Sanctum (2011)

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 242 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 130 out of 242
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 242
  3. Negative: 52 out of 242

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  1. apokalipto
    Aug 24, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  2. Dco326
    Jul 19, 2023
    5
    Meni se iskreno dopala dok nisam naisao na game breaking bug gde mi se nije sacuvalo nista od cele mape sto sam odigrao i tu sam je naravno izbrisao, nije nista wow ali mi je bila fun
  3. UncleEd
    Apr 18, 2020
    6
    Sanctum is a sci-fi themed tower defense / fps hybrid. Having really enjoyed Orcs Must Die, we decided to give Sanctum a go for a co-op playthrough. I do not know how things have improved in Sanctum 2, but the first game is rather dull. Firstly, there is a perspective problem as to how the towers scale in comparison to the monsters. Most of the time, you feel like you are visually not inSanctum is a sci-fi themed tower defense / fps hybrid. Having really enjoyed Orcs Must Die, we decided to give Sanctum a go for a co-op playthrough. I do not know how things have improved in Sanctum 2, but the first game is rather dull. Firstly, there is a perspective problem as to how the towers scale in comparison to the monsters. Most of the time, you feel like you are visually not in control of what is going on. The missions are quite repetitive and the towers are mostly boring. DLC levels are also often uninspired. I did like the setting and it’s a pity that the developers did not do a better job with Sanctum. Your time would be better spent playing Orcs Must Die.

    5.5/10    … Expand
  4. JaydenPickens
    May 22, 2019
    6
    Fun game, but the sequel is better. I recommend you to check out the second part. Pickens approves and finds sanatorium to chill out.
  5. night4
    Dec 24, 2016
    1
    Tower defense games have been one of my favorite genres since the old days of Warcraft 3 custom maps. I've played (and thoroughly enjoyed) many TD's, like Deathtrap, Dungeon Defenders 1, Orcs Must Die, and more.

    But this... ugh. It BOMBARDS you with way too many towers and weapons all at once. I don't really get why most every tower needs to be built on a block. I could use more    Tower defense games have been one of my favorite genres since the old days of Warcraft 3 custom maps. I've played (and thoroughly enjoyed) many TD's, like Deathtrap, Dungeon Defenders 1, Orcs Must Die, and more.

    But this... ugh.

    It BOMBARDS you with way too many towers and weapons all at once. I don't really get why most every tower needs to be built on a block. I could use more specific information on tower damage to help me learn strengths and weaknesses vs certain enemies. How do I know which lane is going to be used next? The graphics are kinda blocky and bad. Am I really supposed to get on top of a tower and shoot enemies there? Many of them run so fast I have to chase after them, shooting them in the butt. The sound effects are generally headache-inducing, especially the menu ones. And worst of all, being first person means you can't see what's going on. Even a Dungeon Defenders style of camera would be preferable.

    On the plus side... uh... honestly, I can't think of a plus side here :(    … Expand
  6. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    Sanctum is an excellent blend of coop FPS and tower defense, with very good music and and excellent visuals, using a predominantly white color palette that sets it apart from most games. It's easy to pick up, enemy behaviors are clearly explained and the towers helpfully indicate their attack radius even before they are actually placed. The weapons in particular are very enjoyable to use,Sanctum is an excellent blend of coop FPS and tower defense, with very good music and and excellent visuals, using a predominantly white color palette that sets it apart from most games. It's easy to pick up, enemy behaviors are clearly explained and the towers helpfully indicate their attack radius even before they are actually placed. The weapons in particular are very enjoyable to use, particularly the tesla rifle. The game's sound quality shows in said weapons: the shotgun makes a very satisfying bang, and it has a lovely animation in its telescoping barrel and heat-dispersing fins. You have the ability to switch away from a reloading weapon to a ready one without interupting the reload, an ability you will need to make use of often in later waves. Much like in other tower defense games, money is extremely limited and you will frequently have to juggle placing new towers, upgrading existing ones, and upgrading your own weapons, though I found that erring on the side of your own abilities often pays off, as in Orcs Must Die. The map layouts are interesting but at times haphazard, and Whirlpool, the map that won a user submission contest, has an absurd difficulty curve- I could not complete it even on easy, and I glided through it up until about wave 19, when it decided to drown me in a tide of Runners and Soakers, the latter being the most annoying enemies in the game. However, the multiplayer experience is quite solid, and adds the useful feature of sharing money between players. Whirlpool aside, this is a great game, and a bargain for its price considering the sheer time it took me to play each map at least once. It's by far one of my favorite tower defense games, a genre not always known for quality gameplay.… Expand
  7. ThePCGamer101
    Jun 24, 2015
    7
    Fun Game to play! A good Sci-Fi tower defense game, but DLC... never mind :/ It is a good game, but I would suggest between this and its sister sequel Sanctum 2, there is no real difference in gameplay. Just prettier graphics
  8. simonboi
    Mar 12, 2014
    7
    A TD FPS hybrid? It doesn't sound like much. A wave defender TD game but with a controllable character with a gun? Naw. I sighed when I heard about it. But it's not a half bad game. The guns (though few) are all really fun and all have pros and cons, so you're going to want to adjust your loadout. Some monsters have weak points, so the sniper is great at exploiting them. The assault rifleA TD FPS hybrid? It doesn't sound like much. A wave defender TD game but with a controllable character with a gun? Naw. I sighed when I heard about it. But it's not a half bad game. The guns (though few) are all really fun and all have pros and cons, so you're going to want to adjust your loadout. Some monsters have weak points, so the sniper is great at exploiting them. The assault rifle picks the flyers out of the sky, and the tesla gun just shocks everything. The towers themselves are well balanced as well. Some only target flying monsters, and you might not wanna use up your space on them, but when a swarm of flyers come you're going to wish you prepared a tower or two to rip through them. Some target weak points, some just kill. Some target air and land, but don't really do anything remarkable to each.
    Downsides: Graphics are generally good, but I found some dated texture work, which isn't really THAT bad, but still. Too few guns, Too Few towers, Only a few strategies for each map, overall it earned a 7.    … Expand
  9. joshuabet
    Dec 28, 2013
    7
    I found this game highly entertaining to play within my group of friends and the gaming stttyle was easy to play with and i found that the game could be very entertaining with single player also. However, the game was very repetitive after a certain amount of time.
  10. Ichus
    Dec 11, 2013
    8
    It is a fun Tower Defense Based game, with some neat shooter aspects in it.
    If you have some friends you can play with, this game is actually really fun and passable.
    Negative aspects: - For playing alone the 'not story mode' on anything other then 'easy' ist pretty much not doable. - The Mobs do ignore you whatever your doing, even if you shotgun them in the face. - The grid is    It is a fun Tower Defense Based game, with some neat shooter aspects in it.
    If you have some friends you can play with, this game is actually really fun and passable.

    Negative aspects:
    - For playing alone the 'not story mode' on anything other then 'easy' ist pretty much not doable.
    - The Mobs do ignore you whatever your doing, even if you shotgun them in the face.
    - The grid is sometimes not fair for singleplayer due to too many routes.

