Defense Grid: The Awakening

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 289 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 239 out of 289
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 289
  3. Negative: 9 out of 289
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  1. Kenmei
    Dec 23, 2011
    6
    Good game but it does nothing to distinguish itself from the numerous other tower defense games out there. It can keep you busy and it's not a horrible game by any means. But there are better tower defense games out there. However the graphics and voice acting are very well done, which bumps the score up from average to just barely above-average for me. It's not a bad game by any means andGood game but it does nothing to distinguish itself from the numerous other tower defense games out there. It can keep you busy and it's not a horrible game by any means. But there are better tower defense games out there. However the graphics and voice acting are very well done, which bumps the score up from average to just barely above-average for me. It's not a bad game by any means and buying it won't set you back too much but you can easily find a better tower defense game out there for the same amount of money.… Expand
  2. JonathanC
    Jan 20, 2009
    7
    Defense Grid is a worthy retail version of classic Tower defense that belongs in anyone's Digital Locker. However, its only a tower defense game, and aside from visuals and 'power spheres' and a talking computer to keep your attention, it still fails to bring anything revolutionary to the genre. A map/game editing tool would have made the purchase seem a bit more worthwhile.
  3. JonesR
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    I was never really a big fan of the tower defense genre until I played Defense Grid. The developers have really done everything right to make it addictively enjoyable. It provides a wealth of different game modes on top of its great story mode. But what really sets it apart from the competition is the extremely intuitive user interface--it is literally just one click control for everythingI was never really a big fan of the tower defense genre until I played Defense Grid. The developers have really done everything right to make it addictively enjoyable. It provides a wealth of different game modes on top of its great story mode. But what really sets it apart from the competition is the extremely intuitive user interface--it is literally just one click control for everything and has a great tutorial approach. I definitely recommend picking this one up.… Expand
  4. sinadoom
    Oct 24, 2011
    7
    Very simple tower defense game. The variation of modes and maps, aliens and towers, combinations etc. make this game a credible pay-toplay game. It's so arcade and easy to play yet it can be infinitely complex depending on what you want to acheive. Certainly worth a try.
  5. Onetime
    Jan 16, 2011
    5
    I am a big fan of the Tower Defense genera. At first glance this looks like a great concept. Very good eyecandy and interesting storyline that you usually don't find in the TD games online. It also has a very well balanced variety of monsters and Towers that allow for all sorts of strategies. (GAME TIP: Although in the end I found that CANNONS and COMMAND towers were the strategy thatI am a big fan of the Tower Defense genera. At first glance this looks like a great concept. Very good eyecandy and interesting storyline that you usually don't find in the TD games online. It also has a very well balanced variety of monsters and Towers that allow for all sorts of strategies. (GAME TIP: Although in the end I found that CANNONS and COMMAND towers were the strategy that would get me through. The AI tended to rely heavily on shielded, hidden monsters that only were susceptible to those two tower types) Unfortunately Replay value is next to nill. There are only 25 levels, with at most 30 waves in each.
    The Grinder Mode (99 levels) which could have expanded the replay value into the hundreds of hours is BOGUS. After wave 30 or 31 the monsters just repeat the same wave over and over and over with no change. If you have built correctly, you can leave your computer after level 32 and not come back until the 99th. In short, this could have been great, and really has the edge in graphics and storyline,
    but there are so many TD games online for free with much better replay value. If you find this in the bargain bin, its worth about 8 hours of play. I got it for $2.99 which was about the right price.    … Expand
  6. Gungah
    Jul 25, 2011
    6
    It's just another tower defense game. Meaning.. you can play basically the same game online for free. It has better graphics, it actually has a story but all-in-all same game play, and same types of towers. It took me about eight hours to beat it so it has a decently long campaign, little replayability although different modes do add to the fun. In the end, it is a fun game, but in realityIt's just another tower defense game. Meaning.. you can play basically the same game online for free. It has better graphics, it actually has a story but all-in-all same game play, and same types of towers. It took me about eight hours to beat it so it has a decently long campaign, little replayability although different modes do add to the fun. In the end, it is a fun game, but in reality you're paying for something you don't have to. It provides nothing more (besides a **** story) than an online TD game. Another bummer is that the towers seem to be unbalanced. More expensive towers aren't necessarily worth the money and by the end of the game I was using the same couple of towers in mass. Buy this game if you love TD's and you can get it for two or three bucks but other than that, play VR tower defense.… Expand
  7. JimCorbett
    Nov 20, 2014
    7
    A good TD game that boasts a large number of levels and numerous modes which means the game has over 150 different variations to test your skills on. Great story and soundtrack only makes it better.
  8. 4dagamer
    Nov 13, 2012
    7
    I like this game, the graphics are good, there is re playability but no multiplayer, The game have a nice variety of levels,monsters and modes and great history line.
  9. AWG
    Jul 31, 2013
    7
    There are dozens of Tower Defense strategy games out there and I'm not expert enough to assess the genre in general. What I can say is this game is a really good and funny game and I highly enjoyed playing it. Graphics are cool and gameplay is very intuitive. 7.4 out of 10, wouldn't uninstall after taking all its Steam Trading Card drops.
  10. TheLagbringer
    Jul 28, 2013
    6
    This tower defense is extremely old school. The game is really old actually, so really don't expect innovations. If you are aware of today's tower defenses and played some of them, you are going to say "meh". For me, it was "not so bad, but not so good either".
  11. IcecreamSnowman
    Mar 11, 2014
    5
    I liked the story, the voice acting, the slightly cob-web-minded AI telling you what's going on and I like tower defense games. So why didn't I like this much overall? Maybe because I paid money for it and expected it to be better than free flash games. You can't give your towers any instructions of what or where to attack, i.e. first enemy, strongest, weakest etc. Such controls add soI liked the story, the voice acting, the slightly cob-web-minded AI telling you what's going on and I like tower defense games. So why didn't I like this much overall? Maybe because I paid money for it and expected it to be better than free flash games. You can't give your towers any instructions of what or where to attack, i.e. first enemy, strongest, weakest etc. Such controls add so much more strategy to tower defense and without them this game comes across as rather basic and not all that much fun. The various Bloons TD games from Ninjakiwi are better.… Expand
  12. gloriouspotato
    Apr 2, 2016
    7
    Probably one of the more sophisticated tower defense games around. With different game modes and solid level design, there's a good bit of content for those wanting to rise up in the leaderboards. The main campaign has a pretty barebones story though, and I think the game could do with more varied towers since it does become somewhat repetitive.

