawnKelfonne's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 15:15
ShawnKelfonne
I dunno, the best part about Tower Defense games in Warcraft 3 was always that you were either working with or against other people. The single player ones are good for a short distraction, but without the multiplayer aspect of it, I don't think I could stick with it for a long time. Even Pixeljunk Monsters is something I can only play once in a while.
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 15:24
DeusPayne
Create a retail game out of the Tower Wars WC3 mod. Team based multiplayer tower defense ftw.
boxmyth's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 15:31
boxmyth
Being set in the future or in space is actually a huge turnoff for me. I love Pixeljunk Monsters and the original Desktop Tower Defense, but I won't touch Defense Grid or Sony's PSN offering Savage Moon.
I think the Halo series actually killed the future for me. Screw the future.
Pacopaco's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 15:40
Pacopaco
I love these types of games but almost every single one suffers from the same fatal flaw in that they become almost unbeatable in the later stages unless you follow a set pattern of building and upgrading. In other words, you end up using only three or four types of tower while the others are absolutely pathetic. In other other words, these games are extremely poorly balanced.
kwshipman's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 15:47
kwshipman
isn't this the same company that brought us Wits & Wagers?
ShawnKelfonne's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 15:47
ShawnKelfonne
That said, we should totally get a War3 tower defense night for interested people going.

Tower Def Thursdays?

10 people playing Cow TD is a great time. Lots of different choices for towers, a chance to help your teammates if they're in trouble, and the ever hilarious Cow-bomb.
superhobo's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 18:08
superhobo
Random Defense is still one of the best.
Atheist Jew's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 18:19
Atheist Jew
I love tower defense. I'll be all over this.
Fail's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/28/2008 19:17
Fail
I HATE YOU
Brilliam's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/29/2008 03:27
Brilliam
I think you're looking for the word hordes (not hoards), as in shitloads (of enemies) and not as in shitloads (of riches)
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