MMO and Facebook App Reviews
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Hedgewars Review
Hedgewars is an open-source turn-based strategy game similar to Worms. Players take turns controlling several little hedgehogs armed to the teeth with bazookas, grenades, guns, airstrikes, explosive cakes, other bizarre and deadly weapons.
2. Select weapon
Score:8.5
I give way too many games a score of 8.5, but it's true. Hedgewars' gameplay is really good, as well as the addition of new equipment, but the gameplay could be a tiny bit more fluid. But it's a very good game, and being open-sourced adds to the awesomeness of it all.
Pros: Open source, humourous, good gameplay, original weapons (and inside jokes)
Cons: Poor AI, glitching campaign mode
The gameplay is simple: use your hedgehogs to blow up your opponent's hedgehogs. Every turn, players take control of a single hedgehog and use an arsenal of weapons to destroy their opponents in the most ridiculous and creative ways possible. Explosive cakes, remote control airplanes, and even portal guns - the possibilities are endless.
There's also online multiplayer. There's a surprisingly high number of people in the lobby. It's relatively easy to find a game, and if you can't, spectating is almost as fun because you can laugh at other people's failiures. And watching people fail is particularly funny in this game.
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| Fail. |
A turn is executed as follows:
1. Move
3. Aim, adjusting for distance and wind
4. Shoot
5. Optional: Run away
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| Poor vulture. |
There are also petrol cans scattered across the maps that explode when shot, showering their surroundings with fire. Health packs and weapon crates, dropped randomly across the map, also explode when shot. The terrain is completely descructable, making for even more interesting gameplay.
You can also customize your 'hogs, giving them different names, appearances, and even a different voice.
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| Australian hedgehogs with British accents pwn. |
The biggest problem with Hedgewars is its AI. It seems AI units either make perfect shots or fail them completely. They never make mediocre, somewhat effective shots. It doesn't completely destroy the gameplay, though. If you want to play against a more human opponent, you can do it with a friend sharing a keyboard, or online.
Also, the game's "campaign mode" never progresses past level 1. But that's not really that bad; the campaign mode is rarely the main feature in games like Hedgewars.
Score:8.5
I give way too many games a score of 8.5, but it's true. Hedgewars' gameplay is really good, as well as the addition of new equipment, but the gameplay could be a tiny bit more fluid. But it's a very good game, and being open-sourced adds to the awesomeness of it all.
Friday, September 30, 2011
The iDroid
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| It's the iDroid, a cross between the Android and Apple. I made this during Communications Technology class. |
Monday, September 12, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Minecraft: How to Make a Nether Portal Without a Diamond Pickaxe
My latest Minecraft video on how to make a Nether portal without a diamond pick.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Metal Assault Review
Metal Assault is an anime-inspired 2d run-and-gun game by Aeria Games that offers gameplay different from most free MMOs on the market. Players choose from four classes that specialize in different styles of gameplay, and leap right into battle. There's a huge selection of weapons of all kinds - assault rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, and pistols, and a wide variety of customization options are available to make your character unique.
Pros: Challenging despite cartoony graphics, balanced weapons, rewarding co-op modes
Cons: Gender-specific classes
One of the great things about Metal Assault is that its weapons are well balanced. Having any particular weapon does not give someone a decisive advantage over someone else. Instead, players buy weapons that better fit their style. Instead of higher-level weapons being better, they are made to better fit certain play-styles. For example, while the low-level assault rifles don't vary much, the high-level ones are more unique, like guns with incredibly high damage per second, but dismal accuracy and range, or spray-and-pray rifles with an extremely high rate of fire but low damage output.
In addition to different weapons for different play-styles, players can also modify and upgrade their weapons to add unique features. Players can add a sniper scope to an assault rifle, so instead of throwing a grenade with a right click, they can look down their scope to target enemies much farther away. Silencers, red dot sights, and laser sights can also be added, although their effects are more superficial.
Metal Assault features two co-op modes, a zombie mode and another campaign-like mode. These modes reward players with experience and currency just like the pvp modes, so they are a great say for new players to get money and items.
In all the game modes, players accumulate points by killing and being killed, and once a certain amount of points are collected, players can use special "things" (for lack of a better word), like artillery strikes and a powerup comparable to a legitimate speed-hack.
