Going to give a quick review for anyone interested in turret defense games or what Cubemen 2 has to offer.
Just want to give a big shout out to Blizzard for gifting me this game, thanks buddy.
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Here we go:
Where to start... The game in essence is Turret Defense (TD), popularized in Starcraft and Warcraft III. It has multiple units to choose from, varying from rocket launcher men, to wizards that slow units. Your "turrets" can be move around at will, and you can instruct your turrets to target specific units with a mouse click. You also have a level designer, where users can upload their own create maps to the server, in which you can play. Each unit can be sold, and upgraded - standard TD mechanics.
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Pros:
- There are a few pro aspects of the game itself. They have a very well done tutorial, that teaches you the basics and advanced mechanics of the game. As someone who went into this relatively blind, it gives you a great foundation in order to do well. It definitely helps you in getting acclimated, as you will soon figure out the game gets extremely difficult.
- The gameplay itself is fluid, much what you would expect from a TD game. There are multiple scenarios you are put in with a varying group of units at your disposal. You gain currency, "cubes", when killing enemy units, which in turn allows you to upgrade or purchase new units. Enemy units spawn from red tower locations, that follow a path to your tower in order to damage it - you have a life bar indicating how many of their units may reach your tower before you are defeated. Their units fire back at you as they move to your tower, trying to kill your units. Each of your units come with a life bar. The game does have a few interesting gameplay devices introduced, such as a teleporter, where your units or theirs may teleport to and from, which adds an interesting element. There are a multitude of aspects you need to pay attention to in order to win a match, and it gets extremely hectic and difficult later on.
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Cons:
- Man it really is a shame, the game while doing what it does well and that is being a TD in essence, it fails in every other aspect. The game beyond, being a TD with specific units to choose from and use is simplistic. There is nothing really that hasn't been done in this sub-genre. The teleporting mechanics is the one thing that really stands out in my mind. If you are looking for something that will redefine the TD genre, this isn't it. If you are looking for a TD, and know what to expect, this is for you. Fans of the genre will definitely enjoy this as much as you can from any other TD that is on the market. The problem with Cubemen 2 is that it is entering a market of many TDs and limited evolution. Probably why this game is so empty, and not very unique in its own right.
- Multiplayer: As of this writing, I could not find a multiplayer match at all, and trying to connect to another player has not worked. I can't really comment on it, as it may be a really fun part of the game. I was lucky to find someone currently, probably as it is Sunday, otherwise multiplayer is dead. If you are looking to play multiplayer, be warned that you will need to bring your own friends if you want to have some fun in that regard.
- DLC: Probably the worst aspect of this game, and something that has left a sour taste in my mouth. Their store is filled with things such as themes of the environment, or skins for your "cubemen". Priced anywhere from $0.99 to $1.99. The DLC is not avaliable through Steam and is only available in-game, using Steam funds, so you cannot purchase it directly through CC or Paypal. I was really not happy to see how DLC happy this game has become, although I probably shouldn't be surprised, as every game is doing this. I guess for an indie developer I expected better.
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Final Thoughts: I can't say I recommend it and I can't say I dont. It's a TD game, if you like the genre then it will be worth it to you. If you are looking for more than a single player experience (as multiplayer is a desert) then look elsewhere.
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