From the Azsare Desert, through the Temple of Saqra, to the Emberspike Mountain, Kingdom
Rush: Frontiers is a fast-paced, action-filled tower defense game.
There is something about tower-defense games that I just can't get enough of.
Unlike the others, Kingdom Rush requires players to be attentive as summoning your reinforcements,
commanding your troops, selecting tower upgrades and making it rain with fireballs are incredibly
crucial aspects to ward off enemy waves.
Kingdom Rush does not allow for set-and-forget gameplay, and, as you delve deeper in to the
game, you'll come to realize that the towers are simply not enough.
This is the second installment in the Kingdom Rush franchilse developed by Ironhide Game
Studio.
'Frontiers' is not so much an evolution, but more a subtle upgrade to the original.
But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
This time around, there are new enemies, levels and achievements to unlock.
Each of the 40 enemy types has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and as a result,
each round has a very dynamic feel.
Carefully planning your attacks and tower placement is vital, but your strategy can
(and should) change depending on the types of enemies in each wave.
The goal in Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is the same as most other tower defense games out
there: To prevent waves of enemies, that stroll mercilessly along a path, from reaching your
kingdom.
By placing defensive towers, each with a specific attack type, along the outskirts of the path,
you'll be able to defend against the enemies as they travel within firing distance.
Some enemies are relatively weak, while others can be incredibly challenging and will not
go down without a fight.
If too many enemies manage to reach your city, it's game over, and in the case of Kingdom
Rush: Frontiers, that magic number is 20.
As you clear through the waves, the player is rewarded with coins that can be used to
upgrade the towers' capabilities and power, as well as purchase special recruits to help
fight off enemies.
It's in the player's best interest to not let any enemies through their defenses as
missing out on kills also means missing out on the coins dropped.
Throughout each game, the player is allowed to use a few select special moves that help
to defend against the seemingly endless onslaught.
You are able to call in reinforcements in the form of militia (basically glorified farmers
with pitchforks) and summon a hail of fireballs.
These are free to use, but have a timed cooldown, so again, the player should be careful when
to use each of these.
The player also has command of a hero character, who is generally your last line of defense.
This unique character is stronger than your average troops and can be a huge asset in
battle.
You can utilize the hero in many different ways, depending on the type of hero you are
currently controlling.
A melee brawler may be great in a last-stand position, while a casters may be better suited
behind some of your standard troops to provide additional support.
There's a few heroes to unlock through regular play and others can be unlocked via in-app
purchase.
Whichever you choose, the hero can level up independently allowing them to deal more damage,
take more hits or give them special attacks.
Aesthetically, not much has changed from the previous installment.
The graphics, sound and tower upgrades seem virtually untouched, however, the new levels,
enemies and heroes more than makes up for this.
Quite a large range of in-app purchases and secondary currency items has been included
to help out the struggling player and there's always tips available in-game, which can be
of great help to newcomers.
I highly recommend trying the game without reading these as it's more fun to discover
the nuances of the game first hand.
Later in the game, the number of waves in each game can increase significanly.
This can start to make the game feel tedious and games can last upwards of 20 minutes.
Not only that, but it's especially frustrating when a single enemy slips through your net
towards the final wave, costing you that 3-star rating.
Keep in mind though, that you can leave the game in the middle of a wave and resume where
you left off.
I am a huge fan of the tower defense genre.
Games such as Bloons, Fieldrunners and GeoDefense really set the bar high and Ironhide Games
created a masterpiece with Kingdom Rush.
Frontiers doesn't do a lot to evolve the forumula, but it does expand on it significantly.
There's a lot of popular culture references and easter eggs to be found and few unexpected
twists too.
Things like an executioner clearing a brand new path through a forest to turn the tide
in battle.
There's a lot to see and a lot to do and you're in control.
Your decisions on what to build, what to upgrade and when to use special attacks will determine
your fate.
Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is an excellent title and well worthy of a purchase.
The game costs $2.99 on iPhone and iPod Touch and $4.99 for the iPad version.
Remember, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Thanks for joining us for today's review.
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This has been Alex for Game Mob.
That's www.gamemob.com.