    Overall rating - 7.4/10
  13. DrMisiaq
    Apr 27, 2021
    6
    A decent tower defense game, well executed and somewhat polished. I felt like I was playing StarCraft 2 custom TD map, which was fine, but Defense Grid unfortunately does not add anything to it, I could even point out a few things that are missing (there are no items, there is only one buff tower, evolution mechanics are very simple and limited). It's still worth it for people who likeA decent tower defense game, well executed and somewhat polished. I felt like I was playing StarCraft 2 custom TD map, which was fine, but Defense Grid unfortunately does not add anything to it, I could even point out a few things that are missing (there are no items, there is only one buff tower, evolution mechanics are very simple and limited). It's still worth it for people who like this genre. A good thing about this one is map design. It's not only pretty, but also requires player to develop his brain to figure out how to use the terrain to his own advantage. The place you choose for a new turret matters a lot. Oh yea, the voice acting was good, but jokes weren't funny at all tho.… Expand
  14. MaxmilianKohler
    Dec 31, 2020
    6
    Has the potential to be a good game, but has some significant deficits.

    Checkpoint system needs improvement. Being able to tell what height level your guns can hit. The different types of towers look too similar. More speed settings. Zoom out more or a minimap. More obvious whether upgrades or more guns are better. 6/10 but could be 8-9/10 with a few improvements. It's a good game if    Has the potential to be a good game, but has some significant deficits.

    Checkpoint system needs improvement. Being able to tell what height level your guns can hit. The different types of towers look too similar. More speed settings. Zoom out more or a minimap. More obvious whether upgrades or more guns are better.

    6/10 but could be 8-9/10 with a few improvements. It's a good game if you like to test lots of things numerous times.

    EDIT: Massive discovery - you can hit the reload checkpoint button twice to go back two checkpoints. That's huge. If the game told you that I'd raise my rating. Had to find it out by pure luck though.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best PC Game of 2008
24
#24 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. GamePro
    90
    It's amazing what a little touch up in graphics and sound can do for a tower defense gameplay-based title. And Hidden Path Entertainment's Defense Grid: The Awakening is a prime example of that sudden transformation of taking a unoriginal. well-known style of video game and turning it into a masterpiece for your PC.
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  2. Destructoid
    70
    If you like tower defense games and have $20 to spend, Defense Grid: The Awakening is absolutely worth checking out and will provide you with some solid entertainment - just don't expect to get 40 hours of playtime out of it.
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  3. Gamervision
    80
    The later of the 20 unique levels can grow frustratingly difficult, but the amount of replayability due to different challenges and scoreboards are more than enough to justify picking it up, or at least buying it when it eventually makes its way to Xbox Live.
    Read full review
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