    Positive aspects:
    - The multiplayer is really fun, specially if you play with friends of yours
    - The possibilities to pass one level are nearly infinite
    - You can also play either only tower or only shooter I think there are even challenges for this )
    - Looks neat for the time and playes even on low level pc's
    - haven't met any problems with crashing This happens to me a lot, so I guess it works better for other people     … Expand
  11. Klewer
    Nov 3, 2013
    6
    An enjoyable tower defence/fps style game that while has some great game play and features can become a little repetitive.

    Personally not quite my thing but those who are a fan of the genre and the tactics that will come with this will get plenty of value out of it and the unique fps aspect is also enjoyable.
  12. funboyfun23
    Oct 14, 2013
    6
    Sanctum is a first-person shooter, tower defence game. Even though when I first picked up the game I enjoyed but playing more, and more of it I founded myself getting, more and more bored. This game has very low replay value after more then a few games. It get 's repetitive and only do I have fun when playing with friends. Playing by yourself or playing with one other friend still makesSanctum is a first-person shooter, tower defence game. Even though when I first picked up the game I enjoyed but playing more, and more of it I founded myself getting, more and more bored. This game has very low replay value after more then a few games. It get 's repetitive and only do I have fun when playing with friends. Playing by yourself or playing with one other friend still makes the game difficult to play and we tended to lose a lot. Even though this game is unique in it's own way I still find it boring.

    This game isn't worth full price but I would defiantly pick it up if it's on a big sale. Wasted potential in my opinon. I haven't gotten the chance to play Sanctum 2 but it looks better then the original game and better. If you are going to choose between Sanctum and Sanctum 2 I will choose the sequel.    … Expand
  13. dkhartigan
    May 16, 2013
    5
    Towers are restricted to only 10 per map, even when playing coop. Resources aren't shared between players, so only one person can build per round.

    Be warned; this game is a mediocre FPS with a bit of TD, not the other way around.
  14. MatthewTheDark
    May 13, 2013
    8
    Ah, Sanctum. This game is quite an impressive game. I had heard about it a couple times on Steam before it was on sale at about $2.50. So I nabbed a copy and to my surprise, it was quite a curious beast. The game is a hybrid that you don't see much of. A First-Person Shooter/ Tower Defense game. Hybrids like these really are something to look at. It's like what Brutal Legend did to RTS,Ah, Sanctum. This game is quite an impressive game. I had heard about it a couple times on Steam before it was on sale at about $2.50. So I nabbed a copy and to my surprise, it was quite a curious beast. The game is a hybrid that you don't see much of. A First-Person Shooter/ Tower Defense game. Hybrids like these really are something to look at. It's like what Brutal Legend did to RTS, made it possible for you to jump into the action yourself. However, UNLIKE Brutal Legend, Sanctum doesn't hide its Tower Defense elements. It fully embraces them. This game also has a small sense of humor and it's always a blast to play. The controls are nice, the game looks pretty, and the fighting is fun. So why isn't it perfect? Well I suppose a substance problem is what we have. I don't mean levels, it has plenty of those, but there isn't much more than the premise it promises. No story, no structure, just build and fight, build and fight, build and fight. After a while, the fun seems to diminish a little and becomes a game to take in small doses. It leaves you with questions. "Why are these aliens attacking us?" you might ask. "Shut up and just shoot them." the game will respond. Very few games can get away with a single trait and unfortunately, Sanctum doesn't quite deliver. Maybe if the combat was a tad more fun or the enemies tried attacking me by stopping for a good tussle rather than running jihad style toward my core. In short though, the game is lots of fun and will entertain you for hours and the game delivers on what it offers in such an amusing manner, I feel generous for it, but if you're looking for substance or story, you might be left disappointed, but grab the game anyway. Even if it's on sale.… Expand
  15. JimCorbett
    Feb 18, 2013
    7
    Pretty fun TD game. I love shooters and TD games so this fits right in. The combat feels smooth and the graphics are decent enough. The level variety is also pretty good and none of the levels feel like they are just a repetition of a previous level. The only downside is that you have to buy the complete pack with all the DLCs if you want a complete game experience. Fortunately, thatPretty fun TD game. I love shooters and TD games so this fits right in. The combat feels smooth and the graphics are decent enough. The level variety is also pretty good and none of the levels feel like they are just a repetition of a previous level. The only downside is that you have to buy the complete pack with all the DLCs if you want a complete game experience. Fortunately, that doesn't cost much more than the base game.… Expand
  16. SirLance
    Jan 16, 2013
    4
    Wasn't for me. I love tower games but this was too much of a first person action for me. I also love FPS games like Mass Effect, but here you have to constantly turn, look up and down... if you get motion sickness, you'll probably play it as long as I did after I purchased it. One run, about 5 minutes, and then deleted it.
  17. michal100
    Jan 16, 2013
    7
    Simple and quite addicting tower-defence game. It goes on sale often so you can get the full package with all DLC-s for 5$ with very little trouble. Also they added new maps and integrated DLC weapons/towers into base game so the reviews about lack of content are outdated - I haven't even completed everything from first map pack yet and haven't touched anything from the second one.
    I've    Simple and quite addicting tower-defence game. It goes on sale often so you can get the full package with all DLC-s for 5$ with very little trouble. Also they added new maps and integrated DLC weapons/towers into base game so the reviews about lack of content are outdated - I haven't even completed everything from first map pack yet and haven't touched anything from the second one.
    I've spent over 30h with the game and I am still coming back from time to time. Co-op isn't a must, I've played some multiplayer but the best fun I am having is in single-player.    … Expand
  18. suneater
    Jan 3, 2013
    6
    First person Tower Defense with a focus on co-op. Without a friend to play this with it gets very repetitive and slow. The devs have added a lot of post-launch content in the form of new weapons and maps (both paid and free) and regular updates for bug fixes and seasonal events. Worth picking up with a friend but solo it won't last you very long unless you're a die-hard Tower Defense fan.
  19. silentknife8
    Dec 28, 2012
    8
    Overall, this is a very good game. As a fan of tower defense games, I found it interesting yet refreshing to play a game that adds the element of a first person view.

    Pros of the game: It has very engaging game play and intriguing stage layouts that offer a nice variety on a traditional theme; there's a decent selection of towers and weapons, each with unique but distinguishing    Overall, this is a very good game. As a fan of tower defense games, I found it interesting yet refreshing to play a game that adds the element of a first person view.

