Tower defense games seem to be very popular with developers lately. PixelJunk Monsters was quickly followed by Comet Crash, and most recently, FluffyLogic’s Savage Moon. Although Savage Moon does suffer from a few gameplay issues, the game is still very enjoyable to play.

The premise of Savage Moon is that you are protecting an off-world mining facility from constant attack by Insectocytes. To accomplish this, you place turrets, which range from basic machine-guns to chaos towers, onto raised landforms on the map for a certain cost. There are two types of towers in the game; attack, which fight the enemy Insectocytes, and support, which help maintain the attack towers. All of the towers are upgradeable by up to five levels, which increase their attack power, speed, and range.

Insectocytes come in flying and crawling forms, steadily increasing in strength after each wave. The first wave is normally very weak; a couple of machine-gun turrets can usually take care of the enemies. A timer bar at the top of the screen indicates each successive wave, while also showing what types of enemies will be spawning next. This allows you time to research new technology so that you can be well prepared for the next incoming assault. All towers and research options are selected by simply pressing the X button and scrolling up and down to choose what you need. You can also advance to the next enemy wave early if you don't want to wait until the timer runs out, which rewards you with a certain amount of credits depending on how much time is left on the meter. The game also includes a few power-ups you can add on the fly. Take Credit Bonus for example, this increases the amount of money you receive for killing each insect but reduces the damage and defense of your towers. In addition, you can select an Attack Bonus or Defense Bonus, with each raising its respective stats at the expense of the other.

You also have the ability to place platforms in the path of the Insectocytes in certain areas. These help you block their route, forcing them to take a longer path to your mining facility. Once created, the platforms are capable of supporting towers as well. These platforms block the route of the Insectocytes to a certain extent, however there are a few types of Insectocyte that can attack and destroy them. This makes you increase production of your turrets and speed up your actions to defend your mining colony from the constant onslaught. In the early stages it is fairly simple to destroy each wave of Insectocytes before the next one arrives. However, it becomes more and more difficult to destroy the waves within the timer, so if you haven't upgraded any of your turrets in the earlier waves, you will find yourself easily overcome later on.

The game is divided into 3 nebulae: Xipe, Ymir and Zeus, with each containing 4 levels called "Imoons". The menu system for the game is similar to Geometry Wars, albeit in 3D. When you complete each level, it becomes unlocked in Vengeance Mode. This mode allows you to face a never-ending wave of monsters until you are finally defeated. Think of it simply as an infinity mode.

Savage Moon shines in the audio department; great enemy sound effects, and a fitting soundtrack really add to the gameplay experience. The graphics are fantastic for a PlayStation Network title; the artistic style of enemies and environments is reminiscent of the movie Starship Troopers. In fact, FluffyLogic was quite frank in admitting that much of the game's design was inspired by the film.

For all its strengths, Savage Moon does suffer from a few problems, although none of them are game breaking. Turrets will sometimes switch to a new target before killing the old one simply because it is closer. This isn't a huge problem, as while you play the game you will realize that this mechanic forces you to better prepare for each enemy wave. Tower defense games naturally require strategy and planning, so it is not the game's fault if your mining operation is attacked.

Another issue is the fact that there is no multiplayer mode, which obviously limits the replay value of the game. However, from my impressions of the game and the way it is played, it seems like multiplayer, whether competitive or cooperative, would not have worked well within Savage Moon. This is due to the fact that there is only ever a one-sided battle in the game, as you are required to defend your facility, but you never actively attack the Insectocyte base. On the plus side, the game will be getting downloadable content in June, called Savage Moon Pack: Waldgeist. This pack will include 6 new levels, a new batch of Insectocytes and a new final mission.

Shak - Savage Moon is a fantastic tower defense game, and I personally have no major issues with it. The only problem I find with the game, that others may pick up on, is that it is quite easy. It's not difficult at all to finish each stage with full health and a large amount of credits, but this problem mainly plagues the earlier levels. Obviously the stages do increase in difficulty as you progress through the game, but this tower defense game is slightly easier than a few others I've played. Despite this, the game is great and definitely worth the purchase, and would be a great choice for newcomers to the genre.
 
Dustin's second look - Tower defense games are very addictive, especially when stuck at school or work, and Sony seems to have done a good job of creating a new take on the genre that is actually worth buying. The graphics in this game are awesome and the similarities to Starship Troopers made me personally want to buy the game. The only problem I had was also gameplay, but not because it was easy. While it is extremely easy early on, later in the game it seems like you have to do things perfectly in order to advance or you lose. The trophies are fun to get, and overall I'd say this game is absolutely worth buying if you're into the tower defense genre. Otherwise, I'd stay away!

Savage Moon is out now on the PlayStation store for $9.99. Be sure to check it out, and look forward to FluffyLogic's upcoming downloadable content for the game, Savage Moon: Waldgeist in June.

8.5 Graphics Character models and environments are very detailed, graphical style is very Starship Trooper-esque. 8.0 Sound Sound effects and the soundtrack are suitable for this type of the game. 7.5 Gameplay Simple tower defense gameplay, a little too easy at times, but great fun. 7.0 Replay Value Having no multiplayer definitely hurts the game’s replayability, however Trophies and in-game achievements do make the game replayable to a certain extent. 8.0 Overall Savage Moon costs just $9.99 on the PlayStation Store, and it is well worth the price for tower defense fans, as well as gamers new to the genre.