A mind-bending Tetris-inspired roguelike Tower Defense | Review - Refactor

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Refactor is a roguelike tower defense game featuring a Tetris-like building system and refreshing twists to the tower defense genre.

🟩Pros

+Unique but familiar Tetris-like building system

+Innovative tower defense mechanics

+Risk-and-reward resource management elements

+Nostalgic Visual and Audio Experience

🟥Cons

-It’s mind-bending difficulty might not be for everyone

-Story is basically as basic as it gets

In Refactor, Aliens are invading Earth, and you have to defend the planet by building elemental turrets. That's basically the background story. Now that's out of the way, the main focus here is the hardcore-style tower defense combat with innovative building elements, where you are also in charge of constructing the pathway of the enemies. Originally released for PC last year, I was able to try out the Android demo version of the game.

At the core of Refactor lies its dynamic block building system, reminiscent of the popular puzzle game Tetris. Players are tasked with strategically arranging levels and pathways to create an effective defense against the invading forces. The enemy will automatically take the shortest path from start to end, and the game disallows you to block off the path entirely.

However, You can extend this route by using the blocks to create new pathways and turrets to block shortcuts. This system adds a layer of puzzle-solving to the gameplay, requiring players to think tactically and make careful decisions about placement and structure. With the randomized Tetris-shapes used for building, and using turrets to block off pathways, coming up with an optimal layout suddenly becomes a challenging task, especially for harder attack waves.

The building system in Refactor is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing players to easily manipulate and rotate pieces to fit together seamlessly, just like Tetris. The satisfaction of creating a well-designed defense that efficiently repels enemy attacks while taking them the longest route possible is immensely gratifying. The Tetris-inspired element of the game brings a unique and enjoyable aspect to the tower defense genre.

To place turrets, you must purchase turret modules from the shop, including the Tetris-shaped block that comes with it and the roster of turret modules are randomly selected after each wave. Players must carefully allocate their resources to purchase additional turret modules and upgrades for their defense. The turrets are divided into five elemental affinities:  Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. with varying numbered levels of quality, and players can use gold to upgrade the quality of turrets.

One notable aspect of Refactor is the gradual increase in module prices over time, simulating an inflation mechanic. This adds a sense of urgency and forces players to make strategic decisions about when and how much to invest in upgrades. It creates a compelling risk-reward dynamic, it's a matter of balancing the right amount of upgrades per wave ratio, if you upgrade too much that it's overkill, it would be a waste of gold. If you barely upgrade to save gold, then you risk losing. This adds a resource management aspect toRefactor that adds depth and complexity to the gameplay. 

The highlight of Refactor is undoubtedly the innovative Refactor mechanic, which dynamically gives you a random selection of Refactor recipes every wave that you can follow to fuse turrets into a more powerful version. With a staggering 35 elemental combinations available, the possibilities for experimentation and strategic thinking are vast — especially that you can stock turrets on top of each other for increased power at the cost of losing quantity. Trying out new refactor recipes and unlocking powerful turret combinations becomes an exciting pursuit, encouraging players to constantly adapt and evolve their defense strategy.

Visually, Refactor is a treat for the eyes. The game features vibrant and detailed neon-like retro graphics, with each element and turret design visually distinct by color and shape. In terms of audio, Refactor delivers an atmospheric retro soundtrack that complements the gameplay as well. The satisfying low-fi blast of turrets and the explosions of defeated enemies, add an extra layer of excitement plus nostalgia.

Conclusion:

Refactor is truly a hardcore tower defense game that excels in both innovation and execution. Its Tetris-inspired building system, resource management mechanics, and the mind-bending strategic factor combine to create a compelling and addictive gameplay experience. With its visually stunning graphics, immersive audio, and diverse gameplay options, Refactor is a must-play for fans of the genre while also accessible for newcomers alike.