1/1/2024 0 Comments Tangle tower review ign![]() I played the original flash game for Detective Grimoire way back when I was a kid, and then the first commercial release a few years ago. The times where a seemingly unstoppable hoard was bearing down on us as we held the line at a doorway felt like playing through the climactic battle of a sci-fi epic, and it’s hard to overstate the exuberance when you and your allies erupt in cheers after beating seemingly impossible odds to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.A spectacular sequel to Detective Grimoire Fri oxo666 Dividing the duties of planning defenses, exploring, and escorting the Crystal Bot feels great when you can talk through those plans out loud, and counting down to calling it to an exit, knowing that all hell is about to break loose, is so much more fun with friends. You can do all this solo, switching between your three selected heroes while AI controls the two you aren’t in direct control of, but playing with two friends in co-op is a thrill not to be missed. This is extremely effective at making every run feel meaningful, regardless of how quickly it ends, even on the diabolical lowest levels. Most runs will end in defeat, but return with enough resources to upgrade a few of things back at the Saloon and the next run is just a bit easier. The stages themselves become more challenging the further down you go – enemies get tougher, relics that apply buffs to monsters become increasingly common, and dark rooms, which prevent you from building turrets, become frequent. These strike a great balance of being consequential enough to feel worthwhile, but not so powerful that they trivialize the challenge of subsequent runs. The heroes can each socket up to three ability enhancing chips as well, while all of the different weapons can be upgraded twice. The Saloon itself can be improved with things like the Hazard Almanac, a cool bestiary that also tracks your kills, or booster chests that can be purchased at the start of a run to quickly get better equipment. It’s also where you can spend Cells and Scraps on permanent upgrades, and there are quite a few to be had. It’s a wonderfully chill space to hang out, catch up on interesting lore you’ve uncovered, and recruit new characters while vibing to the excellent soundtrack. If you or the bot dies, you are sent back to a starting hub called The Saloon, which resembles a mix between a hotel lobby bar and a space station. ![]() Your team of up to three heroes will make runs to escort the Crystal Bot deeper and deeper towards The Core. The sting of that randomness can be eased by the fact that Endless Dungeon is a roguelite at its heart, and a damned good one. Being helpless when a wave starts, with nothing to hold the hoard back through no fault of your own, isn’t a great feeling – though thankfully those times are rare. But then there are moments where bad luck would rear its ugly head, with no relevant upgrades to be found and monsters behind every door. It’s so much fun watching an army of monsters evaporate as they are torn to shreds by well placed defenses. There were runs where weapons and upgrades were common, and I could feel like a tactical genius by deploying exactly the right types of turrets and using weapons tailor made for the enemies in the area. Planning for the types of enemies you will face becomes crucial on the harder floors, and that’s the one area where the random nature of the available weapons and turrets can be a bit of a downer. Turrets are placed instantaneously at the touch of a button, making the construction process fast, easy, and a lot of fun. ![]() As the numbers of enemies increases, so too will the need for adequate defenses. Most rooms contain a series of nodes where you can create automated stationary weapons to help control the mobs. That’s where the excellent tower defense elements come into play. It’s impossible to go through an entire level without facing off against at least some waves, and as you uncover more places for monsters to spawn from, those waves become bigger. Shooting different colors of otherwise identical bullets is somewhat disappointing compared to how distinct the heroes and their abilities are. ![]() There are a few standouts, like the Campfire, a flamethrower that encircles your character in rings of fire, though most of the arsenal feels like the same couple of weapons reskinned for each element. Each hero has a default starting gun, and you can find more in treasure chests hidden throughout each floor. There is a large selection of weapons to help make the job easier.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |