GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Outstanding
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 04/22/2009
- Released on: 04/02/2009
- Originally published on GameSpot: Comet Crash (PlayStation 3) Review
Comet Crash is a drastic departure from typical tower-defense games. Although you must still defend your base against an unrelenting onslaught of enemy attackers, you are not just a helpless commander trying desperately to hold off opposing forces. Rather, the power of destruction is in your hands as well. To achieve victory, you must not only craft an intricate defensive strategy, but also devise an offensive plan to take down your merciless opponent. This carefully woven dynamic between offensive might and defensive prowess creates a diabolical energy that keeps you constantly strategizing and maneuvering. Throw in gleefully chaotic competitive multiplayer and frantically engaging cooperative action, and you've got something special. Comet Crash soars above other tower-defense games and earns a prestigous spot on the strategy game skyline.
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Laying waste to your unnamed assailants is always exciting, but before you even think about how you're going to bring the pain to them, you're going to need to plan out your defensive strategy. The beginning moments of each of the game's 28 campaign missions pit you against initially daunting odds. Your opponent has been handed an array of defensive structures and offensive forces, so you must quickly build up your own defenses or else you'll find yourself decimated within the first few minutes. Comet Crash ignores typical tower-defense conventions in which your enemy releases scripted waves of attackers followed by moments of respite during which you can refine your strategy. There is no such luxury here. You can be attacked at any time, so you must constantly shore up your defenses to ensure that you are equipped to handle anything that comes your way. This unpredictability will keep you on your toes.
The strategy of setting down defensive structures goes beyond merely placing lasers to attack airborne foes or pulsars to electrocute those poorly shielded scouts. Enemy attackers will always follow the shortest path from their base to yours, and you can herd them into circuitous routes by constructing an elaborate network between the two bases. You are allowed to build walls of turrets wherever you like, as long as you don't completely block off the path between bases, which allows you to constantly pepper your enemy as they push forward. Dishing out optimal punishment makes meticulously crafting the most elaborate route possible an addictive endeavor. The levels quickly ramp up in difficulty, so you must master the art of maze creation to have any chance of holding off your relentless foes long enough to build up your own offensive troops. You can also set up nodes that you can pass through but your opponent cannot, letting you circumvent your devious constructions and take a shortcut to your enemy's headquarters.
Once you have your defensive towers all laid out, it's time to shift your focus to destroying your enemy. Two of the eight structures that you can build in Comet Crash are devoted to churning out troops to vanquish the evil threat opposing you. The basic ops structures are where your offensive units are created. These vehicles are not equipped with guns that will let them shoot down turrets or enemies in their path. Rather, they are kamikaze riders, steamrolling directly into your enemy's base if they can successfully wind their way through the dangerous defenses. Basic ops can build four different units. The scout is fast but weak, the tank is more durable but slower, drones fly over obstacles and head straight for the enemy base, and torpedoes are extremely fast but have trouble navigating tight paths. You can have up to 1,000 troops at one time, and once you are ready to strike, you tap the right stick to highlight your desired troop and unleash the hounds.
The odds are often stacked against you.
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