Sometimes you just want an arcade-style shooter with lots of firepower, shiny graphics, and a rail defense system. Other times, you want a game with grinds and lots of unlocks. If both of these things and some sexy, anime-looking graphics are your thing, then TurretGirls might just be the game for you!
TurretGirls is the story of a girl who rides a turret to defend something. Okay, there really isn’t a story, but when it comes to arcade-style games, one isn’t really needed. The action takes place on a rail system with a girl bent over the turret, which can be aimed and upgraded. Old-school rail systems included games like Missile Command, Galaga, and 1942. The really clever part of the game is how it is combined with a tower defense system. In front of the rail system are five locations where towers can be built. These towers add offensive or defensive elements and contribute power to a super weapon, which is the main objective of the game.
So, the gameplay breaks down to moving side-to-side on the screen to attack wave after wave of monsters and defend your towers, turret, and the girl herself. If all the towers get taken out or the girl gets stripped completely naked over a series of attacks (she does have pasties over the sensitive spots), then it’s game over and time to restart. You can unlock clothes to redress in during the match, but they are pricey. The more you grind at it, the more items you can unlock to help in the next battle. The items are cosmetics, such as new panties, a bra, or an animal’s tail, but they also add to your stats or damage in some way. For example, you can unlock a cat tail that adds 5% to Attack Power and 5% to Knockback. It is a solid combination rail and tower game, but that doesn’t stop them from having sexy fun with the character and shiny fun with all the weapon attack styles and colors. You also unlock higher-quality towers that add power to your super weapon but also generally add some type of attack as well, such as anti-air homing missiles. At its very essence, it could be compared to Space Invaders: waves of bad guys come in, and you are defending buildings with a turret on a rail. However, it is taken to the extreme in comparison, and the towers sometimes shoot back. If a tower gets taken out, you lose any weapon systems or bonuses the tower gave you as well as the charge it was providing toward the super weapon. The enemy keeps coming in waves over a set period of time. Try to survive the countdown with all your clothes and towers intact.
You can play it with a controller or keyboard and mouse; it really comes down to personal preference. Just try both out and see which one seems to work better for you. There are currently only three levels: wasteland, snowy plain, and abandoned city, and two modes: stage and endless. The game is priced affordably, and mixing, matching, and leveling unlocked items makes for lots of replayability, but it would be nice to have some more stages. Who knows? If the community is active enough, they may start having their own fun… I always welcome a Starship Troopers mod.
Sometimes you want to dive into a game that lasts 100 hours and has you learning the entire life and possible death of your hero. This is not a game for those times. TurretGirls is a fun pick-up-and-play that’s easy to put back down until next time. It’s a combination turret and tower defense at its core, but it’s a firepower fest that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with cheeky fun when it comes to the view and unlocks. Regularly priced at $10, it’s an affordable, fun way to pass some time and sharpen your reflexes.
