Developer: WOMBEX Games
Publisher: WOMBEX Games
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Bass Defense – Review
Every so often, a game comes around with a title that is so perfect that it already justifies said game’s existence. Loco Motive, for example, or Say No! More. The latest shining example of title punnery is a little game called Bass Defense. It offers rhythm-based gameplay (bass) combined with tower defense mechanics (base). The only way that the game’s title could’ve been more appropriate was if the game was fish-themed too. Of course, a great title doesn’t necessarily translate to great gameplay. Can Bass Defense deliver on that front as well? Read on to find out.
Story
While all the elements are present for a neat little sci-fi story, Bass Defense doesn’t give us one. The cyberpunk setting speaks to the imagination. The mysterious NMYs that are attacking you could probably do with some motivation as to WHY they are doing so. We’d label this a missed opportunity, especially since the crumbs we’re getting really taste like more. The title was good already, but naming enemies NMY ( pronounced eN-eM-Y) is another stroke of brilliance. Let us have our cake and eat it too, WOMBEX Games.
Graphics
We’re fans of Bass Defense’s sci-fi aesthetic as an artistic choice, but the execution of the visuals leaves some things to be desired. There is a lot of clutter on screen at any given time, making it quite difficult to make out what exactly is going on. The screenshots used in our review are good examples: it’s difficult to understand what is going on at a glance. In a game that is all about quick reflexes, that is an issue, as seeing which direction enemies are coming from is a fundamental element of Bass Defense’s gameplay. To make matters worse, effects like screen-shake and zoom-ins are also present. To Bass Defense’s credit, even when there is a ton of stuff happening on screen, the game’s performance is smooth, although that’s the least we’d expect here.
Sound
Any rhythm game worth its salt needs a killer soundtrack. Bass Defense understood the assignment and delivered on this front, with a varied mix across different genres. The vast majority is EDM, of course, but you’ll also find punk rock and drum ‘n bass tracks here. If you like the soundtrack enough to want to listen to it outside of the game, it’s available as a separate download, which is the kind of thing we always appreciate. There is no voice acting present in Bass Defense, and the sound effects never take front stage. Given that the music is so integral to the gameplay, we’re more than fine with that.
Gameplay
The core gameplay concept of Bass Defense remains the same across its different modes. You’re tasked with defending your base against NMYs, floating orbs that move towards you on the rhythm of the music from three different directions. Every NMY that gets through your defenses chips away some of your hit points. To stop this from happening, you’ll need to blast the enemies with energy pulses by hitting the corresponding directional key on your controller or keyboard at the right time. You can’t outright spam these pulses, as the game will detect this and block you from attacking. If you can get a combo going, you’ll build up power-ups, including health regeneration or powerful attacks. Attacks from power-ups will yield Energy Capsules, which can be used to upgrade your base. The core gameplay loop chains Bass Defense’s mechanics together in a satisfying and logical manner.
There are three main modes to choose from. The most prominent one, Soundwave, houses Bass Defense’s main campaign. In it, you’ll face a series of different musical tracks and corresponding environments. Soundwave can be tackled at different difficulty levels, and is likely going to be the starting point for most players. This does bring us to the game’s god-awful tutorial. An important part of any rhythm game is getting into the rhythm, but during the tutorial, the music stops every few seconds, and a pop-up shows up, explaining a different game mechanic. It’s a good thing that this is something that happens only when things need to be explained, but it’s annoying nonetheless. Overcharge mode plays out more like a classic tower defense and sees you deploy turrets to defend your base. Bass Defense’s last main mode, Fingerton, plays out more like a single-button arcade mode, where you can pick your own level at the cost of an even further increase in difficulty.
Speaking of difficulty, Bass Defense is definitely one of the more punishing rhythm games we’ve played in recent times, mostly due to the game’s cluttered visuals. Even on Easy difficulty, Soundwave knocked us for a loop. Now, according to the game’s tutorial, Fingerton is a mode that the most skilled players should be able to complete with their eyes closed, given the single-button setup. Given that it’s even more punishing than Soundwave, however, we don’t see ourselves ever completing that challenge. If you’re curious to see whether you’re up to the task, you can always give the game’s free demo, Bass Defense: First Memorythms, a try. That said, at €5.99, the full game won’t exactly break your wallet either.
Conclusion
Hardcore fans of rhythm games will probably find plenty to bite into with Bass Defense, but if you’re new to the genre or simply don’t have the best sense of rhythm, this isn’t a title that we’d recommend. While the core gameplay loop is good, the ridiculously small margin for error and the visual clutter make this a game that more casual players will find more frustrating than fun. Killer title though.
No Comments