Gaming Sanctum Review

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/2011/08/09/sanctum-review/1

Tower Defence meets FPS?

 

It is a brilliant game, but yes, low on maps. Good for LANs.

 

heh a tower defence FPS, sounds interesting, might as well try it

 

I dunno, I don't rate this game at all. This might not seems strange except I love tower defence style games, clocked up many hours on Defense Grid, Sol Survivor and Warcraft 3 TD games. I think the problem is lack of pace or urgency, given all the time in the world to build a maze and form a defence is quite frankly boring. Even if it isn't perfect, you can shoot the creeps to mop up any that might get thro'. The game even tells you what to expect in the next wave(s), so you can plan ahead for the air units, etc. Once you've worked out the best maze for any map, that's it, that will be the maze you will build every time you play that map. There are very limited maps, limited turrets and limited weapons which you can upgrade. The lack of variety makes it impossible to try different tactics / ideas.

I think after the initial "It's new" there is nothing to go back to, so the replay value of the game is minimal. Give you some idea, I've clocked up 2.7hrs on this game and have no desire to play it. With Sol Survivor, i'm currently on 155hrs and still go back to it regularly to try different tactics.

 

I have been really enjoying this in Solo and Coop and what does give the game greater replay value is the ability to set it to unlimited waves to see how far you can get. Just hop on with a friend and challenge yourself

 

Got it in the steam sale, and agree with this review, fun little game, good for a quick blast now and again, but nothing amazing.

 

Isn't this very similar to Monday Night Combat?

 

It does sound that way but it plays completely different. MNC is a FPS with some towers in it, Sanctum is more pure tower defence from a FPS perspective.

 

I think you have a typo; "next" should be "last". This reads like the game gets easier each new level.

 

I think it COULD have been amazing because I found it fun to play and a good concept. But besides there being a dire lack of maps, like the guy above, I also had more fun just playing Defense Grid. That may not be as ambitious a design, but I had more fun with it.

 

good game, enjoyed it more than i would have thought. main downer is slow rounds - takes a long time to clear a level even if you are face rolling it. for review i would add mention of headshots and more on alt fire guns - upgrading guns instead of turrets and the ability to teleport around the map, changing the game from more tower defence to FPS should definitely be mentioned as the game supports both playstyles or a mix therof.

also i agree defence grid is a benchmark of tower defence gaming atm not just for it's many game modes and tight balance but also for the excellent job of singleplayer and the very involving yet understated AI comrade you have - the narration adds so much to the game i daresay it would be bland and far less interesting without.