    Pros of the game: It has very engaging game play and intriguing stage layouts that offer a nice variety on a traditional theme; there's a decent selection of towers and weapons, each with unique but distinguishing characteristics; It's the perfect level of difficulty. You'll really think and have to apply strategy on each map to knock down all the waves but it is never too difficult that you'll want to rage quit; the controls are straightforward; it let's you play co-op across an internet connection (I love this feature, many times I've teamed up with friends that own the game hand have steam accounts). Cons of the game: As you get towards the end waves, the game can lag hard with hordes of monsters flooding the screen; it saves with checkpoints (about once every three waves) and does not let you save the game after each completed wave; the game occasionally quits unexpectedly (might be my computer though) which is annoying when you can't save after each wave. The Bottom Line: For tower defense fans or anyone that might enjoy a strategic FPS, this is a great game that will get you a lot of bang for your buck.    … Expand
  20. Ferrante
    Dec 3, 2012
    9
    Right now (December 2012) his game has 6 weapons, 15 Totally different towers, 8 maps, and more than 10 different enemies. Thats a lot of content. You can buy 7 more maps at low cost and then you will have a BIG game. My steam account says I have spend 230+ hours in this game and Im not tired of it yet. I play mostly alone, but multiplayer is very good when you have some friends to shareRight now (December 2012) his game has 6 weapons, 15 Totally different towers, 8 maps, and more than 10 different enemies. Thats a lot of content. You can buy 7 more maps at low cost and then you will have a BIG game. My steam account says I have spend 230+ hours in this game and Im not tired of it yet. I play mostly alone, but multiplayer is very good when you have some friends to share the game. Sanctum is well designed, balanced and beautiful. The monsters challenge you to build a good strategy and the towers allow you hundreds of setups for every map. This game is too fun, you can bet.… Expand
  21. Viacota
    Nov 21, 2012
    9
    Este juego es un excelente tower defense. Más calmado el sistema de combate que "Orcs Must Die!"(Omd!), pero muy desafiante. Me agrada como el escenario se comportará según de como diseñes la ubicación de las trampas, además hay que ser muy cuidadoso al elegir cuáles usarás y donde las pondrás. Tiene variedad de enemigos conEste juego es un excelente tower defense. Más calmado el sistema de combate que "Orcs Must Die!"(Omd!), pero muy desafiante. Me agrada como el escenario se comportará según de como diseñes la ubicación de las trampas, además hay que ser muy cuidadoso al elegir cuáles usarás y donde las pondrás. Tiene variedad de enemigos con distintos puntos débiles, por lo que debes ser rápido y adaptarte al estilo de juego para enemigos específicos. Cada escenario es un increíble reto, mucho más desafiante que Omd!… Expand
  22. ZazaTR
    Oct 22, 2012
    1
    Game is bearable, unless you are hunting for abundant secret spots / easter eggs, where broken jump mechanics completely ruin the experience. Not to mention walking through textures
  23. randylin26
    Sep 12, 2012
    4
    You know what? I completed this **** game in less then 3 hours. When I played Dungeon Defenders, I was only in the first two levels in the first 3 hours of that. Luckily, I bought all the dlcs and the game when it was discounted for 5 bucks, so it wasn't THAT bad. I mean, can this game at least HAVE MORE CONTENT?????
  24. Rexnos
    Aug 22, 2012
    9
    It's a first person shooter, tower defense hybrid. If you like either genre, you'll probably enjoy it. However, it's much more satisfying with a few friends.
  25. khornol
    Jul 22, 2012
    8
    I'm a big fan of tower defence games and gave this a try as it was on Steam Sale. The controls are easy, but there is also a short tutorial. There are serveral tactics to be successful, some people just upgrade their weapons, other build more towers, but you always need a good maze. This flexibility is very great for the game, otherwise it would get some kind of boring after some time. II'm a big fan of tower defence games and gave this a try as it was on Steam Sale. The controls are easy, but there is also a short tutorial. There are serveral tactics to be successful, some people just upgrade their weapons, other build more towers, but you always need a good maze. This flexibility is very great for the game, otherwise it would get some kind of boring after some time. I would give it a 8, because they could have done some more monsters or towers. Whenever this is on sale, I suggest you to buy it. You won't regret it.… Expand
  26. Arkan01d
    Jul 17, 2012
    7
    Sanctum is a FPS / Tower Defense game that has you create mazes to thwart enemies from reaching your reactor. Even though it's a fun game to play it just misses the bullseye. Planning in Sanctum is crucial as you must build the longest path with the most twists and turns to win. Before the 1st round starts and after every subsequent round there is a pause that gives you time to rearrangeSanctum is a FPS / Tower Defense game that has you create mazes to thwart enemies from reaching your reactor. Even though it's a fun game to play it just misses the bullseye. Planning in Sanctum is crucial as you must build the longest path with the most twists and turns to win. Before the 1st round starts and after every subsequent round there is a pause that gives you time to rearrange and add to the maze. You the player decide when the next wave of enemies starts. The fact that there is no time limit on how long you can plan before waves made the game feel easier than it had to be. However, until most tower defense games that give a top down you have to walk everywhere you want to place torrents and blocks which is, I'm sure why they have no time limits. The game is built off the Unreal Engine and it shows a little too much for me. You can tell it from the color pallet, to the way the player moves, and how the guns handle. Not that any of this is a bad thing, but to me it felt like I was playing a mod more so than a stand-alone game. However, this is also kind of a good thing since, if you've ever played Unreal, you already know how control and shooting is going to work. Sound is the last part of this game that did it in for me. I never realized how much sound really meant for a game like this. You would expect a horde of aliens charging in a straight line down a path would at least sound terrifying. However it does not. The sense of dread or hopelessness is not there. Instead they quietly jog towards reactor making small groans and grunts when they die. Even your guns sound muted. It just takes you out of the experience and you feel like your watching an assembly line, not playing a game.

    In total Sanctum is a descent game, not a great one. If you really want to try a tower defense that has you running around killing hordes than Orcs Must Die is your game. If you loved Orcs Must Die and are interested in this game you will probably find yourself feeling empty either half-way or once you beat it. It's just that challenging or immersive to hold your attention for long.    … Expand
  27. HarpDarpReviews
    May 17, 2012
    7
    Great game, had fun, still have fun with it. BUT, it doesn't have that daily reason to go on. But when you do play, you play for hours. Replay value is kinda meh, the should do free updates imo to get more people interested in the game, however they choose to do DRM which is a huge downer for them.
  28. Saurus
    May 16, 2012
    8
    When it comes to the tower defenses the choice of picking a game is big, whether on PC, console or handheld devices. But what if we add a FPS expirience to an already good tower defense ... we get Sanctum. Sanctum is perhaps one of the few indie tower defense games that are actually able to deliver to you a thrill and not only make you use your brain to think of how to set your turretsWhen it comes to the tower defenses the choice of picking a game is big, whether on PC, console or handheld devices. But what if we add a FPS expirience to an already good tower defense ... we get Sanctum. Sanctum is perhaps one of the few indie tower defense games that are actually able to deliver to you a thrill and not only make you use your brain to think of how to set your turrets which varies from standard gatling guns through mortars to anti-air, laser and lightning towers, but also gives you the chance to get down and personal with the monsters trying to move through your maze to the core which you must protect. How can one get down and personal ? Simple really - you get access to weapons from a standard AR with a grenade launcher mounted, a freeze gun which slows or freezes temporary the monsters you shoot the gun at (obviously) and many more weapons. The game features nice soundtracks fit to the maps and the art and physics of the animations are pretty well made. And if we take into account the 4 player co-op and several levels of difficulty - Sanctum is definetly a game worth buying and playing. If there is something this game lacks it's perhaps playerbase since not many people have interest in that genre and know about the game, and the other thing is the lack of tools to create our own maps which we could share with the community. Make no mistake though, despite those cons Sanctum will offer you a challenge which you won't forget ... until we all get our hands on Sanctum 2, of course :)… Expand
  29. Ragegoat
    May 11, 2012
    6
    Sanctum combines the classic tower defense game with FPS co-op. The players will build a maze on a map and construct guns of various types with various abilities. When the players are ready the spawns start - waves of different monsters will be incoming and the players will have to rely on their weapons and the deployed turrets to kill them and stop them from getting through the maze. WhenSanctum combines the classic tower defense game with FPS co-op. The players will build a maze on a map and construct guns of various types with various abilities. When the players are ready the spawns start - waves of different monsters will be incoming and the players will have to rely on their weapons and the deployed turrets to kill them and stop them from getting through the maze. When monsters die the players make money, which can be used to upgrade guns or existing turrets or build new ones.

