Defense Grid: The Awakening is now out on Xbox Live Arcade. But it's been out for a while on PC, where it's got a reputation as, well, the best tower defense game there is.
Like most tower defense games, Defense Grid asks the player to strategically place defensive towers to prevent something bad from happening. In this case, to prevent alien bad guys from stealing your power cores.
Does the PC's best tower defense game also mean XBLA's best tower defense game? Only one way to find out.
Loved
Tower Defender: It's a crowded genre, but I really do think that Defense Grid is the best tower defense game out there, its varied level design and professional production standards (especially the graphics and voice-over work) setting it apart from its more "casual" competitors.
Perfect Port: If you haven't played it, the PC version is a joy to control, mostly because it's so simple. You move a cursor around, click a few things, and you're done. I'm happy to report the game ports perfectly to the 360, with absolutely no difference in speed or accessibility whatsoever.
Director's Cut: The PC version is worth the $20 asking price. This XBLA version, however, includes the original PC game as well as a just-as-great (though shorter) expansion campaign, all for $10. So, yes, more game, less money.
If tower defense — or even strategy or puzzle games in general — are your thing, Defense Grid: The Awakening is your thing. Especially now you can play it on the couch, defending humanity in one hand while enjoying a bowl of raspberries with the other.
Defense Grid: The Awakening was developed and published by Hidden Path Entertainment for Xbox Live Arcade on September 2. Retails for 800 Microsoft Points (about $10 USD).
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