I've completed the campaign. Well, what do I have to say.
Vez'nan rulez
Being honest, I find this part a really good one! Some strange feeling inside me says there's something oddly wrong about it, perhaps it's just because the last time I've had the feeling of playing a new KR game was 4 years ago.
I like a lot that the devs don't stand still and play with game mechanics. New meteor shower analogue - Vez'nan's micro Death Star - first seemed a little dull, but after I saw its upgrades I was greatly surprised how cool they are. Just awesome.
Nothing especially new with reinforcements, that's OK. They just need to be reinforcements. The idea of choosing between 1 of 2 advanced upgrades for them - either melee or ranged warriors - is very interesting though. A really nice feature to try out.
No more encyclopedia, seriously? Why, just why!? What was wrong with the encyclopedia, just what was, Ironhide? :c It was such a nice thingy... I was OK with its absence in Iron Marines as it was a different game, but no encyclopedia in a Kingdom Rush game... Such a shame...
Brilliant refreshing feature - now there are more than 4 towers, 16, to be more correct, 11 of which are free and 5 are IAP (but you can try them out for free in heroic and iron challenges). It's really nice, though sometimes some of them seemed similiar to each other.
First 2 chapters are nice, I love the vibe of conquering everything under the authority of Vez'nan, his monologues after every chapter. Sometimes it's good to be evil, I guess.
What I really did love, is a bunch of new GREAT ideas. Dwarf minecarts! Mauser and mecha factories! Troll baracks! Jokulla is a boss that can't actually get past your frontier and instead disturbs your towers so other enemies can pass. And that you should use goblin cannons to wipe her out! And, boy, chapter three is an absolutely another feel!
Chapter three. Linirea. These are one of the best chapters in the whole saga, IMHO! First we get able to pop sheeps again, but this time, there is an ANGRY FARMER! Which gets angry at you after you kill his sheeps with your god powers, has 1500 HP and is eagering to have his vengeance!
And the next levels, they just marveled me. A little sadness they did bring to me, too. They're great with all new stage towers and ides, aka spiders, brigands and bandits, hut golems, etc., but, it was sad to see the 'heroes' in such forme. They've became so pathetic, except for Alleria. Gerald, Magnus, Denas... They seemed so pitiful. Like Vez'nan said, faded reflections of past themselves. I thought so because,... They were so passive, apathic. Stagnant ingorants, that's what they've become. Also I didn't quite understand why is Vez'nan actually so evil. I mean, he summons demons, yeah, but at least this dude does something except for lying on sofa (which every 'good guy' we encounter does). It seems stagnation is everything the goodies knew.
And the final chapter. My low bow to its designers. It's just incredible! The only thing I find weird is those Paragons (i don't quite understand who they are, why there are three of them and why they're all identical ). But... 2-phase level design... Denas and Vez'nan's dialogue... King's artillery. And heck, Ironhide, you actually reversed the gameplay at the end of the game! You turned tower defence into tower siege, and we have to cover the big bad demon while he tries to enter Denas' castle! Magnificent.
What's only sad on this (and all others) level is that the music is quite and inexpressive. It was more dynamic and sensual in previous chapters. Dunno, that's just MHO.
Anyway, I had a great time with that game. Thank you Ironhide Studio. Love you and can't wait to see what's the next thing you've saved for us <3
P.S.: I wonder what happened at the ending? Which place Denas was teleported to? Why did he have a creepy basement and why was there some sort of supa-dupa artefact with four, ehem, shiny red crystalls attached? Speculations, speculations, my dearest speculations... I missed you...