I picked up Defense Grid for $5 on a Steam sale (currently going on as I write this). You may remember my Demo Impression from earlier.
The game still looks good.
Still, I'm glad I got it cheap. It's not a bad game, by any means. But it never really satisfies.
A lot of the game is trial and error. If you upgrade wrong, the next wave will walk all over you. There's a checkpoint system that's supposed to make that easier, but the way the checkpoints are placed I never end up going back to the point in time I wanted to. There's a fast forward function in the game, but it's still annoying to have to do the same three moves every time to get back to where I wanted to. A simple quick save mechanic would have worked fine.
A lot of the game is wishing my towers weren't so dumb. Certain towers are strong against certain enemies, but enemies come in a pack and the towers always shoot at whoever's in the lead. It makes me feel like I'm not really in control of my success or failure. The game adds one feature, a player targeted orbital laser, that can be used every couple minutes to deal with especially pesky foes. But it almost feels like an admission by the designer that the towers don't do what you want. "Here's a tool you can use to mop up the enemies even the best laid tower arrangement will occasionally let through. Sorry about that."
There are more tower types in the full game, and I've enjoyed experimenting with them. Combining the tower that slows down enemies with the short range towers lets them be more effective. Uh, I guess that's the main new tower I enjoyed. :P
I'm more than halfway through the game, and I feel comfortable saying that there is no story worth elaborating on. 'Nuff said.
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