Kingdom Rush Vengeance
- October 15, 2020
- Ironhide Game Studio
- 11h median play time
In Kingdom Rush Vengeance, players help the medieval villain Vez'nan seek revenge by commanding armies to defeat enemy forces across various stages. With a wide range of tower upgrades and special heroes with unique abilities, strategically placing and timing defenses is crucial to stop enemy advances. This tower defense game features new environments, enemies, and bosses compared to its predecessors, providing a fresh challenge for series fans.
Reviews
- Engaging gameplay with a wide variety of towers and heroes to choose from, allowing for diverse strategies.
- Beautiful graphics and charming art style, filled with humor and pop culture references.
- Challenging levels that provide a satisfying experience, especially on higher difficulties.
- Difficulty balance is inconsistent, with some levels being too easy and others feeling frustratingly hard.
- Lack of an endless mode or fast-forward option, making some levels feel tedious.
- Some towers and heroes are unbalanced, leading to a reliance on a few overpowered options.
- gameplay207 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Kingdom Rush Vengeance" retains the classic tower defense mechanics familiar to the series while introducing new elements such as tower selection and unique hero abilities, which enhance replayability and strategic depth. However, some players find certain mechanics, like the ability of bosses to destroy towers, frustrating and detrimental to the overall experience. Overall, while the game is visually appealing and offers engaging gameplay, it has been criticized for pacing issues and a lack of significant innovation compared to its predecessors.
“The classic Kingdom Rush tower defense gameplay and lighthearted tone is still here—with some mechanical changes to keep the experience feeling fresh.”
“The gameplay mechanics in Kingdom Rush Vengeance are both challenging and addictive.”
“This game does a good job of keeping it simple at first and easing you into the more complicated mechanics as the game progresses.”
“While I love the series and will likely continue to purchase whatever releases, it's a real bummer knowing that this deleting of the towers mechanic is around because I find it just plain annoying.”
“Got to the final boss fight and lost due to the game adding a new mechanic not telling me how to use it and then failing me when I didn't know how to use it; this wouldn't be such a problem if it didn't take 40 minutes to get there.”
“The gameplay is very slow in parts.”
- graphics139 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Kingdom Rush Vengeance" are widely praised for their vibrant, cartoonish style, excellent detail, and humor, creating an engaging visual experience. Players appreciate the colorful maps, diverse enemy designs, and the overall artistic flair that enhances gameplay. While some note minor inconsistencies compared to earlier titles, the overall consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment.
“Visually cartoonish with excellent details and great colors with a distinct style to the artwork.”
“The attention to detail in the artwork and animations is astonishing, creating an immersive experience that draws you deeper into the game.”
“Amazing graphics, rock-solid theming, and bursting with personality.”
“The visuals seem dated, the gameplay is hectic and slow.”
“I don't see much difference in terms of graphics, there are just a few improvements in the game system.”
“There was a problem at launch with graphics scaling and resolutions but they responded quickly and promised to fix it in the first patch, which is what I expect of this excellent developer.”
- story129 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in the latest Kingdom Rush installment is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its connection to previous games in the series and the unique perspective of playing as the villain, Vez'nan. While some find the narrative engaging and humorous, others feel it lacks depth and complexity compared to earlier titles, leading to a desire for more substantial storytelling and side quests. Overall, the game offers a fun and whimsical backdrop to the tower defense gameplay, though opinions vary on its overall impact and execution.
“I love that there are multiple games and that there is a storyline through each that connects them all.”
“The story is based on the revenge of the dark wizard Vez'nan, who, upon escaping from the prison where he was imprisoned in the previous title Kingdom Rush Origins, decides to take revenge on mankind for the humiliation he has received.”
“It's amazing challenge with great backstory.”
“Levels and story are boring.”
“I didn't think that the story mattered much in a tower defense game, but this game's lack of a driving narrative other than 'vengeance' and a main villain left it feeling hollow.”
“Another thing that I found disappointing, and it surprises me to say this, is the story.”
- humor41 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, featuring a mix of dark, cartoony wit and memorable enemy designs that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the variety of funny animations, voice acting, and pop-culture references, which contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere without overwhelming the gameplay. While some find the humor repetitive over time, the inclusion of easter eggs and genuinely funny quips keeps the game engaging and enjoyable.
“What truly sets Kingdom Rush Vengeance apart is its wicked sense of humor and the ability to play as the villain.”
“Plus, the art and humor make it a blast to play.”
“Their pop-culture references, iconic art style, and slapstick humor are always present in this game, and I appreciate how much work they put into it.”
- grinding31 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 81 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While many achievements are easily attainable, a few, like "unlimited power," require excessive grinding that feels out of place and tedious. Additionally, some users express frustration with the slow leveling and repetitive gameplay, suggesting that the game pads its length through grindy mechanics rather than meaningful content.
“Lots of achievements and the majority aren't that grindy, except 'Unlimited Power' - oddly out of place because the majority of other achievements you can get within a minute or two of loading into the corresponding map, while 'Unlimited Power' will probably take playing the sheep map 6x+.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Without fast forward and such utility, the game is incredibly tedious and annoying; having to redo a level ten times just isn't worth the time.”
