Defending the Tiki babies
PixelJunk™ Monsters Ultimate is a tower defense game where you play as Tikiman, the Forest Defender. Monsters come in waves across his realm, heading for his offspring, and your job is to stop them by placing weapon towers at good spots on the landscape. Towers cost money, so you collect treasure during a level to build up your arsenal and pay for new ones. The monsters attack by land and by air, which means tower placement matters: you need coverage for ground routes and something that can reach flying enemies. Tikiman travels across three distinct islands with 47 unique environments, plus the mysterious Tum-Tum island, which randomly generates levels for near endless replay.
Playing together
The game has four modes: single player campaign, local co-op, online co-op, and a set of additional challenges. In co-op you either share one machine or play with a friend over the net, working together on the same defense. Remote Play Together is supported, so a friend can join your session even if they do not have the game. Online leaderboards show how your scores compare with your friends and with everyone else. The Steam version also includes over 20 new achievements, bringing the total to 52, along with trading cards and badges.
Before you start
Expect a long game: three islands, dozens of environments, hundreds of hours of play, and a soundtrack that runs throughout. Your tower options include Arrow, Cannon, Anti-Air, Ice, Laser, Fire, Tesla and Mortar towers, plus special power-ups, so there is room to experiment with different setups rather than relying on one build. Unlockable content includes concept art, music videos and soundtracks. The game supports controller play and runs in 2D, so it is easy to pick up, but the mix of land and air attacks means you will need to keep adapting your tower layout as the waves get cleverer.