Fans of tower defense should feel lucky; it seems like we get at least one marquee release every month. Following this trend is iBomber Defense Pacific [$2.99], sequel to Cobra’s iBomber Defense [$2.99] and the latest Chillingo TD title. Building on everything we loved in the original, Pacific does a great job adding new gameplay twists while fine-tuning the traditional TD formula that has made the genre so popular.
From a gameplay perspective, iBomber Defense Pacific is a great mix of old and new tower defense elements that combine to create an experience that is far more ‘interactive’ than most traditional TD titles. Like its predecessor, Pacific still has the armor/tower repair mechanic (along with the rewind function), as well as the standard tower archetypes and upgrade levels. Pacific changes up some of the tower names, but they’re really nothing new and should be instantly be familiar for all TD veterans. New to the mix, however, is the ‘Dig In’ mechanic, which is a good addition and puts a greater emphasis on micromanagement and strategy.
By telling a tower to dig in, you can increase the range, damage, and armor of the tower but at the sacrifice of vision (instead of attacking from all angles, a frontal cone becomes your only attack range). However, you can rotate the tower’s cone of range at any time which basically provides an inexpensive (and significant) upgrade to your towers, assuming you can effectively manage your aiming.
I’m a huge fan of this mechanic because it feels like tower defense finally has a nice supplemental mechanic that rewards extra interaction. This is also shown in the ‘Bomb’ tower, which is a passive tower that slowly builds bombs that can be dropped on any part of the map. These sorts of interactive elements are certainly not unique to Pacific, but the quality in which they’re implemented is something not usually seen.
Other nice additions include a ‘perk system’ that allows players to assign three perks that range from starting with more money to faster tower targeting (and are unlockable via a variety of objectives). Pacific also greatly expands on the ‘Victory Point’ leveling system from the original – allowing for a bit more customizability and thus strategic play styles.
Besides gameplay, most other aspects of Pacific share the same devotion to detail that Cobra has provided in the past. Visuals are fast, fluid and colorful, although the backdrops at this point aren’t as special as the original. Maps start off simple and end up large and hectic, with some missions having you defend on multiple fronts including simultaneous land, water, and air attacks. Three difficulties, multiple objectives per map, and bonus missions provide a wealth of replayability. Even the sound effects are well done, especially when heard via headphones.
Complaints in iBomber Defense Pacific are few and usually limited to minor issues such as the occasional miscue when trying to rotate your dug in tower and a few random crashes. The biggest issue, however, deals with the lack of a mid-mission save state outside of keeping the game in memory. Considering the fact that iOS devices love to quit apps while multitasking, this is a glaring omission and could lead to a lot of lost progress if you quit the game before completing a mission. Players looking for a striking narrative will also need to look elsewhere, as Pacific offers the bare minimum in story to keep the action going.
Still, you’re not going to be playing a game like iBomber Defense Pacific for the story. You’re going to play it because you’re looking for the next big TD game to get your fix. In this regard, Pacific offers nearly everything you need for an enjoyable and deep tower defense game.
