PixelJunk Monsters takes a hi-def stab at a
micro-genre that's been around since WarCraft III. The original player-made
map-mods pit players against wave after wave of incoming baddies. The idea was
to weather the siege and protect your base by slowly upgrading and bolstering
your defenses. Since then, a slew of Flash-based games have expanded on the
idea. Last year's Desktop Tower Defense rose above the fray as the most addictive.
In spite of a crowded field, PixelJunk Monsters covers new ground by
putting players in the midst of the carnage. Catapults and cannons are built at
ground level rather than dropped from the heavens by an omniscient god.
Players control a dancing turtle-man who converts
the forest surrounding his home into a wide array of defensive weaponry. The cash
to build these structures comes from coins that scatter across the battlefield
every time an enemy bites the dust. This wrinkle is what makes PixelJunk
Monsters
worth playing: Invasion becomes a frantic dance, with players dashing from
position to position, risking death to collect coins as the incoming hordes
bear down on hearth and home. Allowing even one of the jerks to slip by is a
bummer. Every time barbarians break the line, they smite one of your cowering
offspring, whittling down your will to fight.
PixelJunk Monsters starts off throwing
softballs, but the difficulty ramps up quickly. Some challenges ask players to
leave no child behind. Others only offer four trees to transform into weapons,
or limit the amount of money your lone defender can spend. The game's odds seem
daunting, but throwing in the towel never seems like an option. It's always
"One more try."
Beyond the game: The PixelJunk series is Dylan Cuthbert
and Q-Games' effort to bring offbeat, inexpensive downloads to the PlayStation
3. Cuthbert's Blasto, for the original PlayStation, featured voicework from the
late, great Phil Hartman.
Worth playing for: PixelJunk Monsters has a deceptively lo-fi
vibe, but its cartoon creatures and setting look crisp and sensuous on a
high-definition screen. The shimmering, ambient soundtrack is lovely as well.
Frustration sets in
when: Banging
your head against a particularly hairy onslaught can be soul-crushing. Better
to go back to the easier attacks and earn the rainbow rewards for slaying every
one of the swarming creeps.
Final judgment: Homeland security that
doesn't suck.