    The game is quite well executed (very few bugs) and the design is thought through and relies heavily on the normal tower defense games. The weapons are neat-looking, works as you expect them to work - you have three of them, a sniper, an assault rifle with grenades and a freezing gun that'll slow monsters. There is a certain variation of maps, but I never felt much of a change when switching between them - as you build the maze yourself, the maps will mostly just provide obstacles for the maze you would like to build. The game, however, got somewhat dull for me rather quickly. The incoming monsters don't offer much variation - the spawn order is random, so sometimes the only thing that can really threaten you is a spawn composed of 3 groups of the same type: as you have been dealing with varied threats you have made maze for varied incoming, so when a full spawn of flyers (that can only be shot by certain types of turrets) for instance show up, your turrets for shooting at the ground will be useless. Therefore the best investment is a high level gun, which turns the game more into a shooter than a builder. Also - maybe it's just my personal shortcomings, but I have a hard time getting beyond a fair percentage of the monsters looking like genitals.

    In Sanctum I never get the "tower defense" experience of leaning back and watching your awesome killing zone at work as I constantly had to rush around killing the monsters that slipped through your maze. Turrets can NOT handle stuff on their own and will gladly fire away at the front of a monster that can only be wounded from behind or pumping hundreds of rounds of lead into the belly of someone who only takes damage from head shots. It's up to you to stop the enemies that will need accurate shots, and after a number of games I was sorely tired of trying to get "head" shots on the wobbly beings with balls on top of their necks. Did I mention that most of the monsters look like genitals?

    Anyhow, Sanctum is a very well executed game that will be immensely funny at first but get rather boring in the long run. If you have some friends who're keen on co-op playing it will be a good purchase though.    … Expand
  30. GeneralTso294
    May 5, 2012
    8
    This game is a blast with more than one player. The difficulty scales very effectively with the number of players and different game mods really help to switch it up. It is quick and easy to get a game setup without a ton of menus. I've had hours of fun just messing around and playing this with friends. There are a lot of cool features such as map ping, which all allies can see, and a mapThis game is a blast with more than one player. The difficulty scales very effectively with the number of players and different game mods really help to switch it up. It is quick and easy to get a game setup without a ton of menus. I've had hours of fun just messing around and playing this with friends. There are a lot of cool features such as map ping, which all allies can see, and a map that shows the position of everyone else.

    My one gripe about this game is the lack of starting content. There's 4 or 5 weapons, which isn't all that bad, but you only get a few towers, the rest are all DLC, and aren't that cheap ($2 for a new tower? No thank you)

