Anomaly: Warzone Earth

While "reverse tower defense" is all but the game's tagline, that doesn't really describe it well at all. In Anomaly: Warzone Earth, you're not throwing units at a defensive wall -- in fact, you're trying desperately to preserve the lives of a small group of units, as you weave them through chokepoints and take out enemies strategically. And while some missions require planning in the form of your unit loadout, generally the game is much more about real-time tactical decision making, revolving around commander powerups (such as a decoy to draw enemy fire away). Also, you can upgrade units with money you make, from killing enemies and finding mineral deposits. Basically it's an RTS with a very low army limit.

The campaign is brief, but feels like it sufficiently explores the game's mechanical depth. And while the story is pretty dumb and the voice acting is hit-or-miss, the graphical presentation is impeccable.

AWE is a neat idea, and a fun diversion for its short length, but needs some more complexity to really stand out in the strategy genre. Stuff like a non-linear campaign, upgrade research options, multiple unit groupings, or additional powerups could make a pretty interesting sequel.

Better than: Majesty
Not as good as: StarCraft
Make no mistake: the "Casual" difficulty becomes pretty trying by the last third of the campaign

Progress: Finished on Casual