Defenders of Ekron: Definitive Edition

Genre: Compilation / 2-Stick Shooter / Shmup

Players: 1

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Review:

Defenders of Ekron was originally released on PC and PlayStation 4 in 2017. A blend of 2-Stick Shooter and Shmup, this game has players taking the role of a pilot in a futuristic paramilitary organization fighting against an insurgent group, but when their fighting craft has an unexpected breakdown during their graduation test, they’re instead equipped with a more experimental craft. This Definitive Edition of the game, released in 2018 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2019, adds to the original game a new level, a new boss rush mode, and an entirely new retro-styled “demake” titled Invaders of Ekron.

The original game, Defenders, makes use of 2D art for its ships and backgrounds, with multi-plane effects to add depth, with additional 2D art for the characters arguing it out in the game’s story. This is supplemented by a forgettable and at times repetitive soundtrack filled with 90s-style electric guitar themes. Meanwhile, Invaders makes use of pixel art visuals and a chiptune soundtrack that works well for the game, though is similarly not terribly memorable. All in all, these games look good, but not spectacular.

For the gameplay, Defenders of Ekron mixes things up with multiple kinds of gameplay. You’ll have missions where you’ll be playing through a pretty standard Shmup-style level with 2-Stick Shooter controls, others where you must explore a large area with those same 2-Stick Shooter controls while occasionally manually scanning your environment for information. There are also some sections where you control your vehicle like a car, though I personally found this to be the least-likeable of the different types of gameplay.

In addition, Defenders of Ekron also features an RPG-style level-up system, with players encouraged to play through various challenges to get the points needed to power up your craft. While in theory this is a nice feature, in practice being forced to go through these exercises instead of playing through the game was tedious and slowed down the game’s pacing.

Overall, I think Defenders of Ekron is a solid 2-Stick Shooter that gives players a huge amount of variety in gameplay styles, even if not every one of those features is a winner.

Then there’s invaders of Ekron. This “Demake” strips out most of the abilities from the main game, leaving it a straightforward Shmup with a similar shield move and a similar need to watch your weapon’s energy to ensure it has time to recharge. For the most part, I think this mode works well, though there are definitely times where it seems like the game makes it difficult not to run out of energy. It’s also very simple and a tad repetitive. However, Shmup purists who want a more traditional entry in the genre.

Overall, I think both Defenders of Ekron and invaders of Ekron are decent games that each offer something unique, and as such compliment each other well. Both games have their flaws too, but overall this is a pair of games that fans of Shmups and 2-Stick Shooters would do well to try out.

tl;dr – Defenders of Ekron is a 2-Stick Shooter with Shmup elements that has multiple different gameplay types that makes for some great variety, even if some of the elements don’t quite work as well as you’d want. This Definitive Edition also comes with a “demake” of the game, Invaders of Ekron, that offers a more traditional Shmup experience that makes use of some of the same gameplay elements. It too is a decent if a bit flawed. Overall, this is, well, a decent but flawed pairing of games that is worth a look for fans of these two genres.

Grade: B-

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