Anomaly: Warzone Earth is described as a "tower offense" game. It has been a success on many platforms, first on PC and Mac, then for iOS devices, Android, and finally on Xbox Live Arcade last spring. One thing was missing from the package, though: co-op. The Playstation Network release fixes this oversight with the inclusion of a co-op mode for two local players. So how does the "tower offense" work exactly, anyway, and does the co-op make the experience better, or worse?
The tower defense genre is relatively young, but many different spins and twists on the genre have come along. We've had FPS tower defense, third person action tower defense, static map style, maze building style, and even undead against flora. Anomaly: Warzone Earth takes the standard formula and holds a mirror to it. Instead of placing towers to hold off the invaders, you are on the attack, taking down the defending towers. It's an innovation that takes some getting used to, but it's very rewarding as a result.
In the standard tower defense game, there is a goal that must be protected. Defensive towers slay the typically unintelligent invaders, earning currency which can be spent for more and better towers. The key to the typical tower defense game is to maximize efficiency by creating chokepoints and exploiting key areas. Anomaly: Warzone Earth reverses this; you control the invading force, and must look for the weak points in the defensive structures in the maze. By choosing the literal path of least resistance, you can ensure the survival of your small forces, earning credits to upgrade or buy new units. By spending wisely and commanding your forces well, you'll be able to destroy everything in your path from start to finish.
The storyline in Anomaly: Warzone Earth is very basic: Earth has been invaded by an unknown force of alien origin. The aliens have scattered towers across major cities, for who knows what purpose. It's not much of a narrative, really, though the opening cinematic is quite well done. Fellow soldiers narrate the action, letting you know what's going on while you fight. The production values are very good throughout, with nicely detailed citiy environments and slick looking units on both sides of the war.
Most levels begin with purchases. It's important to choose wisely, as credits are very hard to come by. Rarely will you have a tremendous army at your disposal. Instead, most of the time, you'll be using only a handful of units. You'll be using APCs and Tanks as damage sponges, while glass cannons like the Crawler and twin flame spouting Dragon dish out the damage. Perhaps the most valuable unit is the Shield Generator, which gives a regenerating damage shield to nearby units. Exploiting the different capabilities of these vehicles is a key to success.
Unlike most tower defense games, the player isn't merely a spectator. A unit commander runs around on foot with your squad, and can be used to distract the enemy for a few seconds, or, more importantly, to pick up and deploy power ups, which are dropped periodically from friendly aircraft. These power ups are critically important, each one able to turn the tide of a battle. You can repair units, send out a decoy, create a smoke screen to reduce damage, or even call in an airstrike to lay down a zone of flaming death. Rationing power up usage is one of the most interesting decisions to be made in Anomaly: Warzone Earth.
Perhaps the most critical aspect of your offensive plan takes place on the map screen. By pulling up the map, you can plot which path your forces will take. You will likely spend much time looking for weak areas, where towers are spread out, and your forces can take them down more easily. A common tactic is to circle around a block repeatedly, allowing shields to regenerate in between, to protect expensive units. It's a nice twist to the typical strategy found in the genre, but is a bit hard to manage with a controller; it was a system clearly designed for a mouse or touch screen, and doesn't translate particularly well to a joystick.
The real question is, what about the co-op? Co-op mode is composed of a few maps, each with several different areas that must be overcome in a time limit. How exactly does the game work with two commanders? The controls are split precisely down the middle. Player one can buy or upgrade units, while player two controls the map screen. Both players control two of the power ups, as well, though each can use a "boost" ability to increase the effectiveness of the other player's power ups.
This system sounds fair enough on paper, but in practice, it's rather clunky. Credits are so hard to come by, there really isn't much for player one to do. In comparison, player two makes almost all the important decisions due to exclusive control of unit paths. The co-op mode isn't broken by any means, but it doesn't have the urgency or addictiveness of the single player campaign. I appreciate what the developers were trying to do, but the co-op mode feels crippled, not compelling. It's better than nothing, though, and works adequately if a less experienced player wants to join in - just make sure they are player one.
Anomaly: Warzone Earth is an interesting game, and fans of the tower defense genre will really appreciate the distinctive take on the typical setup. As a single player game, it is a tight, hectic, experience with plenty of strategy and action. Co-op mode is an interesting diversion, but doesn't really have what it takes to keep you playing for very long. It would be hard to justify a double dip for the co-op mode for even the most ravenous fan, but for those who haven't played it before, the PSN version Anomaly: Warzone Earth is worth a look.