Another significant feature in Metal Assault are its vehicles. In the larger PvP maps, and in some co-op maps, teams fight over several control points. These control points, depending on their type, do things such as refill ammo and health, and spawn powerful vehicles such as tanks, mechs, helicopters, and artillery that up to four teammates can enter to cause chaos all over the battlefield. These vehicles add great variety to the game; you never know if it'll be a single player around the corner, or four of them in a tank. In larger maps, you have to be constantly mobile, or else you'll be shelled into oblivion by enemy artillery.
Score: 9/10
Metal Assault is a breath of fresh air in a free MMO industry where nearly everything is the same cookie-cutter game. A huge selection of weapons make for incredible variety while none of them cause an imbalance, and customization of both your character and your weapons is easy and rewarding. Despite the cartoony graphics, Metal Assault is challenging and extremely fun.
Pros: Challenging despite cartoony graphics, balanced weapons, rewarding co-op modes
Cons: Gender-specific classes
One of the great things about Metal Assault is that its weapons are well balanced. Having any particular weapon does not give someone a decisive advantage over someone else. Instead, players buy weapons that better fit their style. Instead of higher-level weapons being better, they are made to better fit certain play-styles. For example, while the low-level assault rifles don't vary much, the high-level ones are more unique, like guns with incredibly high damage per second, but dismal accuracy and range, or spray-and-pray rifles with an extremely high rate of fire but low damage output.
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| So many guns!!!!11!one |
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| My custom DMR-ish assault rifle |
Metal Assault features two co-op modes, a zombie mode and another campaign-like mode. These modes reward players with experience and currency just like the pvp modes, so they are a great say for new players to get money and items.
In all the game modes, players accumulate points by killing and being killed, and once a certain amount of points are collected, players can use special "things" (for lack of a better word), like artillery strikes and a powerup comparable to a legitimate speed-hack.
Another significant feature in Metal Assault are its vehicles. In the larger PvP maps, and in some co-op maps, teams fight over several control points. These control points, depending on their type, do things such as refill ammo and health, and spawn powerful vehicles such as tanks, mechs, helicopters, and artillery that up to four teammates can enter to cause chaos all over the battlefield. These vehicles add great variety to the game; you never know if it'll be a single player around the corner, or four of them in a tank. In larger maps, you have to be constantly mobile, or else you'll be shelled into oblivion by enemy artillery.
Score: 9/10
Metal Assault is a breath of fresh air in a free MMO industry where nearly everything is the same cookie-cutter game. A huge selection of weapons make for incredible variety while none of them cause an imbalance, and customization of both your character and your weapons is easy and rewarding. Despite the cartoony graphics, Metal Assault is challenging and extremely fun.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Call of the Community Charity Event
Hi everyone,
A lot of stuff's been going on in the strange world of YouTube recently, much of it pretty much the same as everything else. I'm referring to the gaming community in particular here - it seems respect is rather hard to come by these days. But something kind of interesting is coming up soon - there's a charity event coming up this weekend called Call of the Community. The goal of this event is to bring together YouTube's gaming community, grow some respect, and most importantly, make it worthwhile on a global scale, raising money for three charities:
- Thirst Relief International: Aims to give clean water and sources thereof to developing, third-world countries.
- Gamers for Giving: Gives cancer victims Xboxes and PS3s to pass the time during Chemo.
- anthonynolan.org: Funds cancer research and supports the families of cancer victims.
Anyways, it's a great event, and I'm really excited for it. Visit the website to watch the live stream and/or to donate at 9 pm EST on Friday, July 15, 2011 for team-making, and 3 pm EST on Sunday, July 17 for the main event. Call of Duty MLG rules, all that awesome stuff.
http://callofthecommunity.com/
You can also donate right here:
A lot of stuff's been going on in the strange world of YouTube recently, much of it pretty much the same as everything else. I'm referring to the gaming community in particular here - it seems respect is rather hard to come by these days. But something kind of interesting is coming up soon - there's a charity event coming up this weekend called Call of the Community. The goal of this event is to bring together YouTube's gaming community, grow some respect, and most importantly, make it worthwhile on a global scale, raising money for three charities:
- Thirst Relief International: Aims to give clean water and sources thereof to developing, third-world countries.
- Gamers for Giving: Gives cancer victims Xboxes and PS3s to pass the time during Chemo.
- anthonynolan.org: Funds cancer research and supports the families of cancer victims.
