Cyber TD Switch Review
Here’s an admission, I don’t recall ever playing a tower defense game, and when I saw Cyber TD in the upcoming release section of the E-shop, it didn’t really register on my radar at first. Thankfully, it did ping eventually, and I’m so glad it did because now I have a new genre to enjoy, as well as an addictive “one more round” Tower defense game with Cyber TD.
Cyber TD is set inside a mainframe and your mission is to defend the core by destroying viruses as they plod along a path with the objective of destroying it. Destroy it they will as Cyber TD is rogue-like in nature, seeing you evolve, much like the viruses you combat, eventually defending against more waves. It’s unique in the sense that there’s only one tower, which you can reposition out of the gameplay, and eventually upgrade it. It’s a slow burn the first few rounds as the game introduces mechanics and abilities to further help you in your defense, including the unique deck-building aspect of the game. There’s a hub in between games where you can customise your tower, sort decks, access weekly missions, and online leaderboards.
With each game, you earn XP to level up, and with each level, you unlock 4 cards to bolster your deck. Eventually, you will build that deck around your gameplay style whether you favour blasters, missiles, abilities, or all of them. The customisation of your tower means that no playthroughs are the same and I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with new decks, with some faring better than others.
It’s this freeform experimentation that makes the game so fun, and you need to adapt in-game with your deck in hand as well. Should you favour range over damage early on? Or do you attempt to get some rare cards to enhance your firing rate? Enemies change with each round forcing you to question your decisions. One time, I favoured damage over fire rate, only to have fast, motorbike-style enemies charge my core and end the round. Another time, I didn’t quite have the range when 2 streams of enemies opened up, meaning I was overrun at the bottleneck. Losing these rounds didn’t discourage me, only spurred me on to go back through my deck, and optimise it some more… until I ran into a shielded boss, and had to mix up my strategy the next time around.
While working back up to where you were might sound like a chore, there are speed options to fast forward battles, allowing you to smash through the rounds quickly. You can also slow things down if you feel overwhelmed, allowing a bit of forgiveness when using abilities.
All of this is presented in a slick, Matrix/Tron art style that suits the setting of the game. It looks great, runs smoothly, and is backed by a funky synth wave soundtrack that matches the action of the game. Enemy designs are varied and as you progress further in the game, you will be able to identify their strength and weaknesses knowing whether to use abilities of not. You are also assisted by a fully voice-acted robot assistant who has his own… battles to contend with. While I was put off by them at first, I started to enjoy the banter of my robot friend while trying to defend the core. Accessibility options allow the player to increase the size of the UI, as well as display the enemy paths, making them a bit easier to see.
There is online Multiplayer (with no Matchmaking, so bring some friends) as well as online leaderboards and weekly challenges. As this review was written pre-launch, I was unable to test these features. The Multiplayer modes on offer are Co-op, Versus (where you compete to defeat the most enemies, and the really interesting “Community Clash” which allows Twitch audiences to take control of deciding how the rest of your game will unfold.
Cyber TD is a frantic and fun Tower Defense game with some unique twists that make strategy and adaptation on the fly a must. It’s “just one more play” addictiveness will keep you returning, and deck building will keep you invested as no two playthroughs are the same. It’s fast, fun, and if you’ll excuse me, I have a core to defend…
So What’s it Like?
Cyber TD is a cross between being set in the world of Tron, mixed with the deck building of Hearthstone.
In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by Clockwork Origins. This does not impact my score.