Android Game App Review - Defender by DroidHen

Android Game App Review -  Defender by DroidHen

 

Defender by DroidHen is a tower defense game, where you have to protect your tower from waves of attacking monsters, aiming your trusty tower crossbow and throwing spells of three different kinds on your enemies who range from lowly trolls who bash your tower walls with clubs to dragons who breathe lethal fire over your fortifications.

The game is fun, easy to learn and certainly addictive, the graphics are fun and colorful and the creatures, especially the boss creatures are interesting but in the experience of all but a few our testers, you can't advance beyond a certain level, namely circa 100, without spending real money to buy crystals for upgrades and powering spells.

Now, spending money on app is not a bad idea but spending money to advance in levels - this is something we frown on.

Don't get us wrong. The game is certainly fun. Throwing fireballs, freezing monsters solid and fighting hordes of enemies with different configurations of crossbows (selecting a different upgrade to see which works the best) is very fun and certain strategies work best, aiming for increasing shooting frequency, strengthening the ice spell to freeze monsters for a longer time, having a strong fire spell for damage and even a week lightning spell helps to fight monsters while the stronger, main spells recharge.

The main problem, however, is with the boss fights. Once about every few dozens of levels a big boss fight comes up, with trolls, giants and dragons. The only way to beat them is by a massive usage of spells but blue crystals, mana, are used to cast spells and purchase upgrades, such as stronger spells, vital for survival. The end result is you reach the boss fights with too few crystals to win them, ever. 

So, in order to win the boss fights you have to shell out a few bucks and buy enough crystals to survive the boss fight and purchase the needed upgrades later. This means once in a number of levels the gamer must buy mana with real world money.

The opinions among our testers were mixed, but most didn't like this arrangement. Testers said it was very frustrating to work your way through the levels and find out you can only advance by paying money ...

To sum things up, our testers liked this game. It's a standard Tower Defense game with nice graphics and interesting spells and effects. The way DroidHen charges money for upgrades, like buy more mana, and makes it necessary for gamers to buy it in order to pass some boss battles made quite a lot of our testers to eventually stop playing and uninstall the game

• Score: 4 out 5. A fun and addictive game, but the way it forces the gamers to buy upgrades and mana with real money was a turn off for many of our testers.
• Description: A standard Tower Defense game where the gamer protects his tower against hordes of invading monsters, from trolls to giants to other creatures, using an upgradable crossbow and three types of magic spells. During hundreds of levels the monsters become increasingly harder and tougher.
• Good Points: A very fun and addictive game. An advancement table both for the crossbow and the magic, to get more powerful weapons and spells with increasing power and duration. Interesting boss creatures, some even flying ...
• Bad Points: Actually, our testers pointed out one major bad point. In order to pass certain boss levels you have to shell out real world money to buy mana, otherwise passing those levels is next to impossible.
• Experience: All our testers reported great enthusiasm at first, some even playing hours playing the game, rising up through the levels, amassing weapon and spell advancement, Then, when the tougher boss battles come, and when the stockpiles of hard eared mana are all used up to win the battle, most testers became discouraged.
• Longevity: Medium. Since higher levels almost always require real money to pass the tougher boss battles. quite a lot of our testers stopped playing and uninstalled the game. Only some die hard fans kept playing the game. 
• Google Play Link -  Defender by DroidHen
• Google Play Score: 4.6

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Android Game App Review - Robo Defense by Lupis Lab Software

Android Game App Review - Robo Defense by Lupis Lab Software

 

Robo Defense by Lupis Lab Software. Robo defense is a Tower Defense game with a twist. On several levels with different architecture, you have to stop a veritable horde of robotic enemies from escaping the level while they travel from their entrance point to the exit, marching in endless lines of robots, armored robots, armored cars, tanks and several types of aircraft.

You have to practice your defensive architecture by placing defensive towers in strategic locations. Machine guns, mortars, rocket towers, mines and more all serve to try to halt the endless robot stream in an explosion and action filled game.

We liked this game a lot. An addictive game that requires strategic thinking at the same time, the game appealed to the martial side of the of our testers as did the basic game design that didn't force you to touch the screen like crazy but plan and plant your towers carefully and then watch the mayhem they wreck on the tiny stream of machines.

The game has various upgrades you reach as you amass money by killing the robots, upgrades which allow you strengthen the power of your weapons or open up new possibilities like teleport mines.

The game is not free beyond several sample levels but after buying it you don't have to spend money on any upgrades or things like that.

Bottom line, this game, though not strictly free, nevertheless was an instant favorite among our testers.

• Score: 5 out of 5, by an almost unanimous vote.
• Description:A tower defense game where you have to strategically place different kinds of weapon towers to spot endless streams of robots, wheeled machines and aircraft as they try to cross the level and flee. Select rocket towers, artillery, flamers and other weapons to mow down the enemy hordes. Several available levels with increasing difficulty levels, you can play the same level again on a much harder enemy difficulty setting or even set up random levels.
• Good Points: Catching and attractive graphics, nice to look at while not too flamboyant. A great selection of interesting weapons allow different strategies for different level architecture and affect different types of enemies differently. Thought provoking and addictive game play though not too repetitive. After buying the game, you don't have to spend another cent to finish the hardest levels.
• Bad Points: Our testers didn't actually report any significant issues. A very rare crash. A few would have wanted a little more diversity in the levels.
• Experience: Actually, quite a lot of our testers reported that after playing the free game they shelled out the few bucks needed for the full version. Then, with differing amount of enthusiasm among the testers, they went on playing the game for a long time, years in some cases. In short, most of our testers liked this game a lot.
• Longevity: Excellent. Most of our testers keep this game installed, some for years already. 
• Google Play Link - Robo Defense by Lupis Lab Software
• Google Play Score: 4.6

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Android Game App Review - DROID COMBAT - MISSION ALPHA by MunkyFun

Android Game App Review - DROID COMBAT - MISSION ALPHA by MunkyFun

 

Android Game App Review - DROID COMBAT - MISSION ALPHA by MunkyFun. Quite a fun and addictive game, you get to fly a droid in various combat situations (mostly space but atmospheric combat also exists) against another drone. You and the enemy fire missiles at each other and you use lasers to detonate the enemy's mech missiles from reaching you and fire missiles of your own at the enemy.