Anyways, it's a great event, and I'm really excited for it. Visit the website to watch the live stream and/or to donate at 9 pm EST on Friday, July 15, 2011 for team-making, and 3 pm EST on Sunday, July 17 for the main event. Call of Duty MLG rules, all that awesome stuff.
http://callofthecommunity.com/
You can also donate right here:
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Flash Game Review: Steambirds Survival
Steambirds: Survival is a flash game that sort of falls into the turn-based strategy genre, but makes a few innovations to the formula. Based on the original Steambirds, it uses the same basic gameplay, like how you move and attack and use special abilities, but you only control one airplane, and you can buy new ones with the in-game cash that you earn from playing, or with the game's microtransactions system. Players are to survive as many waves as possible before being shot down.
There's something of a plot, but nothing too deep. As you defeat more and more waves, text in the background informs you of the lives you've saved and communities you've evacuated.
Steambirds: Survival, along with the rest of the Steambirds series, is a highly tactical game. Before you end each turn, you really have to think of what'll happen to you afterwards. You're only in control of one unit, so that one unit is infinitely important. Unlockable airplanes make for brilliant and unconventional strategies, like rushing an enemy, and pulling back at the last minute while dropping a deadly barrage of bombs.
You're almost always at a disadvantage when it comes to raw firepower. To aid you in overcoming this disadvantage, the game includes several different powerups that you can acquire and use over the course of the game. Each airplane starts off with a few of them, and others can be picked up from downed enemies. They offer an expanded variety of possible tactics, like letting loose poison gas that damages enemies and jams their guns, so that on your next turn you can do a u-turn and blast them to pieces while their defenceless.
Steambirds: Survival is, as far as anyone can tell, unwinnable. All you can do is shoot down unending waves of increasingly difficult and numerous enemies until you die. Then you're taken to the page where you can buy new planes with your newly earned points, and restart. The inspiring messages they show you each wave must have some end though, so perhaps you can "win".
All in all, Steambirds: Survival is a great game. It's alternate-history steampunk atmosphere is perfect, and it always keeps you thinking. They're making a multiplayer Steambirds game soon, so stay tuned for details. This is definitely a series to keep a close eye on.
Score: 9.5/10
Screenshots:
There's something of a plot, but nothing too deep. As you defeat more and more waves, text in the background informs you of the lives you've saved and communities you've evacuated.
Steambirds: Survival, along with the rest of the Steambirds series, is a highly tactical game. Before you end each turn, you really have to think of what'll happen to you afterwards. You're only in control of one unit, so that one unit is infinitely important. Unlockable airplanes make for brilliant and unconventional strategies, like rushing an enemy, and pulling back at the last minute while dropping a deadly barrage of bombs.
 |
| The Bunni and PandaPoet are my favourite two airplanes to fly, primarily because you can blow up half a wave of enemies without a singlle shot fired. |
You're almost always at a disadvantage when it comes to raw firepower. To aid you in overcoming this disadvantage, the game includes several different powerups that you can acquire and use over the course of the game. Each airplane starts off with a few of them, and others can be picked up from downed enemies. They offer an expanded variety of possible tactics, like letting loose poison gas that damages enemies and jams their guns, so that on your next turn you can do a u-turn and blast them to pieces while their defenceless.
Steambirds: Survival is, as far as anyone can tell, unwinnable. All you can do is shoot down unending waves of increasingly difficult and numerous enemies until you die. Then you're taken to the page where you can buy new planes with your newly earned points, and restart. The inspiring messages they show you each wave must have some end though, so perhaps you can "win".
All in all, Steambirds: Survival is a great game. It's alternate-history steampunk atmosphere is perfect, and it always keeps you thinking. They're making a multiplayer Steambirds game soon, so stay tuned for details. This is definitely a series to keep a close eye on.
Score: 9.5/10
Screenshots:
Monday, June 6, 2011
Battlefield 3 "Thunder Run" Tank Gameplay Demo
This is the tank gameplay of a demo called "Thunder Run" from the upcoming game Battlefield 3, revealed at a demo at E3.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Warfare 1944
Warfare 1944 is one of my favourite flash games. It's a real-time-strategy World War II game. Enjoy!
