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Unstoppable Gorg

Score: 84%
ESRB: Not Rated
Publisher: Futuremark Games Studio
Developer: Futuremark Games Studio
Media: Download/1
Players: 1
Genre: Action/ Strategy

Graphics & Sound:

When a genre proves popular, such as Tower Defense, "Me Too" games are always sure to follow. While there are exceptions, most tend to follow the formula too closely, presenting something that is way too familiar to be any fun. Unstoppable Gorg is a rare bird in this sense. Though it suffers from some issues, it dares to step outside normal Tower Defense conventions.

If you knew what "Klaatu Barada Nikto" meant before Ash uttered these words, you'll love Unstoppable Gorg's presentation. The game absolutely revels in 1950's sci-fi. Ship designs are right out of the era - the only thing missing is the fishing line suspending them in air. While the technical aspects aren't anything to get excited over, the visual style is still enjoyable and a lot of fun. Even the audio has fun with the theme.

Between levels, you're treated to cutscenes presented in the same style as classic sci-fi movies. The story makes little to no sense and isn't something you'll want to follow, but they will bring a much-needed moment of laughter.


Gameplay:

Unstoppable Gorg is a different sort of Tower Defense game. Though it contains all of the elements usually associated with the genre - towers, enemies and limited resources - it also adds the additional challenge of limiting where you can place your defenses. While it may sound like a hindrance, the limitation is oddly liberating.

Levels are designed around orbiting satellites. Each round, a mothership will launch a series of enemies, which follow a particular path towards the "base" at the center of the orbiting defenses. Unlike other Tower Defense games, the paths the ships take will vary, requiring you to rotate and adjust your orbital defenses to match the incoming invaders.

It's a novel idea and, after a steep learning curve, adds a really cool puzzle element to an otherwise static play mechanic. Although at its core, Unstoppable Gorg is still a Tower Defense game, shifting defenses in orbit adds a frantic puzzle mechanic. There's rarely a moment where you can sit back and just watch as things happen. You have to keep your attention locked not just on what is already working its way through the pipeline, but also look ahead to what is coming next and where it is coming from.

Campaign is joined by Arcade and Challenge Modes. Arcade is all about survival. Ships keep coming and you need to see how long you can survive. With Challenge, you replay Campaign missions, but with addition restrictions. Both are fun, but only if you like the core gameplay. It's a nice change of pace, but introduces a few new difficulty problems.


Difficulty:

Tower Defense games - or at least the good ones -- are usually difficult, but Unstoppable Gorg tends to drift towards frustration. You're never given an indication of what type of ship you might be facing next. This is an issue since you're never completely sure of what sort of defenses to place or how many you'll need. Considering you have a few stops, real estate is at a premium. I never ran into a situation where I felt cheated, but placements were usually way off, requiring extra orbit spinning and a lot of luck to survive.

As you can imagine, Unstoppable Gorg is pure trial-and-error gameplay, so if the "rinse and repeat" concept doesn't sound fun, this isn't a game for you. It's as simple as that. The only way to figure out where to place defenses or how to best use them is you have to lose a few times and keep trying out different formations.

And to think, we haven't even talked about resource collection yet.


Game Mechanics:

Resource gathering is vital to any sort of success you might experience during a level, though you'll have to get really creative if you want to get the most out of your funds. Although you earn resources by killing enemies, most of your income comes from resource satellites. These are not cheap and will drain your funds if you aren't careful. Once you unlock better defensive structures, you'll find a way to make due with fewer resource satellites, but getting there isn't easy. You'll either need to figure out a way to find a balance of resource satellites and defenses, or build lots of resource satellites and work your weaker defenses to the breaking point. Either strategy works, though it will take a while to figure out how to best do it.

Research points offer a quick boost to your defenses by allowing for upgrades. The problem is, generating research requires special satellites that take up valuable defensive space. The upgrades are worth it, but again you'll have to figure out a way to balance everything out, which can be a pain. Do you hamper your defenses, or cut into funding?

Despite its frustrations, Unstoppable Gorg is a fun game, but only if you're a strategy-minded player that doesn't mind numerous, futile replays just to figure out what works best. If you're a casual Tower Defense player, this probably isn't an undertaking you'll want to take on, though if you want a little more action, it's something you'll likely enjoy.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

Minimum System Requirements:



Pentium 4 2.0 GHz or equivalent; GeForce 6600 GT 256MB or equivalent; 1 GB RAM; Windows XP; Direct-X 9; 2 GB HDD Space
 

Test System:



Windows Vista; 2 GHz Dual-Core processor; 2 Gig RAM; DVD drive; 120 GB HDD; GeForce Go7600

Windows The Blackwell Bundle Microsoft Xbox 360 Scarygirl

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated