Fortified

About

"Fortified is a thrilling strategy shooter set in a 1950s retro sci-fi world, where players defend Earth from a Martian invasion. Combining third-person shooter, real-time strategy, and tower defense mechanics, players can enjoy single-player, co-op, or multiplayer modes, building defenses and wielding an arsenal of Cold War-era weapons. Protect the city against towering attackers and experience an exciting blend of gameplay styles for a unique and immersive adventure."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 775 reviews

graphics52 positive mentions

story8 negative mentions

Charming retro aesthetic with vibrant visuals and a fitting soundtrack.
Engaging co-op gameplay that encourages strategy and coordination.
A good mix of weapons, structures, and abilities for varied playstyles.

Limited content and repetitive missions can reduce replayability.
Lacks depth compared to other tower defense hybrids.
Developers have abandoned the game, leading to unresolved bugs and issues.

graphics
136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
58%
4%
The graphics of "Fortified" are characterized by a charming 1950s retro aesthetic, featuring vibrant comic book-style visuals that effectively capture the atmosphere of classic sci-fi. While many players appreciate the unique art style and its nostalgic appeal, some critiques highlight that the graphics can appear simplistic or outdated compared to modern standards, with occasional bland environments and animations. Overall, the game's visuals are generally well-received, contributing positively to the overall experience despite some noted shortcomings.
- “Fantastic 1950's sci-fi aesthetic, competent tower defense and shooting gameplay, 4 characters to choose from with diverse enemies, weapons and structures to build.”
- “The golden-age comic art style and the retro 50's sci-fi look were instant likes for me.”
- “The graphics are great and the game runs brilliantly and the audio is perfect.”
- “The cutscenes are cute but the graphics just look too simplistic and again it looks like a game that is 60% done.”
- “Both of them is hardly average for a game released in 2016; our graphics look more like they were made in 2012 or something.”
- “Bland graphics, derivative game mechanics, poor controls... don't bother.”
gameplay
119 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The gameplay of Fortified combines third-person shooting with tower defense mechanics in a retro 1950s sci-fi setting, offering a fun yet simplistic experience. While the game features engaging co-op elements and smooth mechanics, many players find it repetitive and lacking depth compared to similar titles like Orcs Must Die. Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable for casual play but may not satisfy those seeking more complex strategies or variety.
- “Engaging co-op gameplay that encourages strategy and coordination.”
- “The gameplay is smooth and easy to learn.”
- “Fortified has a fun 1950's alien invasion aesthetic, four heroes ripped from the pages of a pulp novel/golden age comic, and plenty of fun gameplay.”
- “Gameplay mechanics are inferior to 'Orcs Must Die'; it's not detailed enough or enjoyable.”
- “Boring and repetitive gameplay with no story and shockingly clunky controls; I got this game for free and even that I feel was a rip-off.”
- “You don't need to aim, you don't need to think about structure placement, you don't really need to dodge (it's that trivial); your role as the player is reduced to preplacing structures and just idly clicking.”
story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
82%
11%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting that it feels more like a series of repetitive missions than a cohesive narrative. While there are some humorous elements and a basic premise involving a Martian invasion, the overall storytelling is minimal and often forgettable, leading to a grindy experience that detracts from replayability. Players express a desire for more substantial character development and narrative progression throughout the campaign.
- “The story is that martians come to Earth, with people thinking they came in peace, until the martians attack a year later.”
- “You're mission is to choose one of the heroes to fight off the martian scum, utilizing that hero's personal weapons, buildings, and abilities.”
- “The game combines both a 2D and 3D version of the characters and background by using a comic strip for the story and the 3D mode for the game.”
- “No story during the campaign.”
- “There is literally no story there other than a lackluster backstory.”
- “Other than that the only thing I have an issue with is the campaign; it seems a bit long and drawn out, and there isn't really an overall narrative or story to speak of, it's more just a series of missions.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
67%
22%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its charming retro aesthetic and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, while others criticize it for being repetitive and unmemorable. While some players find the soundtrack fitting and enjoyable, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, leading to feelings of boredom and annoyance. Overall, the music contributes to the game's theme but may not hold up over extended play sessions.
- “Charming retro aesthetic with vibrant visuals and a fitting soundtrack.”
- “Great soundtrack, great visuals and a lot of fun, especially with a friend.”
- “The comic book, pulp fiction, cut-scenes & music are done so well and translated into a 3-dimensional world so nicely!”
- “The soundtrack gets very repetitive.”
- “The music grinds your ears, as it's not fun or memorable to listen to, and the graphics - especially the animations - look so amateuristic that you'll feel like you're playing someone's student project.”
- “Animations seem stiff, music is so annoying, and the game gets repetitive really fast.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it decent due to varied enemy types and multiple character classes, others feel that limited content and repetitive missions detract from the experience. The presence of loadout customization and different strategies can enhance replay value, but the lack of secondary objectives and significant differences between classes may hinder long-term engagement for some players. Overall, opinions vary, with some enjoying the replay potential while others find it lacking.
- “It maintains its value in replayability - leveling up always brings new content and the myriad of strategies brings forth loads of new ways to play the same level.”
- “It certainly has unlimited replay value and something you'll come back to over time.”
- “A single playthrough of the game using one character took me just under four hours to complete; the game has tons of replayability with three more characters to use, which will make for a different experience each time due to their variety in abilities.”
- “Limited content and repetitive missions can reduce replayability.”
- “I've not come across any secondary objectives either, and I think for some upgrades it might have been wise to take a leaf from XCOM and make a secondary objective to capture 'X' number of enemies to obtain some upgrades where the players would end up having to defend both the base and the alien they wanted to capture; this would give more meaning for co-op play and make levels a little more replayable.”
- “If each class played wildly differently from one another, it could lead to a lot more replayability.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and occasional freezing issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players find enjoyment in the gameplay despite these problems, many express frustration over the lack of developer support and the game's unbalanced mechanics. Overall, the game's stability issues significantly impact its potential, leaving it feeling unfinished and unreliable.
- “Runs great, fun little game.”
- “Buggy and abandoned by devs, combined with potential spyware.”
- “Clapfoot (the developer) left this game unbalanced, buggy, with broken achievements.”
- “Can't find any players and the game freezes now and then, which results in being killed.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of childish and quirky, with players enjoying co-op gameplay and humorous audio, reminiscent of Borderlands but more family-friendly. While some find the humor to be dry and repetitive, others appreciate the funny death animations and quirky character dialogue, making it a lighthearted experience, especially when played with friends. Overall, the humor adds a fun layer to the gameplay, even if it may not be consistently strong throughout.
- “If you don't have anything else to play, want to kill time and don't mind spending money, try it, it'll be funny!”
- “Fortified has pretty good graphics and sound, humorous audio and quippy one-liners in the vein of Borderlands 2 characters, just way more family friendly.”
- “The flailing robot designs are a fantastic homage to the era that inspired them, and they are straight up hilarious to annihilate.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
10%
60%
Players generally find the grinding in the game to be excessive and tedious, often requiring significant time investment to level up, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Many reviews highlight the repetitive nature of combat and the difficulty spikes that necessitate grinding, leading to frustration, especially when failing missions results in no experience gain. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a major drawback that can make the gameplay feel monotonous and unfulfilling.
- “A lot of grinding is required to fully enjoy the game.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding if you want to experience everything.”
- “It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but it's part of the fun.”
- “As with all games that involve increasing amounts of XP to level, there was grinding involved and eventually that grinding wasn't worth the time.”
- “You can knock enemies over with your blast, but you have to shoot the same enemy about 10 times to kill it, making it feel really tedious.”
- “The difficulty in this game is outrageous; you need to have a full team of 4 people who have most of their upgrades unlocked in order to complete any of the maps beyond 1-5. Not only is it hard and grindy, but if you fail a mission—which will happen—you don't get any XP, no matter how hard you tried or how many kills you got.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and enjoyable gameplay, others highlight issues such as excessive enemy knockback affecting damage output and a lack of character upgrade systems. Additionally, there are concerns about the game's overall optimization and balancing, with some users noting that it feels abandoned and unrefined since 2016.
- “In 'Orcs Must Die', you were graded based on your performance, earning you more XP to buy more traps, etc. There's way more to explore there.”
- “It just needs some tweaking in the performance, but other than that, it's great.”
- “The game runs smoothly in and out of combat and is well optimized.”
- “Under-rated game, although it could use some optimization and balancing.”
- “Buy XCOM or something because although this game looks really bad, it's extremely unoptimized and the developers abandoned this game in 2016.”
- “I would have loved to see an XP spend system that would allow me to upgrade any of my characters purely on gameplay performance.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game effectively captures the 1950s atmosphere through its graphics, writing, and cheesy dialogue reminiscent of the era's comics, though some players feel the atmosphere could be stronger. While the visuals and effects are praised for their beauty, the inclusion of more engaging dialogue could enhance the overall experience. Overall, it successfully evokes a sense of "martian madness," aligning well with its thematic inspirations.
- “It nails the general atmosphere, including graphics, writing, and cheesy dialogue that normally comes with 50s comics.”
- “Graphics, effects, and overall atmosphere are beautiful; the game has all the attributes of the Martian madness era.”
- “There's a little humor injected with some random sayings, and the 50s atmosphere is there... although it's not as strong as I wish it was.”
- “There's a little humor injected with some random sayings, and the 50s atmosphere is there...although it's not as strong as I wish it was.”
- “Graphics, effects and overall atmosphere are beautiful; the game has all attributes of the Martian madness era.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of feelings, from profound sadness and depression to nostalgia and excitement, with some players experiencing intense emotional connections that leave a lasting impact.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
- “My god, this game is so amazing; it actually hits you emotionally, rattled and excited to once again relive those good old days!”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features impressive character designs and high-quality animation inspired by 50s cinema, contributing to a visually engaging experience. However, the reviews do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development within the narrative.

61%Critics’ scoreBased on 15 critic reviews

Buy Fortified

9h Median play time

25h Average play time

1-65h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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