A moment of break…
This year does not spoil us so far with “big” game premieres – no wonder, since the pandemic raging since 2020 has hindered the processes of creating large productions. On the other hand, thanks to this state of affairs, independent games have been gaining a bit for months, which do not have to be overshadowed by the products of big studios. Of course, not all “turkeys” have ambitions to attract customers for hours. Finally, there are also smaller items aimed at providing entertainment in short breaks between other activities. Ezaron Defense definitely belongs to this category .From the premiere, the game is available for less than PLN 30, which in the realities of Steam is not an exorbitant price, and the entry threshold will certainly be even lower at the upcoming sales. So what can we count on in return?
The charm is in the simplicity
The creators tempt with the classic tower defense formulaand in fact this is what a small team focused on. It is not surprising then that the storyline is residual, even absent. Oh, to protect the kingdom from unclean forces and hostile powers that escaped through the magic rift. The fight takes place on a series of boards of increasing difficulty. It has been done quite solidly. The creators should be praised for a quite diverse range of opponents, moving along more and more complex paths, which forces you to adapt your techniques. For this purpose, we will use four types of turrets with different weapons. It’s not much, but at least they differ enough in function. Another advantage is the possibility of a slight adjustment of individual turrets in terms of prioritization of activities in relation to enemy units. The next stages are interspersed with the city development section. However, one should not expect any depth from this element, because it is not about city management either. Only as we progress, we can unlock stat-boosting skills and spells that make the actual gameplay easier to a limited extent.
Unfortunately, there are some problems with the balance. There may be troublesome jumps in the difficulty level between successive boards. What to do in that case? Grind, how! Repeating the earlier, easier steps is the easiest way to get the currency and crystals needed for upgrades. Due to this campaign structure, the more classic infinite mode turned out to be much more interesting for me.
Simplicity is also emphasized by the technical layer. The game, running on the popular Unity engine, is maintained in a not very detailed, but quite nice cartoon style of graphics. However, you can complain about the small variety of locations, as well as … sound. Against the background of a well-functioning whole, it was the only defective element. Every now and then there were glitches related to its lack or improper reproduction. The musical layer, on the other hand, consists of only a few tracks, which, when looped, can quickly lead to irritation.
For whom?
Honestly, I have a hard time judging Ezaron Defense. It is definitely not a bad game. The difference to the sea of low-quality products flooding Steam is definitely a plus, however, the title of a small studio RVL Games is also not something that would stand out in particular. It’s a game that, on the surface, seems to suit mobile platforms. Perhaps it will be a good choice for people looking for simple entertainment to pass the time. The more that, unlike portable productions, the gameplay is not designed for micropayments. Another thing is that it is a paid item, and a small amount of content does not encourage you to buy without promotion. Fortunately, the creators make the task a bit easier and constantly provide the alpha version for free, which allows interested parties to see a cutout of the game and, after this contact, perhaps decide to continue the fun.