Free Online Games brought to you by Armor Games
Free Online Games brought to you by Armor Games
Friday, May 20, 2011
Facebook App Review: Battle Pirates
Battle Pirates is a real-time strategy Facebook App with the rather unique setting of modern (or a bit steampunk) pirates. Like most Facebook games, it relies on the interaction of its players. Players are in command of their HQ, or outpost, and build and upgrade structures and fleets with the intention of gaining more power and control over their area. They control each fleet of five ships separately, and move them around the world map, giving them orders to explore, mine, salvage or attack the world around them.
Pros: Relatively deep strategy, high level of ship customization, friendly playerbase
Cons: Restricted by politeness (you attack someone, everyone else in the world attacks you)
The world of Battle Pirates is a constant struggle between players for power and resources. You build ships, give them the weapons and armour you want, and put them to the ultimate test - the battlefield. After launching them from your dock, they'll be thrust out into the wide open, daunting sea, where you assign them missions such as mining for resources, attacking enemy fleets, and even taking down an outpost. There's a lot to be done in the big, wide world.
There's so much to do, it can get rather intimidating. So many people have such bigger ships, but don't worry - for the most part they'll leave you alone.
The way the game works is that you gather resources, either from the buildings at your HQ or from resource mines. Resource mines give you resources a lot quicker, but you need to manually send a fleet out to mine and you need to attack to gain possession of it and defend it from enemy players and Draconians, the game's NPCs. Because they have such a high resource production rate compared to your home base, they can be in very intense contention, especially the higher-level ones. Draconian fleets will attack player-owned resources every few hours.
When you attack an enemy, or when an enemy attacks you, a separate battle sequence starts. Each of your five ships can be ordered to attack any given enemy or go to any given spot on the battlefield. Smaller ships generally move faster than larger ones, allowing for flanking and other tactics.
The ships themselves are highly customizable, too. New hulls are unlocked in the Naval Lab. You can choose weapons and armour, too, which are unlocked in the Weapons lab and Naval lab. The different items have different weights, and each ship has a weight limit. Fleets have a total weight limit too, but it can be raised by upgrading the dock.
It's also nice that they've implemented NPCs, because without them the game would depend completely on PvP like in Combat Zone. The problem with Combat Zone, and to a lesser extent, Battle Pirates, is that politeness makes PvP difficult. Whenever someone attacks someone else without provocation, eveyone on chat is talking about it and gangs up on the aggressor. It's not so bad when fighting over resources, but attacking someone's base can start quite an episode.
Score: 9/10
Battle Pirates is a relatively deep game (considering it's a Facebook app). The setting is very original, and the ship customization really complements its gameplay. This Facebook app has been one of the most entertaining ones I've played in quite a while, and it's well worth taking five minutes to check it out.
Pros: Relatively deep strategy, high level of ship customization, friendly playerbase
Cons: Restricted by politeness (you attack someone, everyone else in the world attacks you)
The world of Battle Pirates is a constant struggle between players for power and resources. You build ships, give them the weapons and armour you want, and put them to the ultimate test - the battlefield. After launching them from your dock, they'll be thrust out into the wide open, daunting sea, where you assign them missions such as mining for resources, attacking enemy fleets, and even taking down an outpost. There's a lot to be done in the big, wide world.
 | ||
| The world of Battle Pirates can be intimidating at times. |
The way the game works is that you gather resources, either from the buildings at your HQ or from resource mines. Resource mines give you resources a lot quicker, but you need to manually send a fleet out to mine and you need to attack to gain possession of it and defend it from enemy players and Draconians, the game's NPCs. Because they have such a high resource production rate compared to your home base, they can be in very intense contention, especially the higher-level ones. Draconian fleets will attack player-owned resources every few hours.
When you attack an enemy, or when an enemy attacks you, a separate battle sequence starts. Each of your five ships can be ordered to attack any given enemy or go to any given spot on the battlefield. Smaller ships generally move faster than larger ones, allowing for flanking and other tactics.
 | |
| Always try to enter battle with a decisive advantage. |
 |
| Battle Pirates Ship Customization |
It's also nice that they've implemented NPCs, because without them the game would depend completely on PvP like in Combat Zone. The problem with Combat Zone, and to a lesser extent, Battle Pirates, is that politeness makes PvP difficult. Whenever someone attacks someone else without provocation, eveyone on chat is talking about it and gangs up on the aggressor. It's not so bad when fighting over resources, but attacking someone's base can start quite an episode.
 |
| This is what tends to happen when somebody gets cocky. |
Score: 9/10
Battle Pirates is a relatively deep game (considering it's a Facebook app). The setting is very original, and the ship customization really complements its gameplay. This Facebook app has been one of the most entertaining ones I've played in quite a while, and it's well worth taking five minutes to check it out.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Oops.