    There needed to be more content at launch, but other than that, this is a great game that I have enjoyed playing thoroughly.    … Expand
  31. Andreakossa
    Apr 22, 2012
    10
    Like tower defense ?
    If yes get this game, awesome places, a lot of fun in single player, even more better on multiplayer, even if is a bit dead there will be always someone willing to play it.
  32. Mogul
    Mar 3, 2012
    4
    This is playable, and kind of fun, but mostly disappointed me. The FPS + tower defense combo is a nice twist, but for me, Sanctum got tiresome very quickly. It just felt like something was a little bit off in terms of the game balancing / weapon synergy / level design. In the same genre, I that Orcs Must Die is a step above, and that's not saying too much.
  33. ZombieEinstein
    Feb 8, 2012
    10
    I honestly have a tough time imaging any way to improve this game. You can even skip the opening animations of the studio and technology ads (something I haven't seen since in a game pre-2000). You have the strategy a Tower-defense, with varying enemies you need to consider in your design - and the fast-passed action of an FPS.
    And whatever you may think of DLCs, theirs are good and    I honestly have a tough time imaging any way to improve this game. You can even skip the opening animations of the studio and technology ads (something I haven't seen since in a game pre-2000). You have the strategy a Tower-defense, with varying enemies you need to consider in your design - and the fast-passed action of an FPS.
    And whatever you may think of DLCs, theirs are good and entirely al a carte - maps $1.99 and towers are $0.99 (weapons are free updates). You can even pull in players who do not have a particular map for a round or two of multiplayer - also something that I haven't seen in a while (Starcraft 1 with their "Spawn" system I believe was the last time I saw something like this).
    What more do you want for $10?    … Expand
  34. Mmmmsixofyou
    Jan 25, 2012
    10
    A wonderful game. It perfectly combines elements of FPS and tower defense. Playing tower defense games, I would love the setup, but found the "wait while the enemies march" portion a bit dull. I enjoy FPSs, but have seen anything fresh in a while. This game cherry-picks the best elements of both genres and creates something better.
  35. glitchtoreality
    Jan 4, 2012
    9
    To make this game really shine, you must play it with some friends. On its own it can still be fun but feels pretty lonely. The game is definitely unique as I have not heard of a FPS tower defense game except this one. The game is pretty simple to understand and easy to pick up. And when you play with more people, it just becomes interesting to see the different strategies all mixingTo make this game really shine, you must play it with some friends. On its own it can still be fun but feels pretty lonely. The game is definitely unique as I have not heard of a FPS tower defense game except this one. The game is pretty simple to understand and easy to pick up. And when you play with more people, it just becomes interesting to see the different strategies all mixing together in one level. The game just keeps getting updated with new levels, new *and cheap* DLC. I would defiantly recommend this to anyone looking for some good Co-op fun.… Expand
  36. Brumbek
    Dec 30, 2011
    2
    A great concept that is totally ruined by horrible game design, terrible presentation, and infuriatingly ambiguous tower/enemy stats. This game is the worst sort of indie trash. It's clear it was made by some newbie developers who don't understand UI design or production values. The big boys like Defense Grid and Orcs Must Die! crush this pathetic attempt at a game. Sorry, this is a badA great concept that is totally ruined by horrible game design, terrible presentation, and infuriatingly ambiguous tower/enemy stats. This game is the worst sort of indie trash. It's clear it was made by some newbie developers who don't understand UI design or production values. The big boys like Defense Grid and Orcs Must Die! crush this pathetic attempt at a game. Sorry, this is a bad Unreal mod, not a game. Complete FAIL.… Expand
  37. ozgeek
    Dec 28, 2011
    1
    Nice graphics but poor implementation of difficulity - for example how do i kill those blue fat things? I wasn't told how until I had to hit the forums and introduced all too many at once. Better off playing Defense Grid, a REAL tower defense game. Yes that's right. The towers in this game do swat. only works in few waves then they are useless.
  38. moifoi
    Dec 28, 2011
    0
    They removed the scoring system and leaderboards for levels in the same patch which makes the game have no replay value. There's much better tower defense games to get.
  39. jazzboxer
    Dec 24, 2011
    10
    This game is mint! easily the best casual tower defense and FPS game out there, great soundtracks, decent graphics and addictive gameplay, co-op on this game works very well and is fun with a good team
  40. spinspock
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    I've only played the game for a few hours with a buddy but what I've played is fairly enjoyable. It has a few issues and the formula gets old fairly quick but it's a nice break from other games of similar style.
  41. Othrandur
    Dec 15, 2011
    7
    The field of tower-defense-meets-shooter is beginning to get crowded, with games like "Dungeon Defenders" and "Orcs Must Die" to face off against. Sanctum holds its own in large part because of its style, but the game play isn't as dynamic as those other two games. In Sanctum, the character, Skye, is clearly there in a support role and the towers do most of the work. The weapons are justThe field of tower-defense-meets-shooter is beginning to get crowded, with games like "Dungeon Defenders" and "Orcs Must Die" to face off against. Sanctum holds its own in large part because of its style, but the game play isn't as dynamic as those other two games. In Sanctum, the character, Skye, is clearly there in a support role and the towers do most of the work. The weapons are just too weak to take out swarms single-handed. The relatively small amount of character/weapon customization adds to the feeling that Skye s a servant of the big machine and not the main protagonist. This isn't necessarily bad; it's just the choice the developers made as to where to draw the line between tower defense and shooter. Some games draw that line more toward the side of shooters. Sanctum is definitely a tower defense first and a shooter second. But this combination does work well. It's nice to be able to go lend a hand when you find a hole in your defenses, but it's more stressful to have to go to the tower to upgrade it instead of doing it from a bird's eye perspective. The DLCs are really not the big deal that some people have made them out to be. They're cheap on an average day but when they go on sale, as they often do, you can get the lot of all DLCs for less than a cup of coffee at Starbuck's. If you like the tower defense genre, you're doing yourself a disservice by not having this game in your collection. At the very least, put it on your wish list and grab it the next time it goes on sale.… Expand
  42. cambria
    Dec 6, 2011
    9
    This game has a ton of updates and new free stuff added every couple months. It also has AAA graphics and co-op or single-user game play for the price of an indie puzzle game -- on sale. Lots of replayability on the few maps it comes with, and (though somewhat controversial) the new maps and weapons released as DLC are a lot of fresh fun that I feel are worth the cost. The DLC weaponsThis game has a ton of updates and new free stuff added every couple months. It also has AAA graphics and co-op or single-user game play for the price of an indie puzzle game -- on sale. Lots of replayability on the few maps it comes with, and (though somewhat controversial) the new maps and weapons released as DLC are a lot of fresh fun that I feel are worth the cost. The DLC weapons can be used by you in games that your friends may not have them, which helps keep your load outs unique to eachother, and they're cheap if you ever want to add on. Those complaining of this model are forgetting how much replayable game you are already getting for the base price of 9.99. The extra stuff is just sprinkles and doughnuts. Play it with your friends or alone, it's a great mesh of tower defense and varied, upgradable gunplay. Simply stunning game.… Expand
  43. Greasykiwi
    Nov 7, 2011
    10
    *In response to some of the negative reviews about DLC for this game, I would like to say this: The DLC is completely optional, and quite cheap compared to games like Call of Duty's DLC, also, the developers have actually released 2 free updates for the game, both adding new weapons, maps and towers, even a few new features have been added.* Now, onto the review:
    Sanctum is amazingly    *In response to some of the negative reviews about DLC for this game, I would like to say this: The DLC is completely optional, and quite cheap compared to games like Call of Duty's DLC, also, the developers have actually released 2 free updates for the game, both adding new weapons, maps and towers, even a few new features have been added.* Now, onto the review:
    Sanctum is amazingly beautiful, providing that your idea of beautiful is a gleaming futuristic look kind of like "Portal's" look. The maps are very well designed and offer many different ways to create mazes. The game never seems unfair, you always seem to know where you failed at making your defenses, and can always change them around. The game is especially fun multiplayer, where you can have up to 4 people also building towers and working together. All around, a very fun game where content is being added all the time, and that is just making the game better. Plus, it's only $10, so why not give it a shot.    … Expand
  44. PhiOmega
    Nov 6, 2011
    3
    If you want a game where you get 4 maps, 3 guns, and 6 towers than this is the game for you. If you want anything else get ready to pay anywhere between 1 and 5 dollars per DLC to get A gun or a tower or a map. I personally will not buy this game because I will not support the nickle and dime of the DLC. There are better Tower defense games out there that have free DLC and constant eventsIf you want a game where you get 4 maps, 3 guns, and 6 towers than this is the game for you. If you want anything else get ready to pay anywhere between 1 and 5 dollars per DLC to get A gun or a tower or a map. I personally will not buy this game because I will not support the nickle and dime of the DLC. There are better Tower defense games out there that have free DLC and constant events and are focused for online play... like Dungeon Defenders… Expand
  45. alonzo
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    La película tiene una fotografía increíble, la trama te mantiene pegado al asiento durante toda la pelicula, muy buenas actuaciones. Te produce varias emociones, de entre los cuales está el miedo y la ira, pero también da un sentimiento de comprensión debido a que recuerda las ocasiones en que una persona se encuentra acorralada contra lasLa película tiene una fotografía increíble, la trama te mantiene pegado al asiento durante toda la pelicula, muy buenas actuaciones. Te produce varias emociones, de entre los cuales está el miedo y la ira, pero también da un sentimiento de comprensión debido a que recuerda las ocasiones en que una persona se encuentra acorralada contra las circunstancias y debe necesariamente actuar de alguna u otra forma.… Expand
  46. Pomornik
    Oct 14, 2011
    10
    Amazing, creative and innovate game with great graphics, artstyle and music, an excellent game! However its a little short on content, there are very few weapons and maps to play on. There is a decent amount of towers and enemy types though, but you might have to buy the DLCs if you want it to feel like a full game.
  47. Dethstar
    Oct 12, 2011
    8
    Ok. This game was a massive joke on those of us who bought it at launch. Sooo small and short it was literally like someone robbing you at a cashpoint without having the chance to beat them to death and still feel good about it. BUT, with more reasonably priced maps and DLC which doesnt break the bank, overall it can be saved. Personally I enjoyed the game itself. Not sure what the hellOk. This game was a massive joke on those of us who bought it at launch. Sooo small and short it was literally like someone robbing you at a cashpoint without having the chance to beat them to death and still feel good about it. BUT, with more reasonably priced maps and DLC which doesnt break the bank, overall it can be saved. Personally I enjoyed the game itself. Not sure what the hell is going on with the crap FOV issue that makes me feel like I am playing on an xbox, or locked outside looking at the game through a letterbox but the game itself really is great fun. Personally i like it alot.… Expand
  48. comscier
    Sep 27, 2011
    0
    Lack of content
    if you want to gain full experience of this game...
    prepare to spending more money on up coming DLCs... (lots coming)

