Lisbon-based studio Planetfall Studios is a small indie company that has just released their first game, Defentron on Steam and Nintendo Switch. Initially called Retro Defense, Defentron is essentially a classic Tower Defense game but with some added flair.
Tower Defense
Malicious viruses are out to destroy Defentron, a futuristic computer system. In order to protect the system’s core, you need to clear the matrix from any harmful intruders. The AI provides you with a bunch of digital attack towers to destroy the pesky bugs. While different and stronger viruses are being introduced at each level, Defentron also provides stronger weapons to experiment with. The way you place these weapons will determine the outcome. If too many viruses are able to get through, you’re defeated and it’s game over.
Tactical excellence
Each level of Defentron shows a grid-based path with some preset places to install a weapon. You start out by placing your first units before you can start the “invasion”. As the first wave commences you’ll soon find out if your initial placement of defenses were beneficial or catastrophic. There is no resting on your laurels in Defentron. With 5 increasingly harder waves in each level, you’ll need to add new defenses or upgrade the existing ones. The budget you’ll need to buy new defenses or upgrades is earned each time you destroy an incoming virus. Finding the right ratio between new units and upgrades will greatly improve your chances of success.
Overload
With limited space to place your defensive units on the grid, you’ll have to make choices. Defentron is balanced in a way you’ll have to adjust constantly. After serving you well during the first few waves you might just get rid of a certain unit in order to add a better suited (often more expensive) unit. This can be achieved by choosing the “overload” option from the update menu. This initiates a sort of self-destruct sequence where the unit will be overpowered for a brief moment, clearing most of the enemies in the near vicinity, before blowing up. Timing becomes key in getting the maximum from an overload.
Not always real-time
The tower defense genre is a subgenre of real-time strategy. Defentron uses the classic blueprint of the genre but adds in a fast forward and pause button to give more control to the player. Tower Defense games can get a bit stale when you have to wait for a wave to be slaughtered by your well-thought defense plan. The fast forward button helps to get rid of these dull moments, something simple but very well received by an impatient gamer like me. The Pause button is essentially a way to make every second count. With a bunch of enemies on the screen and different units to consider it might get hectic. The pause button is a lifesaver in those moments.
Tron
To add some more flair to the idea of Defentron, the developers went with a retro-digital style reminiscence of the movie Tron. The style is what puts the “Tron” in Defentron. The “light cycle” aesthetics and classic VHS deterioration fit the theme perfectly. The distorted computer voices and synth-wave soundtrack further enhance that effect.
Conclusion
Defentron isn’t trying to be anything new in the Tower Defense genre. It’s the classic gameplay with some handy features like the overload and pause/fast forward buttons. The game is well-balanced and offers challenges right from the start. If you’re a veteran of the genre you might not be too overwhelmed with Defentron. Casual fans or people who are just curious about this genre won’t be disappointed.
