Anomaly: Warzone Earth

Anomaly: Warzone Earth is a real time strategy video game by 11 bit studios. The game was initially announced in late 2010, and released on April 8, 2011 for Windows and Mac OS X.

Plot[]

The game is set in the near future, where sections of an alien spacecraft have crash-landed in several major cities around the world including Baghdad and Tokyo. The player assumes the role of the commander of an armor battalion (referred to as "14th Platoon" in the story) sent to investigate anomalies that have occurred in the vicinity of the wreckage and gather information on what is happening in the affected areas, as the anomalies are interfering with radar and satellite imagery - and to neutralize any threats that may exist within the anomalies' field of influence.

Anomaly: Warzone Earth is an extraordinary mixture of action and strategy in a reversed tower defense formula. The game tasks you with saving a near-future Earth from an alien onslaught. The invaders have captured world’s major cities, building huge turrets that destroy everything in their path. It’s up to you to lead an armor squad through the streets of cities like Baghdad and Tokyo, planning the route and strategically choosing which units to deploy in order to crush the opposition. Take control of the Commander, whose special abilities and quick thinking will be vital in supporting the squad in its mission, as you engage in fast-paced, tactical battle across story campaign and two heart-pounding Squad Assault Modes.

Features[]

Enjoy innovative game play – mixing action and strategy in a reversed tower defense formula – you’re the attacking side!
Play the commander whose special abilities and quick thinking are crucial to support the squad in its quest for victory.
Think tactically and strategically, choosing the right squad and the best route for the mission.
Extend tactical possibilities by gathering resources to buy new units and upgrade your squad during a battle.
Play for hours on end in the engaging story campaign, as well as the two exciting Squad Assault Modes.
Immerse yourself in the game with great visuals and atmospheric audio.
Supports PC touch screens compatible with Windows 7! Tap the screen and enjoy full tactical experience.

Gameplay[]

The style of the gameplay has been described as "reverse tower defense", "tower attack", and "tower offense". Players control a convoy of vehicles investigating anomalies around sections of a downed alien spacecraft, which are protected by various types of defensive towers that have to be destroyed. Players do not directly control the vehicles in the convoy, rather they set paths for the convoy to follow along city streets, while also dropping power-ups such as decoys or smoke-screens to aid the survival of the convoy. In addition, players can purchase and equip a number of different units with varying offensive and defensive attributes to make up the convoy. In the Windows, Mac, Linux and XBLA versions, players directly control a soldier on foot (dubbed the Commander) whom they use to pick-up and drop the power-ups for the convoy. The iOS and Android versions omit the Commander in lieu of the player directly placing power using the touch-based interface. In addition, the iOS and Android versions do not feature the levels set in Tokyo.

Release[]

Anomaly: Warzone Earth was released on PC and Mac on April 8, 2011; and was released on iOS on August 11, 2011 as separate apps for iPhone and iPad. An Android version followed, initially as an exclusive release on the Amazon Appstore in December 2011, then as a general Android Market release on January 26, 2012. The game was released on Xbox Live Arcade in April 2012.

Reception[]

Anomaly: Warzone Earth received universal acclaim from critics. GamesBeat gave the game a score of 80/100, saying, "While it’s hard to control, Anomaly is still playable and enjoyable as long as you take the time to really master the interface first.". Select Start Media awarded the game 7.9/10, praising the unique idea of "tower offence" and solid gameplay. As of November 14, 2011, the iOS version is one of the highest rated iOS games of all time on Metacritic with a score of 95. In June 2011, OS X version was awarded with Apple Design Award during Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. At the end of 2011 Apple has posted their annual iTunes and App Store rewind lists, where Anomaly: Warzone Earth has been entitled Game Of The Year Runner-Up. iOS version was chosen Game Of The Year Runner-Up by TouchArcade.com and was named the "Best Strategy" iOS game of the year in Touchgen's Editor's Choice Awards. The PC version was also nominated by GameSpot for the Best Strategy Game of 2011 title.

Sequel[]

In August 2012, 11 bit studios announced that a sequel titled Anomaly: Korea will be released. The game, set several months after the events of Anomaly: Warzone Earth, will feature new units and new powers. On the 28th of February 2013, 11 bit studios announced on their social networks that Anomaly 2 would be coming out soon. The game was debuted at Boston's PAX East on March 22nd, 2013.

PC System Requirements[]

OS: Microsoft Windows XP SP2/Microsoft Windows Vista/Microsoft Windows 7
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz or AMD Athlon 64 +2800
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon X1800 or equivalent
DirectX®: 9.0c
Hard Drive: 1 GB
Sound: DirectX 9.0c compliant soundcard

Mac System Requirements[]

OS: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3, or later.
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz or AMD Athlon 64 +2800
Memory: 2 GB
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon X1800 or equivalent
Hard Drive: 1 GB

Linux System Requirements[]

OS: Linux Ubuntu 12.04
Processor: Dual-core from Intel or AMD at 2.8 GHz
Memory: 1GB Memory
Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8600/9600GT, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2600/3600 (Graphic Drivers: nVidia 310, AMD 12.11 - AMD/ATI SUPPORT UNSTABLE DUE TO DRIVER ISSUES ), OpenGL 2.1
Hard Drive: 4GB Hard Drive Space
Sound: OpenAL Compatible Sound Card
NOTICE: THE GAME DOESN'T SUPPORT INTEL GRAPHICS CARDS