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IS Defense is the game that introduced me to a specific subgenre of first-person shooters. It was the game’s Steam page that made me aware of it. Apparently, IS Defense was the developer’s small side project as well as an effort to help resurrect a dead genre of games like Beachhead. I don’t know if it actually did that but for all I know, it could be responsible or at least partially responsible for any of the games in the genre that have released since like the Beach Invasion titles for example. Developed and published by Destructive Creations, IS Defense was released for PC in April, 2016. Just like it’s brethren, you remain stationary but can aim in almost any direction and the goal is to repel invading enemy forces.
Set in a fictional 2020, ISIS expanded and took over parts of the world and are now launching their invasion upon Europe. The player assumes the role of NATO’s machine gun operator who is deployed to Europe to defend its shores from invaders by blasting away as many as possible. The intro cut scene sets everything up in terms of narrative and even sets the serious tone. That, along with the ending cut scene basically make up the game’s plot. But, ultimately, there really isn’t much to it. ISIS is invading Europe and its your job to repel them.
As expected, IS Defense is structured much like others of its kind. You remain stationary and can aim in almost any direction. Enemies will continuously arrive and your objective is to blow away as many as you can before you die. The objective is to survive for as long as possible. There are multiple maps and the way to complete a map and unlock the next one is by killing the set number of enemies and destroying the set number of enemy vehicles specified. You are scored based on your performance and your score for each map is tracked on the leaderboard and that is one incentive to return.
If you’ve played the Beachhead games or Operation Blockade or any other games in the genre, you should be able to adapt easily. And even if you haven’t, IS Defense is a very easy game to pick up and play. You can fire the machine gun, unleash missiles, and call for different types of support. There are some things that make it different than some other games in the genre. First, the machine gun is the only primary weapon. No cannons, no sidearms, no anti-aircraft guns. Although, there are no enemy aircraft. It’s just the machine gun. You don’t have to worry about ammo but it does need to be reloaded. Second, you have to rotate the turret to aim behind you. Third, as you kill enemies, the support bar on the HUD gets loaded. When it reaches certain points, you can call for support including supply drops which include health and missile ammo crates, infantry support, artillery support, air support, and helicopter support. Finally, you will earn experience and after earning enough, you are awarded a skill point that can be spent to unlock various skills or upgrades.
The skills are what really add an addictive quality to the gameplay. At least I think so. When you first start playing, you may not survive long but as you unlock skills, you’ll do better. And that’s the addictive part. Jumping back in and doing a little better or surviving a little longer each time. I was able to survive just a few minutes give or take in the beginning but after I unlocked all the skills, I lasted for close to an hour or longer in some cases. It should be noted that there is no end to the onslaught. Enemies never stop coming so you’re eventually going to die. The whole point is to survive for as long as possible and try for a high score. Reloading and rotating the turret may seem like minor things on the surface but for the style of gameplay on offer, they are important because they take time. You will be attacked from multiple directions constantly and whenever you have to reload, that’s time not shooting and rotating the turret may take a few seconds and the time it takes to wipe out the threats coming from that direction is time not spent dealing with threats coming from the directions you’re not facing. There are skills you can unlock that eliminate reloading and enable you to aim all around you without having to rotate the turret and they do make a world of difference.
The game features four maps and most have you defending a shoreline where many foes arrive by watercraft. Enemy forces include ground troops and vehicles and every so often you’ll be flanked and that’s when you have to rotate the turret. There are only a handful of enemy types. You got ISIS troops and suicide bombers and a few vehicles. If I have any complaint with the game, it’s that it lacks enemy variety. You’ll see most of the enemy types the game has to offer in the first map. Other than that, the gameplay is pretty great. It’s flashy, the gunplay is satisfying, visual effects look cool, and things can get very hectic and intense. I also enjoyed the partially destructible environments even though certain maps showcase this better than others. Certain objects in the environments can be destroyed and bullets and explosions will cause parts of buildings to crack and crumble.
IS Defense is not a long game. You can complete it in a single sitting and just like others of its kind, it can get repetitive. You’re doing the same thing in every map. The skills are a great incentive to keep going but you can unlock them all pretty quickly. And once they’re all unlocked, you’ll feel like a beast, blowing away hordes of foes and calling in for support every few seconds. Air strikes result in explosions all over the battlefield, helicopters will be firing away in all directions, infantry troops will surround your position and unload on invaders, and you’ll be blowing up vehicles left and right. The longer you survive, the more intense things get. Enemies will be everywhere and after a while, they will flank you constantly. Bombers will be rushing you and vehicles will be driving around everywhere with their gunners continuously blasting away. Unlocking certain skills will result in the support bar loading up very quickly and the support calls prove to be a big help in clearing the battlefield. And after a while, you’ll need to utilize all of them to prevent getting overwhelmed because by the time you reach the ten minute mark, the battlefield is basically pure chaos and it would be extremely difficult to keep all the foes at bay with just a machine gun and a limited supply of missiles.
I think IS Defense does look good and the presentation holds up pretty well. As mentioned before, the action is very flashy. Muzzle flashes look cool, explosions look great, blood puffs appear when enemies are shot, and certain kills will result in a brief bullet time or slow mo effect and this can be turned off. As for the environments, the maps are well detailed and each one is distinct. The action is accompanied by good audio work. The machine gun sounds pretty good, explosions are booming, you’ll hear a lot of shouting, and much of the dramatic sounding music gets drowned out by the gunfire, explosions, shouting, and radioman who responds to your support calls. On the technical side, the game ran smooth and I encountered no major issues.
As of this review, IS Defense is easily my favorite game in the genre. It looks good, it’s flashy, it’s got an addictive quality and, like others of its kind, it’s easy to jump into. The scoring system is a nice incentive to return and it comes with a small selection of maps. Sure, I wish there were more and more enemy variety but what’s here is good fun. If you’re not a fan of other games in the genre, I don’t think IS Defense will do enough to change your mind. It does offer some features that make it a little more engaging than some of the others that came before it. Unlocking skills can be addictive but the game as a whole is short and you can unlock all of them and see everything the gameplay has to offer in a single sitting. Still, the production values are nice, the gunplay feels great, and the action can be intense and chaotic.
I do recommend IS Defense. As of this review, it’s selling for pretty cheap on Steam and I would say it’s definitely worth the price. If you’re a fan of these types of games, this one is a must play. Personally, as of this review, I think it’s the best the genre has to offer. It’s fun to play, can be addictive, and comes with nice production values. It may not take very long to complete but it is an action packed and intense experience and if you can tolerate the repetition, you may find yourself coming back for a while trying for high scores. Definitely check it out.