I was meant to post this up ages ago — sorry HM — but better late than never, right? (“Better early than late!”)
Anyway, in the same vein as our Revenge of the Titans discussion this one revolves around another — albeit very different — tower defence game: Radical Poesis Games’ Immortal Defense. Here’s a carrot:
“The only problem is that, like Planescape: Torment, Immortal Defense has raised the bar.”
If you haven’t already, go and take a look, Immortal Defense is a revelation and a real gem.
Email the author of this post at greggb@tap-repeatedly.com
It’s one of the best games ever made. Read their spirited discussion then play it.
The mechanics are subtle and directly feed back to the story, which runs on two levels. There’s the perfectly tuned, abstracted gamespace-as-metaphor then it pops the player out to say what she REALLY did.
Never before had a game whipsawed me from elation at a hard won success to horror seeing the results of my actions. Over and over again: you want to keep playing the beautiful game but the results creep from uh-oh to do I really want to destroy the universe with more gamer success?
Gregg, no problemo. I was willing to wait all this time just to see you vandalise my site logo.
Outstanding conversation about a deep and complex game. The story is… something you really have to see through to the end to fully appreciate, and the game is immense. Beautiful sound, too, all tinkling glass and breaking crystal. It’s a hard game, but well worth the investment even if you find yourself stuck. Most people will push through, I think, to find out what happens…
thanks for the kind words guys
Thanks for posting this up Gregg, and thanks to both of you for the thoughtful discussion; I read this when it went up on Electron Dance and I think you did a good job of informing people why they need to give Immortal Defense a chance. There’s really no right way to describe the game, except that it’s a “see for yourself”-type of thing.
I’m halfway through it myself, kind of savouring it, enjoying the experience in bits and pieces.
As far as games that get you thinking, Immortal Defense tells a compelling tale with a unique narrative-play relationship. I was totally enraged at the end of the second act and thought “There’s four more?! What more madness can possibly occur?”
Fink said it: simply one of the best games you’re likely to experience.