Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,824 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • humor
Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten Game Cover
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Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten is a strategic tower defense game with RPG elements. You command a party of characters with unique abilities to defend against hordes of monsters attacking from all sides. The game features a detailed story, challenging levels, and a variety of upgrades to customize your characters' abilities. Gameplay involves strategic positioning and timely use of character skills to survive increasingly difficult waves of enemies.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Gog Com
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,824 reviews
story467 positive mentions
grinding105 negative mentions
  • Engaging and humorous storyline with well-developed characters.
  • Unique gameplay mechanics where towers are characters that level up and can be customized.
  • High replayability with multiple difficulty levels and a New Game+ mode.
  • Graphics are simplistic and may not appeal to everyone.
  • Some players may find the game grindy, especially in later stages.
  • The RPG elements could feel shallow, with limited character customization options.
  • story1,058 mentions

    The story in "Defender's Quest" is widely praised for its engaging and humorous narrative, which effectively intertwines with the gameplay, making it a standout in the tower defense genre. Players appreciate the well-developed characters and witty dialogue, often finding the plot surprisingly deep and entertaining, despite some noting its reliance on familiar fantasy tropes. The inclusion of a New Game+ mode adds further depth, offering additional story content and challenges that enhance replayability.

    • “Don't get me wrong - there's good reason so many people like this game: there's a deep, well-developed storyline that's well written and fun to follow along.”
    • “The story is surprisingly good and the dialogue is generally well written.”
    • “Defender's Quest breathes new life into the dusty genre of tower defense by mixing it with the story and characters of a role-playing game.”
    • “The story is full of generic fantasy cliches, but it doesn't take itself seriously.”
    • “The story is ... there, I guess.”
    • “The story is linear, but it's told in an efficient and enjoyable way.”
  • gameplay416 mentions

    The gameplay of "Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten" is a blend of tower defense and RPG mechanics, offering a solid and engaging experience with a variety of character classes and skill trees. While some players find the core mechanics somewhat basic and repetitive, many appreciate the addictive nature of the gameplay, the humor in the writing, and the depth provided by the RPG elements. Overall, it is praised for its intuitive design, balanced difficulty, and the ability to replay levels for additional rewards, making it a worthwhile title for fans of the genre.

    • “This game masterfully blends tower defense mechanics with RPG elements, creating an experience that's both addictive and deeply satisfying.”
    • “The gameplay is solid at its core, extremely well thought out and has obviously had a lot of love given to it.”
    • “Defender's Quest is a brilliant RPG/tower defense with a nice story, great and funny characters, and solid gameplay with a lot of content and replayability.”
    • “The gameplay, however, is very repetitive and tactical thinking is barely needed, but it is great fun to play.”
    • “The main problem with the game is the fact it lacks new mechanics, so in the end, you will play just another tower defense with a tiny hint of RPG.”
    • “Art, character design, story, and UI are mediocre at best; gameplay boils down to having enough high-level units to kill enemy hordes, placement doesn't matter, and there's no real strategy.”
  • humor244 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and timing, with many players enjoying the witty character banter and absurdist elements that lighten the overall tone. The dialogue is often described as hilarious, contributing significantly to the game's charm and replayability, while the mix of serious and comedic moments keeps the narrative engaging. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience, making it a delightful blend of fun and strategy.

    • “Character banters are hilarious and very appropriately timed and placed, and each unique character has a well-developed personality.”
    • “The writing is fantastic; flitting between humor and sass while still allowing room for an epic storyline to build.”
    • “The game is bursting with content, oozing challenge out of every pixel and spurting out humor.”
  • graphics231 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as simplistic and retro, often reminiscent of older flash games or 16-bit titles, which may not appeal to everyone. While some players appreciate the charming, minimalistic art style and find it fitting for the gameplay, others criticize it as outdated and lacking polish. Despite the mixed opinions on visuals, many reviewers emphasize that the engaging gameplay and story compensate for the graphics, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the tower defense genre.

    • “The graphics are reminiscent of games you find on Newgrounds and Miniclip, and the first two levels don't really show much of the game's potential.”
    • “Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten is graphically simple, yet attractive in a nicely-drawn cartoon fashion, with enjoyable tower defense gameplay, and perhaps the deepest storyline I've seen in a tower defense game, at least from a character depth and lore depth perspective.”
    • “The graphics are basic but nicely drawn, and the RPG elements differentiate it from the myriad of cookie-cutter tower defense games that seem to exist.”
    • “The production values of the game are pretty low, with pixel graphics being basic, the music is poorly looped, and the art style is pretty mediocre.”
    • “The graphics are a huge let down though.”
    • “The only point that could be held against it is the fact that the graphics and art style feel 'cheap'.”
  • music114 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its catchy and immersive qualities, while others criticize its repetitiveness and poor looping transitions. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the gameplay experience, though some note that it can become monotonous over time. Overall, while the music is generally considered decent and fitting for the game's atmosphere, it lacks variety and polish in certain areas.

    • “The music is also quite good, and I found it helped me immerse into the dialogue and fights more.”
    • “Fantastic story and the music is incredible (and catchy).”
    • “The soundtrack is awesome and has a hint of 90's JRPG soundtracks within it.”
    • “The music is the same generic loop you get in all flash games of this era.”
    • “The music is basically the same two-bar melody on repeat ad infinitum.”
    • “Also, the update did not touch the music, so get ready to hear the same 5 songs over and over again as you fight your way through this lengthy, zombie-infested pit.”
  • grinding110 mentions

    The game's grinding aspect is a significant and often polarizing feature, with many players noting that it is integral to the experience, especially in the tower defense genre. While some appreciate the ability to adjust grinding intensity through settings, others find the repetitive nature of grinding tedious and a barrier to enjoyment, particularly in later stages or New Game+ modes. Overall, the grinding can be fun for those who enjoy it, but it may deter players seeking a more streamlined experience.