    *I am not purchasing their DLCs.
    I don't support the practice of selling DLCs when the game itself is lacking content.
    *You do not get the complete game when you purchase, that said you have to even pay to unlock towers.
  49. KnucklesKiss
    Sep 22, 2011
    10
    For an indie game, Iâ
  50. joe2
    Sep 6, 2011
    4
    fun at first but doesn't scale well. maxed-out towers and FPS guns do 100-300 damage, but creep hp rapidly goes above 10,000. by round 10, you're just spamming gunfire nonstop the entire time. it's not really exciting when you are taking off 1% of their health per hit.

    if the weapons and towers scaled up like the creep hp scales up it would be a lot better.
  51. Ramlosa
    Aug 28, 2011
    10
    It´s probably the best tower defense game I have played for man years. The Co-OP mode is extremely fun and probably makes it one of the best TD games ever made.
    The reason the critics didnt like it, is because they got there ass handed to them on medium and have no friends to play co-op.
  52. Elc1247
    Aug 24, 2011
    8
    Sanctum was a bit of a surprise to me, I didnt expect something as good as this when i first got it. given that it does get old somewhat quickly, overall, its a very enjoyable game. it just is disappointing how easily it becomes boring since its a game thats designed to be multiplayer and played over and over.
  53. pan
    Aug 5, 2011
    4
    A wonderful idea but lackluster implementation. The tower defense element is not very good, the first person shooter element is not very good, and the two combined is not very fun. I can not stress enough that I absolutely love the idea here. The FPS elements break up the tedium that a lot of people experience problems with in pure TD games. We can see something similar in (the veryA wonderful idea but lackluster implementation. The tower defense element is not very good, the first person shooter element is not very good, and the two combined is not very fun. I can not stress enough that I absolutely love the idea here. The FPS elements break up the tedium that a lot of people experience problems with in pure TD games. We can see something similar in (the very successful with non-hardcore TD gamers) Plants Vs. Zombies with the constant need to click on the sun laying about. Unfortunately, much like PVZ, it lacks an economy that rewards people for brinkmanship or coming up with a very efficient solution. Another issue I have with the game is that it all feels very much the same after a very short period of time. Every wave is a matter of shooting as many enemies in their weak spots to thin the herd enough that the towers can deal with the rest. This gets very tiresome rather quickly for me as that is the only thing that happens in the game aside from the very slow build out of towers. If the enemies fought back and I had perishable life(perhaps balanced against the economy?), this game would be infinitely more exciting, other issues aside. There are still to date, very few levels. I believe there are 5 total unless they just dropped one in recently. The best level is Mine, the level in the demo. It keeps the player very active and engaged with multiple places to engage the enemies from. The other levels are very flat, both figuratively and literally. They are predominately just a flat grid to lay out towers on. The problem there is that flat grids also play very flat. The scaling of difficulty, damage, and costs are equally imagined as they are just double the rate of the previous level for whatever. The only thing that doesn't appear to follow that pattern is the income that is slow to grow and plateaus around 800/level. The towers and guns are all capped at level 6 so even if one could afford to keep upgrading, I think the insane amount of enemy health will outstrip the amount of towers one could lay down. A fair amount of the enemies really need to be thinned out or otherwise flat out dealt with using the sniper rifle that will soon not be able to keep up with the enemy scaling. Multi-player match finding is a mess with its odd partial implementation of the Steamworks api. Finding a friends game requires luck as the filters do not work properly and at no point is it clear what one is actually doing in setting up or finding a game. Coffee Stain, if you read these, you almost have an amazing game. What you do have is a fantastic concept with a lot of dev work needed to make this into a fun game. At minimum, a whole lot of polish would make this game much more enjoyable.… Expand
  54. DiceDizzle
    Jul 29, 2011
    10
    A great fun tower defense game! i love it by far one of the best.And on top! there's coop gameplay what more can you ask for?Unless it's too hard for you then maybe it wouldnt be your pick.
  55. ricesautes
    Jul 28, 2011
    9
    I got a 4-pack during the last Steam sale because my kids and I like to play tower defense games. I wasn't sure how well TD and FPS styles could ever co-exist in one package, but Sanctum pulls it off pretty flawlessly. I'd strongly recommend this title for tower defense genre lovers. The multi-player co-op is well done and smooth, although the default font-size for text chat is ginormous.I got a 4-pack during the last Steam sale because my kids and I like to play tower defense games. I wasn't sure how well TD and FPS styles could ever co-exist in one package, but Sanctum pulls it off pretty flawlessly. I'd strongly recommend this title for tower defense genre lovers. The multi-player co-op is well done and smooth, although the default font-size for text chat is ginormous.

    Game play is conducive to both quick, casual games, as well as multi-hour slugfests, depending on your mood and time. The maps and gameplay can get a bit repetitive. If they had 10-15 maps even, they could add to the replayability. I also feel they max out the player's FPS guns too quickly. FPS mode is critical to success on some maps and with anti-air, but the monsters scale way past your guns after 20 or so stages. At later stages, it's just about impossible to lose to the ground monsters while simultaneously being just about impossible to kill the air monsters.

