Fortified Review

B-movies changed Hollywood back in the 1950s and have slowly evolved over the years, but have always stayed true to the over-the-top acting and non-stop action & thrills the genre has been known for. Video games have incorporated the B-movie feel over the years producing some cult classics like “Deadly Premonition” and “All Humans Must Die.” Clapfoot Inc. tries to capture the same essence of the sci-fi movies of the late 50s with Fortified. Can this tower defense game offer gamers a new twist for this popular genre or is it just another drop in the bucket for an already flooded market?

The plot is simple; you must defeat waves of Martians hell bent on taking over Earth and destroying the launch pad that holds the only missile that can defeat them. It is up to you to take them out before it is too late for humankind. You can choose one of four hero types, the first of which is the Captain who embodies a Captain America spirit. The second is the Agent who comes from a covert division of some government agency and is armed with a machine gun/shotty combo. Next is the spaceman who is a self-proclaimed space cowboy who uses a freeze ray to slow the Martian and finally the Rocket Scientist who loves explosives and her jetpack. Each character has their own style of play that has its perks and downfalls so you must choose what fits your play style the best.

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Fortified uses a 3rd person shooter style viewpoint and allows you place defensive structures around the simple layouts of the map to make choke points and chip away at the Martians health. Even though the map layouts change with each level they basically feel the same because of some dull and unimaginative scenery. Sure it may fit the bill of the great comic book style graphics of the heroes, Martians and cut scenes, but the buildings are rehashed over and over with the exception of it being night and day (and some light snow). Missions consist of the same thing over and over, attack while defending which is what TD games are all about, but the lack of other objectives make Fortified a little dull after prolonged play.

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If you are a solo only player I’d steer away from Fortified because it becomes increasingly unforgiving as you progress. Your weapons feel inadequate and the defensive placements are underpowered leaving you feeling frustrated when you face an unrelenting onslaught of Martian robots. Boss fights are awesome and break up the waves a bit while having you manage your resources in order to defeat them. Luckily you can play with 2-4 players online which makes the monotonous gameplay a little more tolerable.

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Overall, Fortified is a decent tower defense game despite the repetitious missions, enemy types and levels. The 50s sci-fi comic book visuals are great especially with the cut scenes, but some added death animations for the enemies and fresh scenery could have gone a long way for the game. Players who favor a challenge will love the masochism Fortified delivers, and online play extends the enjoyment of blasting Martians with your buddies. While it may not be the best tower defense game on the market, it will suffice enough for those looking to scratch the strategy itch with a unique setting.

Score – 6.5/10

Review code supplied by Microsoft Xbox.

Written by: Jake Lyons

Jake is our long standing North American based writer and player of many video game genres. Jake is equally fair and critical in good proportion and tells it like it is.