Tower defense games in virtual reality are always a mixed bag. There is no perfect game in this genre so far, even though some of the available offerings are more than mediocre. Alchemist Defender VR is another take on this tried and test game genre. The game is available for both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift at the price of $17.99. While this is not the best game of the bunch, it’s not entirely terrible either.
Alchemy Defender VR is Very Basic
After playing VR tower defense games for more hours than we would like to admit, it has become difficult to impress us with something new. Alchemy Defender VR makes a valiant attempt at doing so, as it is not just a tower defense game. There are some first-person combat elements interwoven into the game, which is pretty interesting. It certainly makes for a unique gameplay approach, as getting a hands-on approach with enemies feels rather satisfying. There is no requirement to use both methods of gameplay, but it is a nice addition regardless.
Moving around in Alchemy Defender VR is done through blink teleportation. This form of locomotion can be found in many different VR games, yet never seems to work all that well. In this game, it is a bad choice by the developers, as it feels out of sync with the otherwise fast-paced gameplay. An interesting choice, but one that annoyed us more than anything else. There are no options to change the locomotion either, which is a big problem.
Alchemy Defender VR has very basic gameplay as well. While it is not overly easy or difficult whatsoever, there is no storyline, little variation – other than enemy models – and no NPCs to interact with. It feels like the developers simply ran out of time or ideas to finish this game, which is pretty disappointing. This shallow approach ruins the entire aspect of tower defense games, although the actual combat is pretty satisfying.
This doesn’t mean you won’t have fun playing Alchemy Defender VR. It provides a decent enough gameplay to even warrant some replayability. However, there are other aspects which certainly lack, and there is not that much content, to begin with, either. With no upgrades, progression system, and no multiplayer, it is hard to give this game full marks on anything. It is a mediocre tower defense game with a unique gameplay, but that is all there is to it in the end.
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