    Probably an 8 game, but +1 for an interesting concept and for critics rating too low.    … Expand
  56. JonesR
    Jul 19, 2011
    8
    A pretty decent job at merging FPS with tower defense. The monsters remind me of the psychotic LSD trip from Zeno Clash. Definitely a blast when you are playing with friends who know what the hell they are doing. In all honesty, games like Monday Night Combat and Iron Grip do a better job at this genre, but there's definitely fun to be had here. In-game text-to-speech features someA pretty decent job at merging FPS with tower defense. The monsters remind me of the psychotic LSD trip from Zeno Clash. Definitely a blast when you are playing with friends who know what the hell they are doing. In all honesty, games like Monday Night Combat and Iron Grip do a better job at this genre, but there's definitely fun to be had here. In-game text-to-speech features some entertaining conversation pieces!… Expand
  57. Stungray
    Jul 17, 2011
    10
    An absolutely delightful indie game in a time when major developers are failing to deliver. In short: simple, challenging, frantic co-op fun. Sanctum is a tower defense game played in first person with 1-4 players. Sure it's a simple recipe, but it works. The graphics and audio are pleasing, controls are solid, the interface is... slightly confusing at first but honestly works. As an addedAn absolutely delightful indie game in a time when major developers are failing to deliver. In short: simple, challenging, frantic co-op fun. Sanctum is a tower defense game played in first person with 1-4 players. Sure it's a simple recipe, but it works. The graphics and audio are pleasing, controls are solid, the interface is... slightly confusing at first but honestly works. As an added bonus, text to speech provides hours of hilarity. I bought Sanctum as part of a four pack hoping for a bit of fun with friends but not expecting too much for the price - and have not been disappointed in any way. I personally don't feel there is much that could be improved on,. Additional turrets might overcomplicated things, but perhaps a few additional maps and perhaps even a 4th weapon class (to match the recent patch allowing 4 player coop) would be nice, but like I said, it's a simple recipe and it works. I do definitely suggest that you play Sanctum with friends to get the most enjoyment out of it, but for those who enjoy tower defense type games alone, you won't be disappointed.… Expand
  58. Templar19
    Jul 15, 2011
    9
    $15 for this game and i have already got about 10 hours of gameplay. Very fun game if you like TD games, also the variety in enemies makes it fun, you dont just shoot at the enemies, you have to hit their tiny little weakspots, which makes it a lot more fun, Although to me this game would only be good if you had a few friends to play it with, singleplayer is a bit dry.
  59. Shtiggy
    Jul 10, 2011
    10
    Outstanding tower defense game for the price. Critic reviews are way too harsh on this game for what it is meant to be, especially for the price. Bubble tanks and Bloons 3 got me to love tower defense games. Those have been the only two I found fun and haven't wanted to play any other tower defense game, until now. Hopefully the makers of Sanctum release more levels.
  60. Tridus
    Jul 9, 2011
    9
    I don't know why someone didn't think of this concept sooner. I also don't know what the critics have against it, but this is probably the best Tower Defense game out there and well worth the price. Only thing I'd really like to see is more maps.
  61. Korpacz
    Jul 9, 2011
    10
    It's funny how far off the professional reviewers are from the people who actually play these games. Notice the user reviews are all positive. This game is plain and simple fun. Easy to learn, hard to master, mix of fps and tower defense/strategy casual game. There aren't a billion weapons, and you don't need a billion weapons to have fun. For the ridiculously low price I paid for this itIt's funny how far off the professional reviewers are from the people who actually play these games. Notice the user reviews are all positive. This game is plain and simple fun. Easy to learn, hard to master, mix of fps and tower defense/strategy casual game. There aren't a billion weapons, and you don't need a billion weapons to have fun. For the ridiculously low price I paid for this it was an amazing buy. For $10 or so you'll get your moneys worth and then some.… Expand
  62. snacktacular
    Jul 8, 2011
    9
    Game-wise, its one of the best 3 dollar purchases I ever made ( via steam summer sale). Addictive, good graphics with intriguing art style and beautiful levels, well developed towers and enemies. The fps-tower defense combination feels very comfortable/natural. Its also pleasantly challenging. I find myself going back and trying new build orders, maze designs, and tower compositions.Game-wise, its one of the best 3 dollar purchases I ever made ( via steam summer sale). Addictive, good graphics with intriguing art style and beautiful levels, well developed towers and enemies. The fps-tower defense combination feels very comfortable/natural. Its also pleasantly challenging. I find myself going back and trying new build orders, maze designs, and tower compositions. Despite its general lack of content, it does not lack replay value. Score one for Indy developers!… Expand
  63. ATG141
    Jul 8, 2011
    5
    Sanctum is like a game engineered for me to like it. Ive always liked tower defense and fps so a marriage of the two would likely win a ticket straight to my heart. Sadly despite the original premise and interesting visual style the game quickly becomes boring with little deviation in terms of strategy with the common phrase being: "build what you need". This can easily be fun with aSanctum is like a game engineered for me to like it. Ive always liked tower defense and fps so a marriage of the two would likely win a ticket straight to my heart. Sadly despite the original premise and interesting visual style the game quickly becomes boring with little deviation in terms of strategy with the common phrase being: "build what you need". This can easily be fun with a couple friends but if you don't know anybody who plays the game then your decision is going to be based entirely on your liking for the premise.… Expand
  64. Wilian
    Jun 20, 2011
    10
    A game I accidentally stumbled upon that mixed two of my favourite gametypes, FPS and Tower Defence. And in same box! Gameplay is really smooth and intuitive, after playing 5 minute tutorial you are very much ready to kick some ass and chew bubble gum while at it but it does not take away from the complexity of the game that is the waves of enemies. Easy to learn, hard to master would be aA game I accidentally stumbled upon that mixed two of my favourite gametypes, FPS and Tower Defence. And in same box! Gameplay is really smooth and intuitive, after playing 5 minute tutorial you are very much ready to kick some ass and chew bubble gum while at it but it does not take away from the complexity of the game that is the waves of enemies. Easy to learn, hard to master would be a perfect saying for this one.

    The waves of enemies, one of the most important factor of the game wouldn't mind some tweaking though. While the enemies themselves are diverse, you are usually grouped with two types at once only, and even then it can be repetitive of what kind of enemies approach.

    Maps are well built and forces one to think even at lower difficulties, which in this modern time and date is only a welcomed feature. And think you can as the game is divided into two phases, buying and battling ones, so there is no haste when you are building stuff. Overall, excellent game.    … Expand
  65. bhtechmech
    Jun 8, 2011
    10
    AWESOME mix of FPS and Tower defense, the best part is on steam they can totally keep patching it with levels and other stuff. There is more to the levels than just defense and shooting, hidden treasure!!!!
  66. Arkem
    Jun 1, 2011
    10
    They have captured the potential this game had with the recent patches and they just keep adding stuff! I have gotten more than 40 hours out of this game that is actually very deep regardless of what the "professional" review sites say.
  67. m0z4m
    May 29, 2011
    10
    An amazingly fun first person shooter tower defense game that will take hours of your time away, especially when playing with friends. A one of a kind game! :)
  68. Blubber
    May 19, 2011
    10
    This game gets better and better. There are now 4 maps in the game and by the looks of official statements from Coffee Stain more free content is in the making. No ETA on 4player mode yet but in the devs list of " what we are working on it right now". Also MP casual mode is much easier than before so anyone should be able to enjoy the later stages in co-op gameplay now. (A review writtenThis game gets better and better. There are now 4 maps in the game and by the looks of official statements from Coffee Stain more free content is in the making. No ETA on 4player mode yet but in the devs list of " what we are working on it right now". Also MP casual mode is much easier than before so anyone should be able to enjoy the later stages in co-op gameplay now. (A review written May 17 that claims the game only has 3 maps looks weird as the fourth map was released in a free patch May 12 and was automatically added through Steam to all (legal) game copies. Please check your facts before publishing reviews.)… Expand
  69. jaredhite1
    May 16, 2011
    9
    A challenging and rewarding game, with a lot of variety in working strategies...You can upgrade your weapons, your towers, or a little of both. Sniping is *crazy* fun in the game. The developers are very active within the community and have responded quickly to community requests. The game has a lot of replayability and is priced just right, so you'll be sure to get great value for your money.
  70. Telamont
    May 16, 2011
    9
    Great game! It shows how it is possible to remake a old idea with originality. Simple, fun and addictive.
    It would be even better with a wider possible choice of turrets and weapons.
  71. Sebster
    May 15, 2011
    10
    It's awful on your own, but a complete blast with friends. There is no co-op like it. Get it. Fantastic game
    Stop reading this review, go out and buy it.
    Go on.
  72. Journeyman
    May 14, 2011
    10
    Good mix of strategy and action. Graphics and theme are reminiscent of an old game Incubation. It looks great and learning curve is not steep. Important part of strategy is to carefully balance investments in base towers and your personal weaponry.
  73. Artamba
    May 13, 2011
    9
    I would not have found this game if it were not for the Yogcast, and what a horrible thing that would've been.

