Tower defense games differ from your typical strategy titles. In most examples of the genre, enemies follow a fixed path while the player builds stationary defenses to destroy them before they reach their goal. Units often specialize in short range burst damage or multi-target attacks, and success comes from efficient placement.
Anomaly: Warzone Earth flips that concept on its head. Instead of defending a path, you escort a convoy through one. It is a tower offense game, and you take on the role of a commander responsible for guiding and supporting your units as they move through hostile territory.
Story and Presentation
Anomaly: Warzone Earth follows the familiar alien invasion theme. Upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, an alien ship breaks into two pieces. One crashes in Baghdad, the other in Tokyo. The player begins by exploiting a weak point in the shield that one of the alien structures has erected over a city.
The opening cutscene starts strong, presented through military style footage of gunships and radar screens tracking events in real time. However, once the player’s squad is introduced, the pacing abruptly shifts, leaving a slightly disjointed feeling. It is not disastrous, but it does momentarily break immersion.
The Commander and Support Modules
You play as the Commander, a soldier equipped with an advanced combat suit that grants unique abilities. These include increased movement speed, temporary damage reduction, and access to deployable support modules. A neat visual touch is that the back of the suit mirrors the module deployment layout seen in the interface.
Modules are the key to success. You can deploy:
- Smokescreens
- Decoys
- Airstrikes
- Repair beacons
Each module is limited and must be placed strategically. They expire after a set duration, or in the case of decoys, after sustaining enough damage. Resources are replenished by destroying enemies or reaching checkpoints, though drops are randomized and not guaranteed.
While the Commander provides support, the convoy handles the offensive power. Unit variety is strong:
- APCs act as durable frontline vehicles.
- Shield units project protection to adjacent vehicles.
- The Dragon tank specializes in area fire damage.
With six convoy slots available, players can experiment with creative and survivable formations. Strategic positioning and route planning become essential.
Visuals and Audio
The overhead perspective offers a clear view of the battlefield. 11 bit studios put significant effort into detailing the urban environments. The cities feel lived in and convincingly war torn. The limited zoom prevents close inspection of individual units, but the overall battlefield readability remains strong.
Voice acting is well delivered by a British cast, and the script is generally solid. Occasionally, emotional transitions feel abrupt, with dialogue shifting tone without much buildup.
Sound design stands out. Cannon blasts from Behemoth turrets and the crackling flames of the Dragon tank are impactful and satisfying. Unfortunately, repetition sets in over extended play sessions.
Controls and Interface
Core controls are straightforward. Moving the Commander and deploying modules feels intuitive. The route planning interface, however, can be frustrating on larger maps. Selecting precise waypoints sometimes results in unintended route changes.
The unit buy and sell interface also presents a minor issue. It is easy to accidentally sell a unit when attempting to upgrade it. These are irritations rather than deal breakers, but they are noticeable.
On the positive side, the game runs smoothly. There are no significant bugs or glitches, and the learning curve is accessible without sacrificing depth.
Challenge and Replay Value
Anomaly’s missions are challenging in a satisfying way. Escorting your convoy through increasingly hostile territory delivers consistent tension. Additional modes such as Baghdad Mayhem and Tokyo Raid provide alternative challenges beyond the main campaign.
Difficulty settings and score chasing add replay value. Players can revisit missions to improve rankings on global leaderboards. The inclusion of two player cooperative play further extends longevity, allowing two Commanders to support the same convoy.
Hardcore players may complete the story on the highest difficulty in roughly 5 to 10 hours. Casual players can expect more time by experimenting with formations, difficulty levels, and challenge modes.
How to Play Today
- Original Hardware: Playable on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 via original discs or digital purchases where still accessible.
- Modern Re-releases: Frequently bundled in strategy collections and available on modern console storefronts depending on platform support.
- PC Availability: Available digitally on Steam and other PC storefronts. Runs well on modern Windows systems.
- Other Options: Mobile versions on iOS and Android provide a portable way to experience the campaign.
Score Conversion Note
The original review score of 4.1 has been converted to the current 0.0 to 5.0 scale and standardized to the nearest 0.5 increment.