Kalio Ltda. originally released their brain pounding tower defense game TriDefense into the App Store way back in July. Initially, we heard a number of complaints and frustrations about the game having to do with user interaction. These issues have been address then the entire game tidied up in the October update to version 1.1. Now Kalio has a proper TD game in their inventory which can hopefully ward off the attacks of multiple other TD apps flooding the genre.
Like most tower defense titles, TriDefense pits you against the repeated onslaught of marching enemies looking to dethrone you and rip apart your kingdom. Not surprisingly, TriDefense isn’t overly forgiving in this regard. Five levels are available in the game with each being activated after successful completion of the preceding. At the get-go, players are introduced to gameplay, weapons, and enemies in a short 10-wave Training Field. Other levels subject players to 50 waves of attacking foes.
The beauty of the game resides in its open field approach. Fortresses are placed somewhere on the board and enemies can surprise by entering from any side. TriDefense challenges to ward off these evil machines by, in a sense, creating your own paths and terrain. Strategically placing a number of rocket, gun, or freeze/slow towers within the playing field will guide foes around a maze to your fortress. Towers can all be upgraded with enhanced power. In an unfortunate aspect for the defense, enemies can approach by land, air, and even water. Yet, players do have the ability to build towers in the sea by land expansion. Plus, land can be removed, for a price, to further assist in rerouting the offense. All tower actions are carried out by spending credits that are earned with each soldier defeat.
TriDefense looks great in the visual department. Right from the initial splash screen players are welcomed with high quality artwork that remains throughout the game. Adding a level of difficulty, Kalio introduces a layer of fog over the playing field which all but obscures the enemy. Sound effects are adequate, but no music is included while playing. Sadly, players cannot listen to their iPod library either. The control mechanism is easy, although not intuitive at first. Maybe we’re just used to other tower defense games where you drag and drop towers from a stationary arsenal tab. In Tridefense, tapping once on screen initiates tower placement, then you must choose tower style, drag to another location (if desired), and finally tap again to place. Upgrading is simple enough; tap the tower and choose the upgrade to purchase. Scanning the playing field is straight forward with pinch-to-zoom and drag-to-pan actions. We also love the fast-forward buttons included in the 1.1 update.
So, does TriDefense bring anything new to the table? No, although it does offer OpenFient connectivity. If you’ve defeated all your current TD games and are looking for another one to rack your brain on, TriDefense is a fantastic selection. If you’re new to the TD genre and looking to get started, we personally suggest choosing one with a pre-designed battle route. Overall, we feel TriDefense is a must have for any tower defense collector.
TriDefense gets our AppSmile 4-Dimple rating:
