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Attack of the Creeps

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Developer: Galago Games
Publisher: Galago Games
Genre: Strategy > Real-Time Strategy
Released: Aug 05, 2007
Players: 1

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- Attack of the Creeps Review

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Attack of the Creeps is a tower defense strategy game inspired by the hugely popular Warcraft map Element Tower Defense. Whoever thought up this game concept has got to be a sadist, because it essentially comprises of wave after wave of creeps making a mad dash for their lives through a maze of towers, all the while facing a relentless barrage of rocket fire and artillery shots.

This offering from Galago Games costs just US$9.99, so don�"t expect fanciful graphics and slick interfaces. On the contrary, this is a no frills offering that indulges gamers in a classic game of tower defense played out in a 2-D top-down view. Creeps, weaponry and firing effects are also simple affairs without any added flair, which is a major downside to this game which at times feels not much superior to a web-based flash game.

Attack of the Creeps allows you to choose from 6 different maps, some of which has multiple points of entrance and exit for the mobs. Your aim is to hinder the escape of the mobs by building various defenses that forces them to take the long way round, which will then afford you more time to gradually grind down their health with cannons and turrets.

You start out with 20 lives, and lose one each time a mob successfully makes it to the exit without dying. The mobs make their appearances in waves, alternating between different varieties including airborne, boss and slowing-immune mobs. However, for people out there who like to �"beat�" games, this may not be what you�"re looking for. Regardless of the map you�"ve chosen, the game does not end until you lose all your lives, at which point you will be awarded a score which you can then post online at the Galago Games website purely for bragging rights.

The modeling of creeps is especially disappointing. The game employs a wide range of mobs to test your defenses but incredibly, the decision was taken to color all of these different types of mobs the same exact color – roughly vermillion or orange-red in shade. As you progress through the levels, the incoming mobs become so overwhelming that soon all you see is just a massive cluster of creeps stacked upon one another and only vaguely differing in shapes. Utilizing the whole spectrum of the rainbow on the other hand will be equally disastrous, but applying slightly varying shades of red to the different mob types should have allowed for better differentiation.

The various defense structures fare better, with sufficient variation from one type to the next. Since you will be furiously building and upgrading these defenses the whole time, being able to tell one apart from another at first glance is crucial. Unfortunately, the act of upgrading your defenses is an exercise in frustration, especially when your screen begins to fill up with massive clumps of aforementioned vermillion mobs. There is no shortcut key with which you can quickly and conveniently upgrade your defenses, and the only way to do so is to click on the actual structure, then on the upgrade button on the interface bar. Now imagine having to repeat this for hundreds of structures as your map begins to fill up, and it�"s a surefire recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Graphics:

Graphics are sadly only one notch up from web-based games. Firing and explosion effects are also minimal.

Sound:
The accompanying soundtrack is passable, and feels a little militaristic. The creeps also have their own sound effects, which I wished was not included in the first place. The squeaky noises that they make as they traverse your devious maze o�" death really do not serve up much purpose other than to get on your nerves.

Gameplay:
This game is a barebones adaptation of the tower defense genre featuring 6 different maps and the same number of defense structures. It can get addictive, but this is in spite of, rather than because of, the game�"s implementation.

Concept:
This game concept is not a newly devised one. The popular Warcraft and Starcraft maps have been around for many years now, and the simplicity of the gameplay has withstood the test of time.

Value:

There is limited replayability for this game, apart from attempting to set new record scores. However, in the process of doing so, you�"ll just be plowing through the same content and robotically doing the same things ad nauseam.

Overall:
If you have never played a tower defense game before, this package is worth a try. It only costs $9.99, and is simple enough for gamers of all ages to get into, yet retaining all the addictive fun and simplicity of the tower defense genre. For others who have played similar games before, Attack of the Creeps should not even register on your radar.

By: Freddy Lim
Posted: Friday November 16, 2007