Earth Defender: First Encounter

They say that attack is the best form of defence. Having played Earth Defender: First Encounter, I beg to differ.

Developer Anima Entertainment posits that the best form of defence is a sophisticated planet-spanning force field and a whole host of potent defensive weapons, each of which can be delivered to five points simultaneously.

Seeing what a compelling brand of gameplay this engenders, it’s hard to disagree. You’re sure to be convinced as soon as you try it yourself.

It’s basically a stunningly realised update of the classic Missile Command formula.

You defend Earth from waves of alien attacks by releasing bombs into their paths. When the bloom of each explosive touches a smaller enemy craft, it too explodes, creating a shockwave of its own.

This shockwave destroys any other enemy in close proximity, leading to vast chain reactions if you time things right.

Other enemies are immune to your bombs and require the use of a laser – achieved by touching enemies directly. If (or when) you become overwhelmed you have a limited number of screen-obliterating nukes on which to fall back.

What makes Earth Defender stand out from similar games is the sheer feel of it. Taking on the enemy fleet looks and feels like you’re engaging in the kind of epic space battles seen in Babylon 5 or Battlestar Galactica.

The ingenious ability to fire at five points simultaneously (making you feel like a concert pianist on the tougher levels), is one of the best uses of multi-touch I’ve seen.

The game does suffer from its repetitive nature and levels can often degenerate into a desperate bout of random screen-jabbing as you attempt to keep 20 or more enemy craft at bay.

But even when the game slips to such levels, it’s never less than a blast to play. Slick, intense and completely at home on iPhone, Earth Defender is one of the finest shooters of the year.