    The gameplay is a unique and a refreshing experience from other games. The music is very well done and the world is BEAUTIFUL!!! Well done on that. Not to mention the easter eggs! They're very fun to find and I think you did a brilliant job on it. What's more is that there    I would not have found this game if it were not for the Yogcast, and what a horrible thing that would've been.

    The gameplay is a unique and a refreshing experience from other games. The music is very well done and the world is BEAUTIFUL!!! Well done on that. Not to mention the easter eggs! They're very fun to find and I think you did a brilliant job on it.

    What's more is that there is a bunch of free DLC coming. That I likes indeed :).

    Great game, get it.    … Expand
  74. Jokr
    May 10, 2011
    7
    Tower Defense meets First person shooter. What sounds maybe a bit weird works perfectly fine together. Tower Defense games usually let you build your towers and then you either watch or use few spells while mostly... watching. In Sanctum you build your defenses and then.... here it goes, actively defend yourself as well. With options to upgrade your own weaponry or the turrets or any sortTower Defense meets First person shooter. What sounds maybe a bit weird works perfectly fine together. Tower Defense games usually let you build your towers and then you either watch or use few spells while mostly... watching. In Sanctum you build your defenses and then.... here it goes, actively defend yourself as well. With options to upgrade your own weaponry or the turrets or any sort of mix in between it offers wide variations of game play. So far there are only 3 maps and only a few modes, what is the only downside of this else really good buy for the price. Once Coffee Stain Studios come up with more content this game easily can climb up into the 8-9 ratings. Talking about the developers, they interact with the community on the steam forums and give insight in their work and feedback on feedback what makes me believe that the game eventually will absolutely reach a state where it arguably deserves at least 8 points from any player who likes tower defense games and gives the game some time. Until then 7/10 points is a fair rating.… Expand
  75. Stardestroyer
    May 4, 2011
    9
    Awesome game that truly sticks to the traditional tower defense concept. The FPS brings you right down into the action but it also adds more depth to the tactical complexity of the TD genre. With the easier game settings it is quite forgiving - you get away with just having a decent long maze path and upgrading whatever towers or you want and point and shoot. However to get anywhere far inAwesome game that truly sticks to the traditional tower defense concept. The FPS brings you right down into the action but it also adds more depth to the tactical complexity of the TD genre. With the easier game settings it is quite forgiving - you get away with just having a decent long maze path and upgrading whatever towers or you want and point and shoot. However to get anywhere far in the higher difficulties and later stages in co-op you need to carefully plan your maze and tower placement as well as choose crowd control strategy and selection of guns. Should I use the freeze gun to spread out the enemies or clump them together? Should I focus on single target sniping, or grenade bomb them with the assault? Which enemies must be taken out first? Which enemies can I safely leave to my towers and which needs to be gunned down? The different enemy types requires you to master different tactics often within the same wave. It is as much a brain-game as it is intense action and the more you play it the more you discover opportunities of improvements of your defenses. Ive ditched 40+ hours in Sanctum and I still feel I have lot of things to learn. On the downside, if you never played tower defense games before or you simply don't find TD gameplay amusing this might not be for you as Sanctum is very true to the traditional TD concept. It might not be a game for everyone but then again - how many games are?

    For a TD fan this is a no-brainer for a measly 15$ or even 12.50$ if you share the 2-pack. If you are on the fence, more content is being created by the developers including new maps, towers and guns. I would like to underline that the devs have been very responsive to users requests and questions about the game and they have delivered patches as promised. Also 4-p co-op is an upcoming feature that should bump Sanctum from being a great game to a superb game.    … Expand
  76. scaledriver
    May 4, 2011
    10
    It combines the best of Tower Defense (planning and building) with the best of First person shooters (fast action). When they add in the 4 player Co-op this game will be the most bang for the buck I've played in years.
  77. Xyne
    Apr 22, 2011
    8
    Very promising game from a similarly promising Indie developer. I have sunk at 28.3 hours in a week as of this review; going so far as to put Portal 2 down to play a map. Outside of some balancing (multiplayer is unforgiving to newcomers, even on "casual") issues, I feel that the foundation of the game's design is solid. Additional balancing as well as the promise of additional game modesVery promising game from a similarly promising Indie developer. I have sunk at 28.3 hours in a week as of this review; going so far as to put Portal 2 down to play a map. Outside of some balancing (multiplayer is unforgiving to newcomers, even on "casual") issues, I feel that the foundation of the game's design is solid. Additional balancing as well as the promise of additional game modes and more content (only three guns, three maps, and six towers so far), this could potentially be the most successful attempt to create a Tower Defense hybrid to date. The FPS shooter elements are solid. Further weapon diversity- weapon modifications would be nice, though not entirely necessary-, character differentiation- it's going to be silly seeing four Skye's running around in 4-player co-op-, and more maps would flesh game out in all of the right ways.… Expand
  78. Jinx
    Apr 22, 2011
    9
    Excellent game. I played the beta for 15 hours, and that wasn't even feature complete. I'm starting in on the full game now, and the other maps seem more complicated and interesting. The mix of first-person shooter and tower defense works well, and navigating to set up your defenses is thankfully a breeze. The defenses are crucial, but you always feel like your own fighting matters. It'sExcellent game. I played the beta for 15 hours, and that wasn't even feature complete. I'm starting in on the full game now, and the other maps seem more complicated and interesting. The mix of first-person shooter and tower defense works well, and navigating to set up your defenses is thankfully a breeze. The defenses are crucial, but you always feel like your own fighting matters. It's one of the best looking indie games out there, and takes full advantage of the Unreal 3 engine. Overall, this would be a great game for $40... for $15 it's a steal, and fans of tower defense strategy games, or FPS fans looking for something new, will find a lot to like here. It's also worth noting that it has a 2-player online co-op mode (4-player soon), and that the developers are active on the Steam forums and working on tweaks and new content. My only complaint would be the save system (one save at a time, and save points aren't for every wave), but it's a minor complaint and likely to be fixed based on community feedback.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Gamer.nl
    Apr 21, 2012
    75
    Sanctum is one of the most innovative tower defense games to date. The player discovers new play styles time and time again through a varied mix of first person shooting and placing towers. The cooperative mode makes the multiplayer last for a long time to boot.
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  2. Absolute Games
    Oct 17, 2011
    57
    I hope that future patches and expansions will fix the game, since right now Sanctum brings only headaches instead of joy.
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  3. GamingXP
    Sep 9, 2011
    70
    Really just a quick game for LAN parties as there's no long-term motivation. But wait and see what the future holds: Coffee Saint Studios has announced there'll be numerous improvements to esure the game won't win the title of most beautiful indie game on the market not just for the graphics.
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