Im not a huge fan of most big name strategy games, but this one really grabbed my interest and i was happy with it the whole way thru. Not sure if its only true of the Apple Arcade editions but i really enjoyed the economics of XP and things (there are no in game purchases plus the rates you accumulate coins and hero XP are so perfectly tuned. It really made the whole thing enjoyable when I would feel like i was about to be shaken down by some sketch-o app devs making me pay to play to get passed some ridiculously difficult level and find that wasnt the case here, i just needed to try a few alternative strats and, while it might be challenging, wasnt going to be stuck for weeks with constant reminders that i can just pay up and skip over this one. No, this game is awesome i think the devs have a great sense of humor too with the wooly mammoth that takes a dump when you click him. hah.

One of the best strategy games I’ve seen in a while. It is difficult and makes you think about tower placements at every level. I do suggest changing the troop tower and every tower for that matter. The troops are too weak until later in the game it’s self and absolutely are too weak in late game. I use them to stop the progression of the enemy so my strong hitting towers can do something. The problem is I have to put 3 or 4 of the troop towers and one or two hard hitting towers (usually archers, for the speed), and that was the majority of the game. I think there should be an option to have weak troops on every tower and on the regular troop towers have the option to have more troops and maybe tweak the damage because of how many troops there will be.

Update from 3 stars to 5. Despite its issues I genuinely enjoyed it. Take a break if a level is too tough.+ Before Emberspike the game is well balanced and varying levels offer a nice challenge. Enemies are diverse and force varying building setups. Heroes feel weighty and can change the tide when placed well. Specific strategies WILL get you through levels.- The game suffers from an insane difficulty spike later on. Heroes end up being unbalanced in later games (I'm looking at you, pirate.) Challenge forces SIGNIFICANT grind to purchase items which messes with pacing and halts all meaningful progress. Boss mechanic/strategy comes from nowhere. Beating levels require a 20+ minute battle with no save progress or checkpoint system throughout and if you lose then tough luck.

I like this version better than the original Kingdom Rush (which I also enjoy). It’s so hard to find great TD games in the App Store (Castle Creeps is another that I enjoyed). Imaginative levels with lovely animation. Lots of replayability, as each level has 3 challenges once you unlock them after beating the regular battle mode. It’s fun discovering the special hero abilities and deciding which ones to use for a given level. There are some issues that would make it better. Why are most of the heroes locked until after you beat all the main levels, instead of progressively unlocking them? Why are most of the heroes useless? I enjoy trying them out, but end up going back to the same ones that actually help defeat levels. All in all, I love this game and have spent many hours playing. I’m close to beating all levels fully! But not quite! I try to find ways to get through levels without using special items. I may have to break down and use them, since some of these levels are impossible!