Fantasy Defense is exactly what its name suggests. Fantasy overload, with castles to defend. This tower defense game has all of the standard elements of its genre, plus some extra goodies.
You’d think that the peaceful races of fantasy lands would learn that sealing up the evil wizard king behind some kind of magic stone is never a real solution. But it seems to be the most popular one, so the opening scenes of Fantasy Defense probably won’t surprise you. The Wraith King was supposed to be sealed away forever, but, surprise! He’s gotten loose—or at least, he’s amassed enough power to start sending his evil minions out to attack the remaining human strongholds. You know what that means. A hero is required. Actually, an army of heroes. That’s where the player comes in.
Fantasy Defense plays like a straight castle defense game during the waves of enemy attack. You earn gold by slaughtering the waves of supernatural, mythological, and just plain creepy bad guys that come streaming out of the enemy gates. With that gold, you’re able to place more units in the path of destruction. Controls during gameplay are very simple—the highlighted units are those you can currently afford (there’s a range of archers, warriors, and mages of differing levels of ability). You also amass hero points, which you use to position your heroes. All of this is accomplished through intuitive tap, drag, and drop controls. You’re flying by the seat of your pants when you start out, scraping together the resources as you deal with the enemy waves, but the first levels are paced generously (and include a bit of a tutorial) to get you started off right.
Between stages, you’ll use your income, including mana, gold, and hero points, to obtain items from the shop, upgrade your units,, and improve your heroes’ skills. This side of the game feels more like an RPG than castle defense, with the emphasis on getting your heroes strong enough to handle the next challenge. It’s this blend of RPG and castle defense that gives Fantasy Defense some extra oomph and makes it so addictive; the fast paced combat waves are also interactive, with the player directing the attention of the deployed units. It’s a very potent package, and with a highly customizable gaming experience (adjust the speed of play, and choose from three different modes of play depending on your mood), Fantasy Defense is win all around.
The graphics are exaggerated, over-the-top, and fantastic. . During gameplay, it can get a little hectic with countless units and baddies swarming the screen, but that’s part of the challenge and doesn’t offer too much frustration. The audio complements the game perfectly, with each unit having its own repertoire of battle cries and combat effects.
Fantasy Defense is only $2.99 in the App Store, which is a perfect price point for a game with so much to offer. It offers enough complexity to appeal to most experienced gamers, while its well-paced play, customization, and intuitive controls make it a win for casual gamers as well.
