A while ago when the first Sentinel game came out I really didn’t hear that much about it. In fact, it wasn’t until I read a review about it on this site that I decided to pick it up. From that point on I was very hooked to some of the unique elements that Sentinel: Mars Defense (now just Sentinel 1 in my book) had to offer to the very crowded Tower Defense genre.
There was the fact that money you didn’t use actually gained interest (that almost made this a time management game), the ability to mine for resources (almost making this feel like a Starcraft game), and the barriers (that almost… well… this was not like other games). These three things on their own made me really take notice of the game… but it was only the beginning.
The whole look of the game is very detailed and was as much a joy to watch as it was to play. The enemies have that “bug” look to them and throughout the game I felt like I was playing some handheld version of Starship Troopers. Sentinel 1 was (and still is) one of the best TD gaming experiences.
And now comes Sentinel 2: Earth Defense. It seems that all of our best efforts on Mars weren’t enough and now the bugs have come to Earth. That being said, the game is pretty much like the first in terms of all of the things that you really liked about the original… and there are plenty of things added to make it an even better game this go around.
If you played the first Sentinel, or any fixed path TD game, you know what to expect. You place your defenses where you think they’ll do the most good and watch as the enemy runs through your gauntlet, all the while praying that you’ll hold out till the end. It requires a lot of fast decision making, and knowing when to sell the weapons that have all ready lived out their usefulness in order to buy more further on down the path.
The folks at Origin8 have done a nice job of making things easy to work. Weapons are put into place simply by dragging them where you want them and you can upgrade or sell them by tapping on them and making your choice.
The visuals and sound are also top notch in the game. This is Earth you’re protecting now and the game has enough of a different look from the first to make you believe that, and you’ve got the same great effort made to have entertaining animations. There is new music and some other sounds as well and everything is done with the same sort of polish that you got from the first game.
So what makes this game different from the original – I mean besides the fact that you’re trying to save your home planet, that is. Well, you’ve got new some new enemies to defeat, and defeating them is not easy. But thankfully you’ve got some new weapons to help you.
The towers from the first game have come back for this go-around, but Earth has added some new ways to defend itself for Sentinel 2. These include the very cool Attack Drones that fly around after the bugs, Homing Missiles that… well, home, and a Time Warp that slows everything down. But one of the most visually appealing is the Orbital laser that rains death from above on the attacking horde. And remember the mining/repair drones from the first game? Well now they can go after resources that will power up these special weapons.
Another addition for this installment is Mission Mode. You still have the basic Campaign mode from the first game, but in Mission Mode you have to complete a task with certain restrictions. Often this means that you have very limited funds to start and have to be very prudent as to how to spend your money.
All in all, I’m really happy with this game. I was blown away with how fun the first game was and how Origin8 managed to create an easy to play TD game, while still making it more visually appealing than games I’d play on a DS or PSP. I also liked the way I could see how my towers were increasing in upgrades. The game had the right amount of difficulty and received a lot of play time from me.
The new version has it all and even ramped it up. I cold only think of two things I’d like to see done with the game. First, the screen seems a little more crowded than before and that gets in the way from time to time. The other thing is that, while I love the fixed path sense of the game, I think Origin8 could have included at least one open path level to the game just to see what might have happened.
Forget about all the medieval and space TD games out there… It’s time to fight for something that really matters… Earth! Sentinel 2: Earth Defense is one of the highest quality games you’ll find on the App Store and it has all the fun and excitement you want in a TD game. For fans… A Must Buy!
The Good
Takes First Game &- Ramps It Up
All The Things You Loved Are Back
Very Detailed Fixed Path TD GameThe Bad
Sorry I Couldn’t Save Mars
On The Hard Levels I’ll Probably Lose Earth As Well
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Thank you very very much! I’m totally obsessed with this one, though it seems to bug out when I win a campaign level? Also, doesn’t tell me what wave out of how many I’m on… I’ll be doing a restore, and losing all my data, so I’ll check if that fixes these bugs.
I also just bought the first Sentinel: MArs Defense, which is on sale for $0.99 (I used the link on this review: )
Keep up the awesome work, and let me know if you need anyhelp with reviews, etc…
Unless my memory betrays me, the first Sentinel had some of the best graphics of any TD game I had played and it was also quite fun. I’m sure this one cannot disappoint me after my experience with 1.
i love those graphics
i havent played part 1 but probably i will give that one a try
I’m a huge fan of Sentinel, but I don’t think there is enough new things here to have me go to S2 unless I crave more levels. But at $2.99, ehhhh. Good review.
i’ve been playing so many TD games, everything looks repulsive. but this game looks pretty creative. might actually give it a try.
Ahh another great TD game. Nice review, this game looks awesome!
Aww man, I’ve yet to play one and there is already a 2?
I have every single TD put out on the iphone since I beta tested the first: Mote-M
After watching that video I’m completely blown away. When Bob mentioned the homing missiles, Attack Drones, and orbital laser I thought to myself, “wow, that sounds awesome”
But after seeing it in that video I literally said, “Holy %&#*!”
Yeah, I was impressed to say the least.
One question though, I noticed that some of the pieces in the video had different sized towers and enemies… Can you zoom in on the action? if so, is it a stylized effect based on the action or is it user controlled?
yes you can zoom in on the action, and I believe its a stylized action based on where you touch. I will let BOB chime in but from what I played I think its Stylized
The graphics are very detailed on this. I love that the first one actually provided a challenge. The only other TD to do so for me was Geo Defense and as such those two are my favorites
This one really snuck up on me. I really liked the first one and I imagine that this is a lot better.
Well we have a promo code to give away for this but seems no one wants to comment Hint hint
Well In That Case, This Looks Like A Really Polished Game, Everything About It Looks Near Perfect, The Graphics, The Sound, The Touch Screen Is Perfect For These TD Games. And Based On The Review And Video, This Looks Like What Is Currently The Best TD Game Available.
Btw Do Replies To Comments Count Towards The Promo Code Givaway?
hmmm… my comment below isn’t a comment? Have you given away the codes for the your previous reviews yet? i don’t see any announcements there, and believe me, it affects my purchasing pattern. (i.e., I see a game here and I’ll likely want to buy it if I don’t win it! )
Seriously, though, Sentinel looks like it sets a very high bar for the TD genre, in every respect.
I was Asking If My Comment Was Ok To Just Be A Reply Or If It Wouldn’t Count For A Chance To Win The Promo Code. About The Codes For The Previous Reviews, Glenn Is No Longer Able To Give away A Promo Code For Every Review.
There’s Some More Info Here:
Those new weapons and enemies really are something of a “game changer”, no? I only wish they had a lite version of one of these so I could test it on my set-up first.
Yeah, I know “set-up” is odd to use for the iPod Touch 2G, but right now it’s missing Safari. completely. I’m not in the mood to replay blimp and other games, so I’m not resetting the firmware until I finish those games…..
Back to Sentinel 2: looks stunning. And very cool indeed.
Looks good, never got the first one but sounds like an improvement.
This game is just absolutely fantastic. Sci-fi theme is awesome, and there’s a lot of depth.