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| A...mistake in Battlefield Play4Free. I didn't know the game's physics even made this possible. |
Monday, March 14, 2011
Runescape Review
Runescape is your typical MMORPG. Players explore the world, playing as their characters, killing enemies, collecting resources, crafting items, etc. It's good for older computers and netbooks because there's no download and the graphics are simple.
Pros: Broswer based - no download, large playerbase, good economic system (Grand Exchange), no classes
Cons: Small game world for non-members (free-to-play users), too many macro users
Runescape is a fantasy MMORPG. You know, with the elves and orcs and goblins and all. At the higher levels there are dragons, much like every other MMORPG. But one unique feature of Runescape is that you're not limited to being just a mage, or just a warrior. There are no "classes" in Runescape - you can train in any skill you want, and switch to an entirely different way of fighting at any time, even in the middle of combat.
Despite being criticized for its low-end graphics, it's actually pretty good for a browser game. It lacks the beautiful landscapes and large worlds of its client-based counterparts, but considering it doesn't require a download and it works on even the slowest computers, that's acceptable.
Runescape is a lot more popular than many of the browser games on the market, and it's even developed a realistic economic system called the Grand Exchange. Any player can make an offer for any of their items on the Grand Exchange. They choose the item and the price (defaulting to the Market Value), and it is pooled with all the other identical items of that price. Any player on any server can search for any item and a desired price, and if there are any players selling what they want, the transaction will be made, automatically transferring the item and the in-game money. Purchases and offers can be made in bulk, and players have been known to make millions of gp (gold pieces) off of it.
The problem with Runescape, though, is that the game world is very small compared to the worlds of other MMORPGs. That is, the game world for non-members, those who don't pay a monthly fee. The world for members is huge and always expanding, with even more than what you see below in dungeons. The free-to-play world is very small compared to the world including the pay-to-play expansions. They try to convince everyone that the "members" world is just an expansion of the free-to-play one, but the free-to-play world is (compared to other MMORPGs) puny. I mean, it's pretty decent for a browser game, but it just doesn't reach the standards set by the other free-to-play MMORPGs on the market.
Score: 8/10
With the growth of the free-to-play MMO market quickly accelerating, Runescape is starting to blend in with other MMORPGs. It just doesn't have enough unique features, and its game world is far too small for its free-to-play users. But, looking past cheesy graphics and a small world, there's definitely some fun to be had on Runescape with an excellent economic system and a unique class-free leveling system. It's worth playing, and you don't need to sacrifice disk space to play it, either.
Pros: Broswer based - no download, large playerbase, good economic system (Grand Exchange), no classes
Cons: Small game world for non-members (free-to-play users), too many macro users
Runescape is a fantasy MMORPG. You know, with the elves and orcs and goblins and all. At the higher levels there are dragons, much like every other MMORPG. But one unique feature of Runescape is that you're not limited to being just a mage, or just a warrior. There are no "classes" in Runescape - you can train in any skill you want, and switch to an entirely different way of fighting at any time, even in the middle of combat.
Despite being criticized for its low-end graphics, it's actually pretty good for a browser game. It lacks the beautiful landscapes and large worlds of its client-based counterparts, but considering it doesn't require a download and it works on even the slowest computers, that's acceptable.
Runescape is a lot more popular than many of the browser games on the market, and it's even developed a realistic economic system called the Grand Exchange. Any player can make an offer for any of their items on the Grand Exchange. They choose the item and the price (defaulting to the Market Value), and it is pooled with all the other identical items of that price. Any player on any server can search for any item and a desired price, and if there are any players selling what they want, the transaction will be made, automatically transferring the item and the in-game money. Purchases and offers can be made in bulk, and players have been known to make millions of gp (gold pieces) off of it.
The problem with Runescape, though, is that the game world is very small compared to the worlds of other MMORPGs. That is, the game world for non-members, those who don't pay a monthly fee. The world for members is huge and always expanding, with even more than what you see below in dungeons. The free-to-play world is very small compared to the world including the pay-to-play expansions. They try to convince everyone that the "members" world is just an expansion of the free-to-play one, but the free-to-play world is (compared to other MMORPGs) puny. I mean, it's pretty decent for a browser game, but it just doesn't reach the standards set by the other free-to-play MMORPGs on the market.
