It’s called Anomaly: Warzone Earth, and well, it’s curious. I just watched a video.
Good graphics for an indie? game.
I’d play that. Or at least try a demo.
Neat, I’d give it a try. I dub this new style of game, the ‘Convoy!’ game.
That definitely look pretty fun! I love the UI, too. It’s done really well. One thing I’m curious about, though… why do they say it’s only for PC/Mac when it clearly shows (at 1:16) Press Y to Start Mission with the yellow Y 360 button?
It could make a mean co-op game, too! :D
I’m curious, but I’m not sure that “reverse tower defense” is really a genre that makes as much sense as “tower defense”. Tower defense works because it takes the logistics, tactics, and building aspects of a strategy game and removes the need to worry about speed, rushing, and uncertain information. It’s like building up a base in Starcraft, except you don’t end up losing to a KEKEKE ZERG RUSH! because you forgot to scout or clicked on your peons too slowly. If 6 zerglings are going to attack in 2 minutes, that’s a visible timer bar on your screen in a tower defense game.
I’m not sure what reversing the sides really does for you, though. It’s like playing Dawn of War 2 single-player, except your guys only move in a line and the enemy is all turrets. There are plenty of people who say “I like building up my dudes in Starcraft, but then some jerk rushes and wrecks everything, and I don’t want to take the time to learn how to beat that.” I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say “Dawn of War is great and all, but why do my Space Marines have the ability to move both forward AND back? It’s confusing! Just pick one and stick with it!”
It’s an old space-sim player’s nightmare–an entire game full of escort missions!
Heh, I was thinking along the same lines, although you could say that about any genre with escort missions. I can’t think of a single escort mission I’ve ever liked. The best I could ever say is that a few were tolerable.
I miss Rescue Raiders/Armor Alley. That reminds me, I still need to track down a copy of Glory Days 2.
- Alan
GiantBomb has a quick look up on Anomaly: Warzone Earth, and it’s now out on Steam. Thus far it’s entertaining me.
Those were early levels but is there more to this game than just spamming and picking up repairs?
I’m’a check this out as I’m a fool for the whole genre (and maybe even anti-genre), but damn, this game suffers from Random War-Related Words Title Disease. I suppose all the good titles are taken, but jeez.
They really should have added a bit more to the title. Anomaly Warzone Earth Strike Force Operation Battle Storm Assault, etc.
You get a few more toys a bit further in than the quick look got, gaining the ability to lay down alleged-smoke screens to reduce the towers’ accuracy, and decoys to do just that. Plus a shieldy-type creep^Hvehicle to add to the high-armor/low-damage low-armor/high-damage choices. And of course it’s very much the tower defense puzzle thing of having only so much to spend on new units versus upgrading existing units, etc. So it’s not really anti-genre at all, aside from the path-choosing to optimize approaches against the heavier-hitting towers and whatnot. It’s a pretty well-polished ten dollar game.
I disagree. Technically, the genre is about “fixed path offense versus static defense.” There’s no reason in principle that one side of that battle should be less interesting than the other. All “tower defense” games are the defense side – constructing the static defense. This game is the offense side – constructing the fixed-path offense. Similar tradeoffs are necessary in both cases, and arguably they are symmetrical. Why should defense be more interesting than offense, no matter what the combat situation? (Assuming the game provides interesting tactical decisions, of course.)
I guess I’m about halfway through – I finished Baghdad and played once through the Baghdad wave-defense game – and it’s definitely suffering from a lack of variety in approach. So far there seems to be no reason to not go APC-Shield-Missile-Missile-Shield-Missile for 6 cars, or APC-Shield-Missile for 3 cars. If that is always the optimal arrangement, then the game is, as somebody earlier asked, reduced to just using the appropriate skills at the appropriate time.
The production values are high, and $10 is pretty cheap, but it doesn’t look like there will be much replay value here. I don’t know if you get a wider variety of vehicle types in the second half of the game (I assume you do), but so far I’d wait for a sale.
Agreed. Incredible visuals for such a small cheap game, but it’s a bit of a one trick pony. I also resent having to play through some story related crap. Tower defense isn’t about story, and neither should this be. I just want some fun random maps.
Looks nice. Graphics resemble something I’d expect from Introversion.
It looks very interesting.
Wonder if we’ll see more “convoy” games like this.
Hi all,
I’ve been part of a testing team assembled for this game for a couple of weeks, and personally I think it’s really fun.
The game get’s really cool reviews - see them at metacritic or else.
Check the game’s website where you have more in-depth info.
If You have any qestions about gameplay just post them, I’ll do my best to answer.
thx
HOSTAGE SITUATION REPORTED.
I’m so going to make fun of Ohle for having VMs do his work for him.