Now, the trick here is to time your strikes and your defenses. You can plot a course for the missile to prolong its flight time (and thus, create longer courses for the missiles you fire first, shorter and more direct courses to the missiles you fire after) and fire several missiles to overwhelm the enemy's droid or robot defenses.

The game is fun, has great graphics, a sizable amount of upgrades and equipment and even a multiplayer mode. The space combat backgrounds are really breathtaking, as is the in mission graphics.

But, as is almost always the case, there were things we didn't like. Droid Combat's missions become repetitive in time with little variation, even though you get to use different missiles and lasers. In addition, it costs money or a lot of time to be able to purchase the various upgrades. Last but not least is the fact you get a notification if you don't play for more than a day or so, which almost all of our testers found annoying. Notification bar is for smartphone notifications and not telling you you haven't played for over twenty four hours!

In conclusion, a fun an addictive game that lasts for a month or two, tops. We can hardly wait for the next versions, with more missions and diverse scenarios!

• Score: 4.5 out of 5. Great graphics and an interesting general concept but a repetitive and restrictive game play.
• Description: A 3D mech combat game where you play against another mech in fligt, firing missiles and lasers to intercept the missiles. In time, you earn enough money to upgrade your weapons and even buy new mechs.
• Good Points: A simple game interface easy to learn with a hidden depth for planning missile courses for optimal results. Short missions ideal for quick smartphone game pauses at work ...
• Bad Points: Repetitive game play that becomes a little boring in time. A messege in the notification bar (!!!) if you don't play for more than twenty four hours. 
• Experience: The game is quite large but installs with no problem. We encountered very few crashes and freeze-ups of the game. Multiplayer was a problem though because too few people play the game, yet.
• Longevity: Most of our testers enjoyed playing Droid Combat for a month or two and then uninstalled it (this is quite the normal time for Android games). A few die-hard mech combat fans kept the game installed.
• Google Play. Google Play Link - DROID COMBAT - MISSION ALPHA by MunkyFun 
• Google Play Score: 4.3

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Android Game App Review - Destroy Gunners ZZ by GREE

Android Game App Review - Destroy Gunners ZZ by GREE

 

Android Game App Review - Destroy Gunners ZZ by GREE. One of the best if not THE best mech games on Android today. We'll start with the graphics which a gorgeous, at least on par with any smartphone game or app. True 3D rendering of surfaces, terrain and enemies, lasers blazing away while missiles leave smoke contrails all over the sky - this game is really something. (If anyone thinks we sound like a bunch of excitable teens here - it's just because the game brought up the best parts inside of us ..)

You get to pilot a mech, a giant fighting robot, equip it and send it into missions to destroy other mechs, destroy boss robots, prevent enemies from reaching a target and even against high placed fixed enemy artillery. You have the selection of weapons (missiles, cannons, guns, lasers, grenades and much more, upgrades to armor or speed and various equipment like jamming devices and various enhancers. This game is as gorgeous as it is complex. Sheer fun.

Of course, we did manage to find some small caveats (wouldn't be much of a review otherwise ...). You have to earn a lot of money for certain upgrades, which demands a lot of missions. Some people would prefer it if you could reach those upgrades faster, though you have the ability to pay in real money for them. The complexity of this game may daunt some smartphone owners who got used to puzzle solving on the subway, though the missions are usually short in time - two minutes or less. And last but not least, the graphics can be really enjoyed on a tablet with a larger screen, though even on a smartphone the game is great.

• Score: A whole hearted 5 out of 5. A game so complex and big, it truly deserves to be on an Xbox or PlayStation.
• Description: A mech piloting and combat game, this game pits your fighting robot against other mechs, all equipped with a large variety of weapons and all sorts of futuristic war gear. Great 3D graphics, complex physics and a huge assortment of missions, enemies and weapons truly make this game (actually a series) a unique experience.
• Good Points: Piloting a giant robot! Watching your mech fight your enemies in true colorful 3D. A huge variety of enemies and weapons make for a truly long and worthwhile experience. Tactical thinking is as important as dexterous fingers.
• Bad Points: Complex game may be a surprise for others used for simpler and smaller Android games. You have to put it a lot of time to reach higher levels and mechs. Sometimes you miss some of the more beautiful graphics on a small smartphone screen.
• Experience: Since learning of this game's existence, we had our testers download in and install it. All liked it very much, even those who hadn't played previous versions of the game. Very few problems were encountered, even on less powerful smartphones. A very rare crash or two and that's it.
• Longevity: None of our testers uninstalled it nor do any have any intention of doing it. A really worthwhile game.
• Google Play Link - Destroy Gunners ZZ by GREE
• Google Play Score: 4.2

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