Dungeon Defenders: Awakened Critic Reviews

Some of our favorite parts of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened lies in its art style and implementation of tower defense with meaningful looting, leveling, and gear systems.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is an accumulation of the feedback and skills that this developer has received throughout the series. The gameloop of stopping hordes of enemies in their tracks just works, but if you’re a fan of the series, then you’ll be getting more of the same with this entry. Still, this is the most balanced and prettiest entry to date and a hell of a good time with friends. For that, I’m eager to see how the title grows post-launch.

I loved Dungeon Defenders Awakened. Chromatic Games have got the core gameplay down pat. Maps are short and sweet, and there are extra modes for when I feel like I am ready to play for longer or try a different strategy.

Ultimately, Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is a very unique experience that will only improve with time if Chromatic listens to their players and updates regularly. The early game can be boring, especially when played alone. However, co-op is exciting at any time, and the late game is an absolute blast. In nightmare mode, stages begin to reach the perfect level of balance between challenge and fun. It isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve been craving some tower-defense, or loved previous Dungeon Defenders games, you’re sure to enjoy Awakened.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is a fun time, especially with others. But it doesn't have as much content as the game it's remaking yet, meaning that people still playing that one might be reluctant to move onto this version.

Ultimately, the success of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened can’t be fully determined at this point in time, and there’s a feeling that the console releases may be where the game gets an opportunity to shine, away from the ready comparisons to its predecessors. It’s certainly highly enjoyable and there’s an excellent base for it to build upon, but it remains to be seen how well it manages to build upon its current content and keep players coming back for more.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakening has had a buggy start, but the foundations here show signs of greatness, and right now it still makes for a bloody good time with a lot of difficulty to get through, which should only get better as the bugs are ironed out and the content increases.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened tries to recapture the glory and nostalgia that the first game commanded so well. There’s some fun to be had but I don’t think it’s worth the $40 asking price for Early Access. Although I am excited that Awakened will be available on Switch later this year, I think I would rather have a port of Dungeon Defenders II instead. Right now, this is a game you should sleep on.