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| Runescape's free-to-play world is highlighted in red. |
Score: 8/10
With the growth of the free-to-play MMO market quickly accelerating, Runescape is starting to blend in with other MMORPGs. It just doesn't have enough unique features, and its game world is far too small for its free-to-play users. But, looking past cheesy graphics and a small world, there's definitely some fun to be had on Runescape with an excellent economic system and a unique class-free leveling system. It's worth playing, and you don't need to sacrifice disk space to play it, either.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
I've Upgraded! Huzzah!
I've changed from a blog to a legit website!
http://www.transmoebas.com/
I'm starting to copy all my posts over. This blog (Apellius) will stay online, but if you want to see new reviews and stay up-to-date, go to http://www.transmoebas.com/
http://www.transmoebas.com/
I'm starting to copy all my posts over. This blog (Apellius) will stay online, but if you want to see new reviews and stay up-to-date, go to http://www.transmoebas.com/
!!! W00t !!!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Facebook App Review: Desktop Defender
Desktop Defender is a Tower Defence Facebook app. But instead of all the towers being available when players begin the game, players unlock towers with in-game "coins" that they earn by playing games, daily depending on how many friends play, or by buying with real-world money. Players are scored based on their performance, with a multiplier for difficulty levels, and compete for the high scores.
Pros: "classic" game with refined gameplay, unlock & upgrade towers with coins, unlock "boosters", leaderboard
Cons: low exp rate (slow earning rate)
The best thing about a Tower Defence Facebook app is that Tower Defence is a classic, tried-and-true genre. After all the many years of Tower Defence games, developers know what works and what doesn't in a game.
What differentiates Desktop Defender from other TD games is that, there is some consistency between games. Your starting setup is saved between games, and more advanced towers are unlocked before starting the game using the in-game "coins" that you get mainly from playing games.
Unlocked towers are unlocked permanently, but the fact that the most interesting towers are only available after earning enough keeps you playing. In most TD games, the only obstacle between you and victory is points. But in this game, everyone wants to get on the leaderboards. And you have to keep playing before you can get the awesome towers that let you do that. You can upgrade towers, too - upgrades are quite significant, and can completely change your strategy.
Another interesting feature is the "boosters" addition. Powerups range from freezing all the enemies on the playing field to automatically killing the two with the highest hipoints. There's even a booster to make enemies harder for a period of time, but giving you a 50% score bonus for each one killed. Boosters, like the towers, must be unlocked, and they add some variety to the game.
Score: 9/10
Desktop Defender isn't anything particularly innovative or original, but Tower Defence is a tried-and-true concept, and Desktop Defender adds to it. The unlocking of towers and boosters is a good addition, and they did a good job of keeping me playing. The leaderboards can really only be reached by people with all the best towers and boosters, but as far as Tower Defence goes, this is one of the best places to do it.
Screenshots:
Pros: "classic" game with refined gameplay, unlock & upgrade towers with coins, unlock "boosters", leaderboard
Cons: low exp rate (slow earning rate)
The best thing about a Tower Defence Facebook app is that Tower Defence is a classic, tried-and-true genre. After all the many years of Tower Defence games, developers know what works and what doesn't in a game.
What differentiates Desktop Defender from other TD games is that, there is some consistency between games. Your starting setup is saved between games, and more advanced towers are unlocked before starting the game using the in-game "coins" that you get mainly from playing games.
 |
| Unlocking & Upgrading |
Unlocked towers are unlocked permanently, but the fact that the most interesting towers are only available after earning enough keeps you playing. In most TD games, the only obstacle between you and victory is points. But in this game, everyone wants to get on the leaderboards. And you have to keep playing before you can get the awesome towers that let you do that. You can upgrade towers, too - upgrades are quite significant, and can completely change your strategy.
 |
| Desktop Defenders gameplay |
Another interesting feature is the "boosters" addition. Powerups range from freezing all the enemies on the playing field to automatically killing the two with the highest hipoints. There's even a booster to make enemies harder for a period of time, but giving you a 50% score bonus for each one killed. Boosters, like the towers, must be unlocked, and they add some variety to the game.
