Dungeon Defenders: Awakened review - Tower defense tour de force

Does Dungeon Defenders: Awakened take a strong step forward for the classic tower defense RPG franchise? Our review.

May 28, 2020 2:00 PM

Dungeon Defenders has a decade of reputation behind it as one of the innovators of the tower defense genre. Throughout the years, it has allowed players to mix action-RPG and hack n’ slash elements with the strategic planning of laying traps and defenses before an incoming horde of enemies. Dungeon Defenders: Awakened has been Chromatic Games’ (formerly Trendy Entertainment) effort to move the franchise forward with a premium and fleshed-out experience. We jumped in to see if Dungeon Defenders: Awakened could fill the shoes of its popular predecessors and move the franchise forward in a meaningful way.

In our video review of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, we took an in-depth look at how the game implements what made its previous titles good, how it expands to be its own worthwhile entry in the series, and whether the jump from free-to-play to premium title was worth it. It doesn’t always go out of its way to guide the uninitiated, but Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is a prime offering of its tower defense and action-RPG origins that continues to bring addictive fun into the fight.

Some of our favorite parts of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened lies in its art style and implementation of tower defense with meaningful looting, leveling, and gear systems. The game has a lush art style that permeates the characters, enemies, and environment in a very fun and cool way. Meanwhile, a wealth of leveling and upgrade options, unique gear with various attributes, and neat abilities among the four classes of characters makes progress through the game a constantly fun and addicting experience. We just find ourselves wondering if the tutorials and information in the game couldn’t be expanded to help newbies better understand what they’re dealing with throughout an otherwise constantly engaging tower defense atmosphere.

For the full breakdown and verdict on Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, check out our video review above. For more video reviews, subscribe to Shacknews on YouTube. Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is available on Steam as of May 28, 2020.

Greg Burke

Head of Video

Greg is the head of Video Production for Shacknews. If you've ever enjoyed a video on Gamerhub.tv, it was most likely edited by him. Follow him on Twitter @GregBurke85.

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