Highly approachable levels leave a wealth of plausible executions.

I couldn’t speculate on the exact reason as to why I’ve been losing so many hours to what are essentially puzzle games, though I would attribute the lions share to my system’s inability to run the most recent wave of technically advanced titles. Games like Crysis and Unreal 3 have brought my desktop replacement to it’s knees; I could cook an egg on the sweltering chassis heated from the struggling video card. I’m usually ahead of the processing curve, but the dearth of cutting-edge hardware has more than I’d like to admit, begun warming me up towards simpler titles like Defense Grid: The Awakening (DG). It’s certainly less complex and not nearly as silicon-taxing as most PC games, but the addictive game-play and unexpected refinement scarcely seen within this already cluttered genre makes DG’s lure irresistible.

That brimming genre would be tower defense, a scenario where you place and upgrade specialized, automated towers (including Gun, Inferno, Laser, Temporal, Meteor, Missile, Cannon, Concussion, Tesla and Command) in an effort to parry ever intensifying waves of invaders from stealing your allotment of power cores. It sounds like a sedative task, especially when considering advancement is still possible even if some aliens make off with a portion of your cores, but the real challenge and pleasure comes from perfecting the practice. Completing every level without losing a single core, earning various achievements and stomping friends high scores via Steam will undoubtedly prove welcomed additions to keep narcissistic gamers occupied. Yet when stopping to recall the bleak austerity your task and the lack of a true multi-player component, what’s to keep the casual gamer content?

Don't worry, you can't actually fall into the lava.

It would be all too easy and profitable to prematurely release a bargain-bin title like DG, but the developers at Hidden Path Entertainment spread a luminous coating of varnish on it to make it shine. The graphics are crisp, with nicely rendered aliens and backdrops to complement the highly varied and smoothly progressing level array. My only gripe is that while rendered beautifully in 3D, the games lack of a rotational camera makes it play like a 2D one. Happily, nearly every one of these stages has a sharp, distinct texture set helping to differentiate all of the intriguing, open-ended challenges you’ll be dealing with. Level pacing is perfect; there are numerous paths to beat every stage so the player is encouraged to innovate and experiment with new tactics and strategies -though some of the later trials will have you scrounging for even one. Thankfully, due to apt features like timely auto-saves and a handy fast-forward button, even the most demanding scenarios remain a pleasantly hassle-free experience and never obstruct in the fun of alien annihilation.

Really? What a perv thing to say.

For me, playing DG vividly recalls my callow practice of hiding behind elaborate base defenses during the days of C&C competition. Complete with Tesla coils and pillboxes, these childhood flashbacks are the backdrop and explanation for my enthrallment with the game’s simple premise, but something robbed my elation here: DGs trite and loquacious narrator. While I usually get a kick out of British humor, subjection to esoteric statements like: “Perhaps you can eat a dish of raspberries, my friend, and describe every last morsel to me,” initially left me a little dumbfounded, but when followed up with “I’d relish that, you have no idea how much,”  I felt downright violated. Listening to these queerly distressing announcements is bad enough, but having to relive them every reload makes you want to bind and gag the guy, even if he is your only ally. Worst of all, you cannot fully mute him. Though you may choose to avoid subjection to his narrative even muting the voice-overs still leaves you with his lot of asinine commentary.

Despite the outright annoying announcer and limited scope, Defense Grid: The Awakening manages to execute it’s aims flawlessly, elevating what could easily be a paltry title into a palpably addictive gaming experience. It’s easy to get into, easier to get lost in and easily the best $20 you can spend on a new PC game.

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

Pros: Progressively challenging and diverse levels, towers and aliens; polished, addictive, and loads of replay value for a bargain price.

Cons: Can’t play all levels with full range of towers; annoying announcer; limited camera functionality. Tower interaction system could have used some more refinement.