Dungeon Defenders Review

It seems like the indie developers' latest fad has been the one about developing tower defense games. We had the unusual yet excellent Anomaly: Warzone Earth, and then we had a more comic approach to the genre with Orcs Must Die! Frankly, I haven't tried either of them, but I do, in fact, have played, and are still playing Dungeon Defenders. Unlike the two games I mentioned earlier, Dungeon Defenders has the possibility of playing with up to four players in one server. I have come to a verdict to say that it is absolutely successful when delivering a frantic and consistent multi-player experience.

Graphics

 The game uses the Unreal Engine, but, it doesn't look like an ordinary Unreal game would. It doesn't have that moody, dusty bloom that Unreal Tournament 3, or Gears of War have. This one is bright, colorful and cartoony. I really have to say, Trendy Entertainment has put quite a lot of effort into making this game look different and completely original. It plays excellently, and it looks like it was taken out of a comic. Everything is so detailed and so shiny, that it sets a bar on cartoon-styled videogames. The artwork is also top-notch. The characters are masterfully modeled, and the texture work and design of the maps make up for a battle of epic proportions. At first it won't seem like much, but when you're against a horde of hundreds of orcs and goblins the game shines at its best.

Gameplay

 How could I describe the gameplay in a sentence? Addictive co-op madness. This is a real jewel. It's basically the normal tower-defense game in which you can choose between four types of characters (apart from the DLC ones). First, you've got the mage. The mage can cast spells and has a special move which creates an orb of magic that damages nearby enemies. His main trap is a tower, which is a hand-like structure that throws whatever element the mage chooses to their opponent. Then we have the knight (squier), who uses his sword to make his way through the crowds of orcs and goblins, and can sometimes protect himself from nearby attacks. His traps are also based along throwing projectiles, but they have nothing to do with magic, like the harpoon turret or the cannon ball turret. You've also got blockades: one with spikes, and another one with blades that slices through everything. Another character is the Huntress, who uses a crossbow for ranged attacks which are extremely useful at all times. However, her traps are a bit weak. She just puts proximity traps, which only work at times, and don't take too much health. Hopefully, we've also got the monk. He uses spears as a weapon, but he doesn't use any traps. Instead, he invokes auras, which debilitate targeted enemies. All of this amount of character-creating is wrapped up with an intricately designed level-up system and equipment management that adds an RPG-style to the gameplay which fits in perfectly. It also lets you choose between first person, over-the-shoulder third person, and top-to-bottom third person view so that anyone can adjust it to his or her liking.

Our four brave heroes.

Sound

 The sound is the only thing that I wouldn't classify as being "over the top". The music is fine, but it could get repetitive at times. The effects and overall sound make it silly and playful, like the visuals try to do, and they pair up quite well, but there's nothing here worth mentioning that breaks new ground.

Very, very fun maps

Lasting Appeal

 Man, you've got entertainment for hours. Numerous maps, missions, dozens of achievements, characters, DLC's, and items. The replay value in this game is indescribable; you've got four characters to max-out, hundreds of items to find, and dozens of challenges to complete. In a year of tower-defense games, this one stands out as the best, and most successful attempt.

 In the end, Dungeon Defenders is a great, fun co-op experience fit for any Strategy-RPG fan. It doesn't try to break new ground in some aspects, like the sound or the overall gameplay, but it feels fresh with the RPG elements that they've thrown into. I'm completely satisfied with this game, and I recommend anyone to buy it if they are willing to.

4 out of 5 stars