Defender Chronicles: Legend of the Desert King, Chillingo’s fairly recent addition to the Tower Defense genre, has made its presence known in the app store. With its unique 2D style, multitude of RPG elements, and vast depth of gameplay, it is no surprise that Defender Chronicles is able to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Defender Chronicles, like most of the other TD games, employs fixed-path maps whereby enemies follow the same route in their attempt to reach their goal. Unlike the competition, enemies must move back and forth from one side of the screen to the other, using ramps to reach each additional level until they finally reach the top (or bottom) where they can exit the board. This is the only TD game we’ve seen where you defend vertically and on multiple levels. Another interesting twist is that you build your defenses in specified locations denoted with flags, as opposed to building towers at the location of your choosing. This also limits the number of defensive stations you can use, so you must choose wisely and strategize at every turn.
There are currently 7 different maps to choose from and 5 game modes to play (story, freestyle, extended, classic, and classic extended). There are 4 difficulty levels, ranging from novice to heroic. Eight enemies from warriors to mages to mini-orges will swarm your defenses in waves that you must fight off over and over. There are several big bosses that you will have to defend against, as well. There is an interesting storyline woven through the action involving a Hero who defends the last board position and controls the defenders. As you play, you gain experience from your battles, as well as gold coins from defeating enemies, which can be used to upgrade defenses or gain skills. Successfully defending each map gains stars. Using greater difficulty levels and not allowing any enemies through gains more and more stars. The stars can be used in the Trade Shop or Great Library to strengthen the Hero through artifacts and skills. As you can imagine, the roleplay elements are a huge aspect of the game and a good understanding of how everything works is easier experienced than explained. Suffice to say, fantasy fans and novices alike will enjoy working through the achievement systems and RPG elements that add richness to the overall experience.
The graphics in Defender Chronicles are top-notch, with intricately-detailed, hand-drawn boards that create a very polished look. Even the soundtrack is terrific. Nine original tracks play as you defend your position, heightening the tension and giving the game an epic feel. The voice-over actors help to give the game a cinematic quality that you don’t get from reading expositional text. Of course, if you prefer, you can now play music from your own library instead of listening to the included tracks. We tend to prefer the in-game music for this type of game. The controls are all touch-based. Simply tap on flags to prepare to build. Tap your selections from the various pop-ups to choose guild type, whether to upgrade or sell, or any other decision that you’ll encounter.
While there are plenty of TD games and RPGs available in the app store, none meshes the two genres as intricately and pleasantly as Defender Chronicles. Chillingo has struck a wonderful balance that should appeal to just about any gamer with an interest in either type of game. Replayability is extremely high, as the game will vary greatly each time you play based upon your selection of mode, difficulty level, guild placement, strategy employed, etc. Defender Chronicles is a steal at $2.99 for everything that you get in the game, as well as continued updates that add more maps, enemies, and other elements. This 5-Dimple beauty should remain a top tier game for a long time to come.
Defender Chronicles gets our AppSmile 5-Dimple rating:
