Dungeon Defenders (PSN) Review

Some of you might have played Dungeon Defenders on your iOS or Android device already, but for those of you who haven’t, now is the perfect time to do so. Because while it may not be the best downloadable game you’ll ever play, it definitely is a game that will give you many, many hours of entertainment, and will addict you for days at end.

Dungeon Defenders is basically a tower defense game, but it’s best played online. I know, you’ve heard that several times before, but it’s true here- when you play alone, the game gets boring fast, the gameplay seems dull and the amped difficulty seems more of a con than a pro. When you play online though, locally or otherwise, Dungeon Defenders is a blast. Strategizing with your friends and using your own different abilities to choke your enemies and hold out against the several waves that come at you gives you a sense of satisfaction and joy that is not easily replicated.

You choose from four classic when you begin the game- Apprentice (mage), Squire (warrior), Huntress (elven ranger) or Monk (… monk). As is pretty obvious, each class has unique abilities, perks and ways of growing. While each class can perform some abilities from the other classes, they do it with their own skills and combinations, making the experience with each class radically different.

Your goal is to survive the waves of enemies and protect the  Eternia Crystal. If it falls before the level is over, you die, and you have to start all over again. While you do die a lot, and it certainly frustrates you beyond imagination, Dungeon Defenders kind of makes up for the retarded difficulty by letting you keep the stats and loot you gathered in the level that you died during. Dying still is very frustrating, but the fact that you do not lose your progress makes it a little less so.

What’s best about Dungeon Defenders, though, is the awesome level design- other than the charming visuals, of course. While the level design is basic in the earlier stages of the campaign, as you progress, the game starts throwing more choke points at you, more crystals to defend, more ways to defeat your enemies. Strategizing in these levels, using the mixed powers of all the classes and characters that are playing is a ton of fun, and it lends a great amount of replay value to the game. Add to that the fact that collecting loot is a blast, and you have a winner on your hands.

However, the game does start feeling a little repetitive as you play it more and more. You never actually get bored with the game, it just starts getting predictable, and the element of strategy gets diminished. The game still has a ton of replay value, but it just doesn’t seem as much fun in the later stages as it does when you first start playing it.

So there you have it- Dungeon Defenders is a wonderful game. It has its faults, and it definitely needs more polish, but i’ll be damned if it isn’t one of the most enjoyable and addictive games I’ve played in the last few months. Once you start playing Dungeon Defenders, trust me, it’ll be a long time before you let go.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 3.