“This is less a strategy game and more a 'just keep grinding until you level up enough to win for free' time waster.”
“It just didn't feel like there was a lot of variety and it felt pretty grindy going through the levels.”
- music31 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its beautiful soundtrack and suitability for the gameplay, while others criticize it for being the weakest in the series, with issues like overcompression and looping problems. Overall, many players appreciate the music's ability to enhance the gaming experience, despite some expressing nostalgia for previous titles' soundtracks.
“That being said, awesome game, loved it a bunch, beautiful music, beautiful graphics, beautiful gameplay, very nice heroes and fun enemies with interesting traits.”
“The soundtrack and music are also very notable and wonderful!”
“I loved the soundtrack; it suits every level and will remind you of the very first beginning of the original Kingdom Rush game.”
“Pretty much all the same shortcomings of origins, with added RNG, more useless and unbalanced content, worse music (in terms of sound quality), the ability to sidescroll for… 0.4 seconds, and a campaign so dull that you get bored after just two missions.”
“My only real qualm with the game is that the music felt like the worst in the series in my opinion; perhaps I have too much nostalgia for the other three.”
“Overcompressed music and sound effects.”
- replayability28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to its diverse tower and hero combinations, various difficulty levels, and numerous challenges, appealing to both casual and advanced players. However, some users noted that the lack of rewards for certain challenges can diminish replay value, particularly for those who prefer a more thorough gaming experience. Despite this, many players find the game engaging enough to warrant extensive playtime, often exceeding 100 hours.
“The bosses of each area are quite tough, so there should be plenty of replayability for more advanced players on higher difficulties.”
“Excellent tower defense game with lots of replayability given the variety of challenges and tower/hero combos.”
“The sheer variety of combinations of towers with heroes makes for great replayability and experimentation.”
“It reduces the replayability by a lot when challenges give no reward at all, so I ended up sprinting through the campaign.”
“As it is now, it just seems like poor game design and almost the devs purposely stifling the replay value, either on purpose or out of stupidity.”
“So replayability is not what it seems.”
- monetization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, particularly in its Steam version, which allows players to unlock all heroes and specialized towers through gameplay rather than in-app purchases. Users appreciate this monetization model, as it enhances engagement and satisfaction, contrasting sharply with mobile versions that are criticized for excessive microtransactions. Overall, the absence of in-game purchases is seen as a significant positive aspect of the game.
“It's a pretty good game on Steam, mainly because you don't have any microtransactions.”
“The Steam version also has zero microtransactions and all the heroes/specialized towers are unlocked as you complete the map, which I adore.”
“Doesn't have any microtransactions and there is lots to do.”
“Rife with microtransactions and grinding.”
“The whole series is good; I don't recommend buying it for iOS because games there suffer from becoming shops rather than games due to a vast amount of microtransactions.”
“Btw if the game is more expensive on Steam than on phone, it's because the in-app purchases (the heroes) are included on Steam.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is well-received, with users reporting smooth performance and minimal technical issues, rating it 8.5/10. Improvements over previous versions include balanced difficulty and faster reset times, while the addition of an encyclopedia in the Steam version enhances the experience, addressing past performance limitations in the mobile version.
“Had no hiccups with performance.”
“Even better than the first game, with more balanced difficulty and better performance, along with countless easter eggs.”
“Resets take 2 seconds, and you can clearly see mistakes or optimizations quite early on the regular maps; the boss maps are harder, of course.”
“The game still tracks your total earned stars for performance, but they don't limit you from buying a full three stars' worth of upgrades.”
“Resets take 2 seconds and you can clearly see mistakes or optimizations quite early on the regular maps; the boss maps are harder, of course.”
“The Steam version also has the encyclopedia which was missing in the mobile version, but that was due to performance, and let me tell you how much data the mobile version took.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews indicate a mixed experience regarding stability; while some players report significant bugs and glitches that detract from gameplay, others praise the game for its polished performance and smooth controls. The disparity in stability experiences may be influenced by the platform, with the Steam version noted as being more problematic compared to the iPad version.
“No glitches, no bugs.”
“Polished port; controls feel smooth, runs great, looks good.”
“The gameplay is fun, but the game has been really buggy for me.”
“My problem is how buggy the game has been for me.”
“To make matters worse, the game is substantially more expensive on Steam than it is on iPad, yet it seems more buggy.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted as deeply touching and nostalgic, with players appreciating the rich storytelling and the multiple paths that evoke a sense of playing through intertwined memories, even if the gameplay itself may lack challenge.
“Honestly, it's really quite touching and full of memories.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users rating it a 9 out of 10 for its engaging and enjoyable environment. This suggests a vibrant and immersive experience that enhances overall gameplay.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world with stunning visuals and haunting sound design.”
“Every location feels alive, with a rich ambiance that enhances the storytelling and keeps you engaged.”
“The combination of music, environmental sounds, and visual effects creates a captivating atmosphere that makes every moment feel unique.”