Score: 9/10
Desktop Defender isn't anything particularly innovative or original, but Tower Defence is a tried-and-true concept, and Desktop Defender adds to it. The unlocking of towers and boosters is a good addition, and they did a good job of keeping me playing. The leaderboards can really only be reached by people with all the best towers and boosters, but as far as Tower Defence goes, this is one of the best places to do it.
Screenshots:
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| Desktop Defender Gameplay |
Sunday, February 13, 2011
5 YouTube Videos that will Make You Lose All Your Respect for your Favourite Games and Movies but are Funny Anyways
Hi everyone,
I haven't had the chance to write a review this week, but I've scrapped together a few YouTube videos that will make you lose your respect for your gavourite games and movies but are funny anyways.
*gasps for breath*
World's longest blog title? Please?
I haven't had the chance to write a review this week, but I've scrapped together a few YouTube videos that will make you lose your respect for your gavourite games and movies but are funny anyways.
*gasps for breath*
World's longest blog title? Please?
Friday, February 4, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Heroes in the Sky Review
Heroes in the Sky is a free World War II flight simulator. Players choose to fly for either the Allies or the Axis powers, and hundreds of airplanes, and participate in a variety of game modes. There are PvE missions to do, air raids, free-for-all PvP dogfights, "Attack-and-Defend", and the Occupational War in which the Axis and Allied powers fight for control of territories on the Western Front and in the Pacific. There's a good variety of airplanes and equipment to take control of, and combat is fast-paced and exciting.
Pros: Plenty of airplanes too choose from, fast-paced combat, co-op missions
Cons: Imbalance between newbies and experienced players, short co-op missions
In Heroes in the Sky, players take a variety of historical fighters and bombers into combat. I recognize a few of the fighters, like the Spitfire. You can customize your airplanes with different equipment, including machine guns, cannons, engines, bombs, missiles, and armour, and can even change their paint job. Each airplane has unique stats, and can equip different types of equipment. There's a tech tree of sorts that players can progress down. Actually, there's quite a few of them. One for each nationality (England, US, Russia, Germany, Japan, and Italy), as well as one for bombers and one for gunners (whatever those are).
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| If this isn't exciting, I can't imagine anything that is. |
The Occupational war is vaguely interesting; members of either faction can start attacks on adjacent battlefields, at which point others may join for a set amount of time. Certain battlefields have bonuses, like factories, that grant bonuses. I've never been able to join a battle, though, because you have to be at least level 30 to join, and because the server's time zone is different from mine (battles are from 2-4 and 6-8 pm) and they don't state their time zone, so I can never tell when the battles are going to start.
Co-op missions are an essential component to Heroes in the Sky. They offer even newbies the chance to live through intense dogfights, and there's some very good fun to be had. But they're far too easy, and far too short.
It would be really interesting to see some different game modes and missions, though. It seems all the missions are the same. It's usually just destroying a squadron, or some tanks, or sinking a boat, or defending a friendly boat (which just means destroying a squadron, with a time limit). It would be interesting to escort paratroopers, or a slow-moving transport, to destroy enemy fortifications (that actually shoot back. For some strange reason they just sit there, letting you kill them), or something along those lines.
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| Blow up the transport, eh? Again? |
Now to the more minor details. The game's graphics are great in places and not so great in others. When a plane is shot down, it lingers in the air for a few seconds and loses control, bursting into flames, and explodes. It's a brilliant display of great graphics. But the graphics for tanks and boats, which just serve as objectives, are not as good. It always looks as if you're looking at them through a thick fog, no matter how close you are.
Translation errors are common, and sometimes figures of speech are misused. And sometimes common sense is (very) lacked. Like when, after downing dozens of enemy fighters in a mission, your commander says “I fear this war may reach our borders”. But it's not that bad. It doesn't take too much away from the gameplay.
Score: 8/10
Heroes in the Sky has good, fluid gameplay, and a very good variety of airplanes and upgrades. But after a while, the gameplay is largely the same. Kill this, defend that, go here, go there. It's got good game mechanics, but they do get old. Adding more creative, interesting game modes would make the game a lot better. And it would also be nice to let newbies help some way in the Occupational War, because that message that you get saying that you're twenty-some levels too low is really discouraging. It's a long way up to level thirty. Especially since every time you enter a PvP battle, you're sniped from across from the map.
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