Colony Defense: An In(3)die Game Review

Colony Defense is a galactic tower defense games that puts a new “spin” to the classic genre. Aliens are invading, and you’ve got to stop them before they destroy everything! The only problem is that you’ve got to watch the whole planet, all three hundred and sixty degrees of it. Colony Defense by Mana Bomb Games Studio is available for download now on Xbox Live for a newly REDUCED 400 points ($5.00) via the Indie Games section, or for your PC from the Mana Bomb website.

The game looks pretty simple from the start – dark scenery but colorful standouts for each side. You’ve got aliens deploying on one side, your colonies on the other. In between, you have a track where the aliens will travel. You’re given limited resources to start with and the choice between lasers and flamethrowers. Flamethrowers work better against slow moving targets, lasers better against fast targets. Place the weapons where you desire to battle the aliens and gain more resources for every one you take out. When you get in a pinch, you also have a trusty Orbital Ion Cannon to take out the aliens that manage to slip through, though it’ll cost some of your resources to use.

As the game progresses, more weapons are made available, such as the Stasis Tower, which does no damage, but reduces enemy speed 50%, and artillery cannons, which do massive damage but have a slow rate of fire. Overload on a single tower type, and the aliens develop resistance against that type. New enemy types show up as you get through the game, so you will need to strategize correctly or be quickly humbled. Depending on how you’ve done during a level, you will be given “Talent Points” to upgrade things like rate of fire, damage, and cost of towers. There are 34 different planets to defend, so you’ll definitely have plenty in store for you.

The story that the game gives you is a little cliché and could be ignored, but is easily overlooked as it’s not the focus of the game. The game’s main feature, the 3D atmosphere, is an interesting concept, but doesn’t necessarily provide a lot of depth, merely the requirement to rotate the camera some. This makes the game feel like it would be the exact same in the second dimension as it is in the third, minus the scrolling.

At the $5.00 price point, you’re given plenty of solid gameplay and plenty of levels to master, a great value. The 3D concept isn’t quite as complex or innovative as it might sound, but with addicting gameplay and fun sounds and visuals, it might not be the most impressive tower defense game available, but it sure is a solid buy for any fans of the genre.

Mana Bomb Website
Colony Defense on Xbox LIVE