Beware Planet Earth

About

"Beware Planet Earth! Lightmare 2014" is a real-time strategy game where players must defend their home planet from an alien invasion. Utilize a variety of towers and upgrades to repel the extraterrestrial forces and save humanity. With multiple modes and challenges, players must balance resource management and strategic planning to emerge victorious.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 190 reviews

story6 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game is fun and engaging, with a charming art style and humorous elements that keep players entertained.
It offers a unique twist on the tower defense genre by incorporating direct player involvement through the zapper gun, adding a layer of strategy and action.
The game features various modes and challenges, including a Veteran mode that provides a satisfying level of difficulty for seasoned players.

Many players find the game to be a repetitive and uninspired clone of Plants vs. Zombies, lacking originality and depth.
The gameplay can become overly hectic and frustrating, especially in later levels, leading to a feeling of being overwhelmed rather than enjoying the strategy.
There are technical issues, such as bugs that prevent players from picking up items or cause the game to crash, which detracts from the overall experience.

story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
63%
13%
The game's story is described as simple and lacking in depth, with some players finding it enjoyable yet repetitive towards the end. While it offers a variety of challenge levels and gameplay mechanics, the overall narrative and storytelling elements are considered weak, making it more suitable for casual play rather than a compelling story experience. Additionally, technical issues and luck-based challenges detract from the overall enjoyment of the story mode.
- “Has a nice little story, and also has veteran difficulty if you find the base game too easy.”
- “There are some different types of challenge levels throughout the story mode, where I would like to just skip the one that I find no fun at all (maid raid), and get more of the one I like best (back to basics).”
- “Try the free demo, it has 7 or so levels from different spots in the story mode, so you get to see easy and somewhat tougher levels in shorter time, giving you a good idea of what to expect in the full version.”
- “No distinguishing features, no real storytelling, but if you need to kill an hour or so... you could do better with ten bucks.”
- “After (only!!!) 1/4 of the story, it goes from having to play a level twice to save all cows to impossible.”
- “There are many times when the determining factor on whether you beat a mission is almost purely luck.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The gameplay is characterized by its engaging and challenging tower defense mechanics, especially on veteran mode, which keeps players actively involved through the use of a versatile zapper and various inventive game elements. While the initial levels may feel repetitive, the game evolves as players unlock new functions for their weapons, offering depth and a unique twist compared to traditional tower defense games. The smaller maps and limited tower range introduce a different strategic dynamic, ensuring that players remain engaged without long periods of inactivity.
- “Very well made tower defense game with challenging gameplay (if you play on veteran mode).”
- “Don't be fooled by all those colors: there is actually quite a bit of depth poured into the gameplay, and the zapper makes sure you basically never sit idle (on the contrary, you must constantly decide if/what to boost or explode). This is where it differs from many other tower defense games: apart from building towers and picking up resources, you are always active with what is basically a multi-tool; there's not much waiting involved.”
- “The game really begins to shine when the gun becomes a primary element that performs many different gameplay functions.”
- “This limitation is entirely arbitrary and artificial to the gameplay value.”
- “After the first ten levels, gameplay just continues on the same.”
- “Gameplay-wise, there's something I found rather odd at first for a tower defense game: compared to mostly every other tower defense game I have ever played, the maps are rather small, and towers have very limited range (basically just 3 squares).”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
23%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their polished, cute, and cartoonish style, reminiscent of classic titles like Plants vs. Zombies. Reviewers appreciate the vibrant visuals and animations, which enhance the overall fun and humor of the gameplay, making it an engaging experience despite its challenging nature. The art style effectively captures a whimsical 1950s alien theme, contributing to the game's nostalgic appeal.
- “It looks like a tower defense game and it is a very polished game in terms of visuals; I'll give it credit there because that's why I bought it.”
- “The graphics and humor hit the right spot for me.”
- “Fun tower defense time waster, with cool graphics and a cartoony 1950s aliens theme.”
- “Do not let the cute graphics fool you, the aliens will hand you your butt on a platter if you do not plan carefully.”
- “There's a whole bunch of animations, graphics, easter eggs, you name it.”
- “It looks like a tower defense and it is a very polished game in terms of visuals and I'll give it credit there because that's why I bought it.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it cute and funny, particularly enjoying quirky characters like the toilet-dwelling Barney and amusing elements like laughing cows. While the game offers lighthearted humor suitable for casual players, it also presents challenging gameplay that appeals to those seeking strategic depth. However, some players note that the humor can become repetitive over time.
- “If you like light tower defense games, with humor and nice visuals, this is a very good product.”
- “Oh yes, the only thing you need to know is that if you love the gameplay and the humor, you will love this. Don't let it fool you, the veteran mode will give you a run for your money.”
- “The cows made me laugh as soon as I got into the game.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its catchy tunes while others criticize it as the worst they've encountered, likening it to outdated Commodore 64 tracks. Overall, the music seems to evoke strong opinions, ranging from enjoyment to disappointment.
- “The graphics are cute and really fun, and the music is cool too.”
- “Nice music tune.”
- “Aliens do a variety of things, make portals, rocket jump, destroy your defense, shields, and play music.”
- “The second thing to make clear is that this game has the worst music I have ever heard in a video game, going all the way back to the Commodore 64 era.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of "Beware Planet Earth" to be tedious and uninspired, often describing it as a basic and straightforward experience. However, some reviewers note that the game incorporates strategic elements that enhance gameplay, such as affecting enemy shields and boosting tower capabilities, which adds depth to the otherwise repetitive mechanics.
- “Beware: Planet Earth is the most basic, simple, straightforward, uninspired, copycat, utterly tedious game on Steam.”
- “I thought it was just a tedious laser to shoot stuff with while trying to build defenses, but it actually adds a layer of strategy, as it doesn't just damage the enemies; it lowers shields and causes other status changes, and supercharges particular towers.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have reported experiencing glitches and occasional freezing, particularly when exiting full screen mode, indicating stability issues within the game.
- “I experienced some glitches in the game.”
- “Sometimes it freezes when you exit full screen.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the emotional aspect of the game to be nostalgic and heartwarming, likening it to the joy of watching classic cartoons from Tex Avery and Hanna-Barbera. This connection evokes a sense of comfort and pleasant memories, enhancing the overall experience.