    • “Gameplay has enough decisions in tower placement, upgrades, and equipment that replaying levels for awards isn't tedious.”
    • “However, replaying levels is not grindy-feeling, since each level can be played at three different difficulty levels, which is different than just the same monsters with more HP (for example, sometimes there are additional spawn points and sometimes the monsters have additional bonuses).”
    • “I had fun for a couple of hours, but I only got about a third of the way through the game before the grinding became too much for me, and I wasn't invested in the story enough to continue.”
    • “The original game wasn't particularly grindy for me, but the game+ version ticks the grind dial notch up well past 1000.”
    • “It was more of a pain and tedious grinding than fun and epic adventure.”
  • replayability108 mentions

    "Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten" offers substantial replayability through various features such as multiple difficulty levels, a New Game+ mode, and numerous challenges that encourage players to revisit levels for better loot and achievements. While many players appreciate the depth and variety provided by these options, some feel that the lack of branching storylines limits the overall replay value. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging gameplay and significant replay potential, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the tower defense genre.

    • “There's a surprisingly big amount of content packed in here with extra difficulties for each battle, different skill builds, bonus challenges, and an entire new game+ which all together lead to a whole lot of replayability.”
    • “The game is immensely replayable, and has superb difficulty settings options to mold the game to the exact sort of challenge you want.”
    • “It's addicting, there's great replay value, and the new game+ mode isn't just 'add twice as many enemies with twice as much health' -- it has some totally new mechanics, new quests, and other goodies.”
    • “The main game is not that long and there isn't a ton of replayability to this game once you complete it.”
    • “Sometimes though I just want a nice easy level, you know, for fun, but the lack thereof kills any interest I have in the game and thus any replay value the game might have.”
    • “The negatives though, to be fair, there are no story decisions that take things in different ways, which limits replayability I think.”
  • stability11 mentions

    The stability of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various graphical glitches. While some players noted that the game runs well at times, the overall consensus highlights significant issues, particularly in the new game plus mode, which is described as "really buggy." These stability problems detract from the otherwise enjoyable gameplay and story experience.

    • “I liked the game, the gameplay and the story are cool, but too many crashes and freezes.”
    • “Edit: also, new game + is *really* buggy and crashes very regularly.”
    • “The game constantly crashes, graphical and UI glitches abound, certain equipped items will make maps literally unwinnable.”
  • character development9 mentions

    Character development in the game is described as having a moderate depth, reminiscent of classic turn-based strategy titles, with enough progression to understand the story and roles of characters. While the art and design may be lacking, the blend of light RPG elements and tower defense mechanics provides an engaging experience, though some players feel the overall strategy is limited. Overall, the character development contributes to an entertaining narrative, despite some critiques on the visual presentation.

    • “So overall, party and character development is just deep enough, reminiscent of turn-based strategy titles like HOMM, Wesnoth, Warbanners, Age of Fear, etc.”
    • “The combat is reminiscent of an RPG in character development and progress.”
    • “This game is an excellent blend of light RPG story, character development, and tower defense gameplay.”
    • “Art, character design, story, and UI are mediocre at best; gameplay boils down to having enough high-level units to kill enemy hordes. Placement doesn't matter, and there's no real strategy.”
    • “There is story and character development, but it feels superficial and lacks depth.”
    • “Cutscene artwork could use a lot of improvement, especially the character designs.”
  • emotional8 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its fun and heartfelt adventure, featuring well-written characters and a satisfying story that evokes a sense of camaraderie and nostalgia. While some players note a lack of deep character backstories, many appreciate the balance between humor and emotional moments, particularly in the game's ending, which leaves a lasting impact. Overall, it successfully creates an engaging experience that resonates with players on an emotional level.

    • “It's a well written, emotionally satisfying story.”
    • “Very good story; it made me feel as if I'm part of the group, and gave me a little sad moment when I got to the ending.”
    • “The writer has an excellent grasp of how to ride the line between levity and emotional content in the between-level conversations.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization features include free respecs for experimenting with builds and gear, but it lacks depth in skill tree optimization and tactical gameplay during battles. While there are opportunities for character upgrades that affect performance, the overall experience may require more intricate optimization for those seeking greater tactical depth. Improved graphics and performance are noted, alongside an expanded narrative.

    • “Free respecs allow for experimental builds and gear optimization.”
    • “Out of mission level ups impact the ability of the max level and the performance of the skills characters can use when upgraded during the mission.”
    • “There isn't much skill tree optimization; no careful timing of spells and tower upgrades during battles, etc.; not real 'tactical depth'.”
    • “This could require some serious optimization, which may not be everyone's cup of tea, but hey - it would mean far more depth.”
    • “Out of mission level-ups impact the ability of the max level and the performance of the skills that characters can use when upgraded during the mission.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by a perfectly fitting soundtrack that complements its interesting story and wacky humor, creating an engaging and immersive experience alongside challenging gameplay.

    • “The music fits the game's atmosphere perfectly.”
    • “Interesting story, wacky humor, atmospheric soundtrack, and challenging gameplay.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game combines tower defense mechanics with excessive grinding, which users find off-putting and reminiscent of negative aspects commonly associated with MMOs.

    • “This game takes tower defense and adds the worst element from an MMO - grinding.”
    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to progress.”
    • “It's frustrating that you can't enjoy the game without constantly being bombarded by ads and paywalls.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

12hMedian play time
22hAverage play time
12-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 15 analyzed playthroughs

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