As I’ve said many times, tower defense games are a dime a dozen in the App Store and it takes a lot for one to stand out.

Myth Defense – Light Forces sounded intriguing enough when I first checked it out. Unlike most games, it offers extensive customizability of its towers and offers a skill tree of sorts where you can choose what kind of upgraded towers you want, say whether you want it launch arrows or fireballs. You can also boost tower performance by combining various runes and enlisting the aid of dwarves, elves, etc. to create more powerful towers.

I should point out that the game is quite difficult to beat. There are about 70 waves per map, and you need to put a lot of thought into the placement of your towers. You don’t beat the map by simply upgrading your towers and playing on autopilot. The scarcity of cash and the seemingly random creeps that wander onto your path require you to think fast and strategically. Make sure that the glory points you earn are well spent. Fortunately, there are no in-app purchases to “help” you buy more powerful towers or boosts. Thus, you really have to work really hard to earn enough glory points.

The concepts behind Myth Defense – Light Forces are good in theory but execution leaves a lot to be desired. I found the skill tree and rune system too complicated but not adequately explained. Also, the graphics are rather bland, especially since they are not for retina display. There are interesting twists, however, such as a path eventually being created over the course of the campaign or battle, depending on where you  placed towers to direct the enemies. This is easier to see if you are on fast forward mode, which, by the way, helps you earn more glory points. Still anything less than high quality graphics for a game in such a crowded genre as tower defense is a minus.

The game is quite difficult for casual players and I’ve found that I have yet to successfully beat a single 70-wave campaign despite my best efforts. For TD veterans, this might be worth a look.

appSIZED rating: 3 out of 5

App: Myth Defense – Light Forces

Download: Myth Defense – Light Forces

Device: Universal (works for iPhone and iPad)

Copy: Provided by the developer

Price: $2.99 (On sale for a limited time)

Developer: Smartpix Games

Version: 1.0.2