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Unstoppable Gorg
You may not have heard
of Finnish developer Futuremark, and that wouldn't be surprising. Known
mostly for their benchmark applications, the company's game development
arm has only previously released "Shattered Horizon", a first-person
shooter that was well regarded by critics. In that game, Futuremark
sought to revolutionize first-person shooters with the development of a
non-gravity environment. With this new title, Futuremark looks to create
a smaller-budget game that likewise applies a gameplay twist to its
genre.
The main innovation that Unstoppable Gorg brings to
the table is the ability to move your defense units. You might think
that would make the whole experience too easy, but there's a catch -
defense units(in this case satellites) must be set up at specific points
along a circular orbital route around your base, and you can only move
them along that orbital route... and any other units you've set up along
that route move with it. In this way, moving one of your satellites is
like sliding an entire line of units around on the map, and you must
plan your strategies accordingly.
Unstoppable Gorg has a decent amount of polish,
employing a pulpy 50's sci-fi flavor that makes an already addictive
tower defense model even more enjoyable. The menus flow smoothly, the
effects are sufficient, and the system requirements are quite
reasonable. There's nothing to complain about here.
A number of game modes are available, from Story Mode
to Arcade (never ending waves of aliens) and Challenge Mode, where
missions with special restrictions and altered gameplay mechanics can be
found. There is no form of multiplayer, however, which would have been a
nice touch. Unstoppable Gorg offers several difficulty levels, allowing
you to work your way into this surprisingly complex system at your own
pace. This also adds a nice degree of replay value. Like most games in
the genre, you will start out with only the most basic attack unit, but
more become available at a steady pace as you progress through the
storyline.
Speaking of the storyline, it's totally in line with
the theme - retro and cheesy. The short cut scenes between levels are
always worth watching and go just to the edge of absurdity without going
overboard. Appropriate music accentuates these tidbits as well as the
levels and menus, thankfully without becoming too repetitive.
Unstoppable Gorg is one of those games that keep my
faith in indie development high. Sure, there are a lot of losers out
there being developed every day, but there are still plenty of nuggets
to be found, games where the design team has clearly put forth the
effort to make something worth playing. The tower defense genre has been
growing strong and if you're addicted, I suggest you check out
Unstoppable Gorg on Steam and give it a try.
- Josh Waters |
