PixelJunk Monsters is our favourite game this week (Burnout’s great, mind) so along with our Interview and Review we’re proud to present these tips on how to create the right Tower for each Monster wave.
Arrows – These are great for long distance enemies and fast moving ones, so are ideal for Spiders and once upgraded fully have a massive spider range. Almost useless against bosses and enemies with shields.
Upgrade path: Range (1 gem) > Range (1 gem) > Range (2 gems) > Power (3 gems)
Cannons – Their splash damage is perfect against closely packed ground enemies, especially slow ones. They do have a limited range though so ensure Cannons are placed as close to the Monster path as possible.
Upgrade path: Power (1 gem) > Power (1 gem) > Power (2 gems) > Power (3 gems)
Anti Air – Great for flying creatures, but totally useless against ground Monsters. Once powered up offers quite a bite and is essential near the base when you have flyers coming in. Sell all Air Towers once the last flying wave has gone.
Upgrade path: Speed (1 gem) > Speed (1 gem) > Speed (2 gems) > Power (3 gems)
Ice – The Ice Tower freezes Monsters for a short while, effectively slowing them down. The initial upgrades are weak, but once fully upgraded the area affected is considerably bigger, so are a great partner for Cannons if you place them just before.
Fire – Useful again for groups, because the Fire Tower kicks out a jet of hot jelly in a single direction, so if you catch the first in a line chances are you’ll notch up a few kills from following Monsters. Reload times can be a pain though, so ensure you double up.
Upgrade path: Range (1 gem) > Range (1 gem) > Splash area (2 gems) > Power (3 gems)
Tesla – The Tesla Tower requires a charge time, but once it’s fired it can target several monsters in one shot. Especially useful if you can place it near the start of the Monster path to thin out the numbers, and again at the base to pick up any that made it through your defences.
Laser – Another Air-only weapon, but is far more powerful than the similar Arrow Tower. The best way to use these Towers is when you can get a clear shot of a line of Monsters, because the Laser goes right through them.
Upgrade path: Speed (1 gem) > Range (1 gem) > Range (2 gems) > Power (3 gems)
Hive – The trickiest to place (and justify), the Hive Tower creates mini Monsters that are attracted to your player character and swarm around you – useful for when you need to dive into crowds of Monsters to pick up some cash. You can only build one so ensure it’s in the centre of the map.
Upgrade path: Power (1 gem) > Power (1 gem) > Power (2 gems) > Power (3 gems)
Mortar – The ultimate ground weapon, essentially much like the Cannon Tower but with far better range and a huge splash damage area, and is well worth upgrading to black flag if possible.