There’s an archetype that Tower Defense games adhere to, and Defense Grid is no exception. Waves of enemy units travel unimpeded along a path until players build towers to suppress them. Strategy is called for by the stipulation that, while towers can be built to redirect the enemy’s path (“mazing,” colloquially), towers can’t outright block the enemy’s path. Both units and towers have their respective strengths and weaknesses, so tower selection matters as much as tower placement.

But aside from fulfilling this archetype, Defense Grid distinguishes itself through its campaign and narrative; uncharacteristic of Tower Defense games, it has them. An amnesiac A.I. with a penchant for raspberries rediscovers its purpose and the world it’s forgotten as it accompanies us over a twenty level campaign. It also introduces us to each of Defense Grid’s ten towers, to the Orbital Laser, and to the invading alien enemy that is trying to steal its power cores. The A.I. is also a source of commentary, whether it be encouragement, remarks about the enemies, or just a humorous interjection.

Defese Grid pleases on all fronts: it looks great (I was surprised to learn that it’s built on the Gamebryo engine), it’s well balanced (which was no wonder once I learned its creator was the lead designer of Age of Empires II), and it has [artificial] personality. If you’re skeptical toward or curious about Tower Defense games, I recommend you play Defense Grid: The Awakening; it’s the genre’s greatest step toward legitimacy.

Defense Grid: The Awakening can be purchased from Steam for $9.99.

Thanks to Pyroman[FO]‘s post at GamersWithJobs.com for pointing this game out.

Earlier this week I rewrote my Painkiller article to be consistent with the Cheap Gaming posts we write today. Have a look.

The first Cheap Gaming post that I wrote about an MMO will also be our first Cheap Gaming post to expire. This news is disheartening as Dungeon Runners is not a bad MMO, and worse games have succeeded. Dungeon Runners game servers will be on until the new year, so treat yourself to playing before it’s too late.

The skill-based progression Cryptic is describing sounds similar to how I remember Star Wars: Galaxies’ progression to be (pre-revamp). I didn’t play SW:G for long, but I admired its skill system for the freedom it gave players to gradually shape their character’s class.

It’s old footage that wasn’t meant for public view, but I am glad to know that a sequel to The Witcher is coming, however unceremonious the reveal was.

I didn’t buy Trine for $30 because I felt it was expensive and I wasn’t sure I would have fun playing it by myself. Now, a few days before its price dropped to $20 on Steam, there’s news that it will be a part of my GameTap subscription — and just in time for my transition to Windows 7 64-bit. Score!

Just as its predecessor in 2007, Skate 2 is on track to being my favorite game of 2009. It’s definitely the game I’ve played the most, so I’m predictably glad to hear of another sequel. Some are saying it’s too soon, but the release cycle is consistent so far — about 15 months between each game (Sept. 2007, Jan. 2009, May 2010). Unless you weren’t satisfied with Skate 2′s improvements on Skate, there’s no precedent for concern yet.

The British stars of Ben There, Dan That! are its own creators, Ben Ward and Dan Marshall. In the real world, Dan handles the coding, the art, and co-writes along with Ben. Within the game, Ben does almost all the heavy lifting while Dan keeps him company, offers funny asides, and stands by for when such erudite tasks as flipping light switches need managing. The latter of which, admittedly, is infrequent; in this particular adventure, Ben and Dan visit a number of parallel realities, most of which are well-lit. What these realities lack in their demand for light fixture manipulation, they make up for in such anomalies as an ever-displaced London skyline, soccer hooligans, zombies, and tolerance for wanton murder.

It usually bothers me when a game breaks the fourth wall, but in Ben There, Dan That! it delights me. Ben and Dan use self-aware self-referential dialogue to carry their game’s plot, to make callbacks to their influences, and to inject some levity into what would otherwise be some truly grim situations. They break the fourth wall with vigor, as a device. They do this all for free; they’re good guys. Good guys deserve compensation, so consider donating some money if you download, play, and enjoy their game.

[Update 8/25/09: Ben There, Dan That! is now available on Steam as a bundle with its sequel Time Gentlemen, Please! for $4.99. This is about what it costs to purchase TGP from Zombie Cow's website (after GBP-to-USD conversion), so BTDT is still free.]

• No more ads!
• We’ve added shadows to the game. You’ll notice a new graphics configuration option to control the quality level of the shadows.
• PvP is now allowed on all worlds. There are no more PvP worlds.
• All Unique and Mythic drops are now Membership Required. Kings Coin purchases are, as always, usable by anyone.

While non-paying customers lose access to some upper tier items, they’ll no longer have an ad eating up screen real estate. I logged in to get a look at the new shadows (they look great) and about half of my items were ineffectual, but I think losing the ad is a fair compromise. Besides, I wouldn’t sweat five dollars per month if I were to play regularly again.

The story begins with Raz sneaking into summer camp. You know, the one where it’s actually a secret government training ground for psychic soldiers, also known as Psychonauts. Consequently, his dad is called to pick him up, so Raz is determined to train as much as possible before that happens. What Raz doesn’t know yet is that he’s more special than the other kids at the camp (and trust me, there’s some “special” kids there). What’s more, it’s the start of an adventure only a madman like Tim Schafer could produce.

As in other platformers, you start out with basic actions: double-jump, attack, etc. Over time you’ll gain useful psychic abilities and purchase a number of handy gadgets, each offering unique ways to attack, solve puzzles, gather collectibles, or reach new areas. Some of the item collection is practical, but for those that love the challenge of finding every little “figment” in all the hard to reach corners, there’s plenty of that and with suitable rewards.

The exploration of minds is the meat of Psychonauts as well as the greatest source of nostalgia for fans. Each brain is unique and eccentric: an abstract projection of their personal psychoses. This constant change of scenery serves to keep Psychonauts exciting and fascinating throughout.

Gameplay excerpts from the first hour

Click here to view the embedded video.

Optionally, you can play along with podcasters from 1up FM’s backlog (now Rebel FM Game Club). It’s like a book club for video games. If you choose to do so, start listening after you finish the first two brain trainings (at least). Each backlog is at the end of the podcast, usually about three fourths of the way in. The podcasts and backlog starting times are as follows:

1. part one @ ~1:09:25
2. part two @ ~1:16:10
3. part three @ ~1:23:00
4. part four @ ~1:15:05
5. a bonus backlog with Tim Schafer @ ~1:13:35.

Psychonauts is available on a number of platforms, but I recommend either buying it on Steam for $9.99 or using Gametap’s subscription service. However, you’re in luck, because for a limited time you can play the game free on Gametap! Now, git!