I've decided to move my reviews here from the comments section, because they get posted instantly and I don't have to wade through junk to find them after they are. So, without further ado, my review of Immortal Defense:
This game recieved a lot of hype when it was launched last year, even winning GameTunnel's award for "Strategy Game of the Year". I don't think that it lives up to the hyperbole, but it's still a pretty fun time-waster.
The concept of the game is that enemies are confined to paths, which can be guarded by placing "defense points" near them at strategic locations. Curves slow enemies down, so it's almost always best to put them there(there are some exceptions, but it's a good rule of thumb). Intersections are good areas, too. You have a "path defender" for a cursor, and it shoots a piddly little stream of bullets, but it's a pretty worthless weapon.
This game has the trippiest graphics since Plasma Pong and Spheres of Chaos. Everything leaves a little trail behind it, the path itself has a cycling gradient shade, everything glows like neon, and at the end of the level the colors all go hyper-saturated. They're simple, but with all of those effects, you're glad for that.
The sound is decent, but the music doesn't really go with anything else - especially the 1940s-esque menu theme. The in-play music is orchestral, which doesn't fit as well with the graphics as techno would. At least it's well-done.
The theme is just insane, though. You live on the planet Dukis, a planet that is under attack by another race called the Bavakh. The Dukis are aided by the Raberata, who supply them with the defense points. In this universe, starships do not travel through hyperspace, but through an alternate plane called pathspace. Of course, this is all an attempt to have a story that makes sense with the unique gameplay, but it's quite subpar. The Raberata also look weird(and radically different from each other).
Overall, I give Immortal Defense a score of seven out of ten(nine for gameplay, eight for graphics, six for sound, and five for theme). This title will be a gem for those who can see past the weirdness and just play it.
Small side note: it was developed in Game Maker, a tool generally ignored by commercial companies due to its low power. However, it works well.
