Lich Defense

Sometimes, to do good you've got to become bad. The central character of Lich Defense knows this all too well -he's a selfless fellow who becomes an undead monster in order to preserve his world from total and utter annihilation.

The trouble is, in doing so he opens himself up to legions of bloodthirsty warriors hell-bent on destroying him because they believe he's just like all the other Lich Lords out there: in short, not particularly nice.

What follows is your typical tower defence romp, packed with buildings to unlock and upgrade. The usual rules apply: wave after wave of attacking forces spill in from a designated entry point and rush towards your vulnerable HQ - in this case, the Lich himself.

You repel these invaders by erecting towers capable of hurling projectiles in their general direction. Other towers - such as ones which slow down the progress of the enemy or are particularly adept at slaying airborne attackers - become available as the game progresses.

Money is dished out for every enemy unit destroyed, and this can be used to purchase more structures or upgrade existing ones. So far, so very much like every other tower defence game you could mention.

What makes Lich Defense unique is the star of the title - the undead necromancer himself. Rather than just standing there and presenting his rotting undead behind to the onrushing hordes, this Lich is packing serious heat - he'll actually hurl some offensive spells around when an opponent comes within range.

Being a purveyor of black magic, our ghostly anti-hero is also capable of using special magical attacks that can decimate entire waves of enemies. You can purchase new ones between levels, and while they're unlimited they take a while to recharge once used.

While the inclusion of the Lich doesn't really revolutionise the genre, it does make this game feel a little fresher than the numerous tower defence clones currently available on the App Store.

It's just a shame that Lich Defense relies so heavily on in-app purchases: many of the best items can only be obtained with real money - quite a cheek when you consider the game isn't a free-to-play effort.

Still, it's perfectly possible to enjoy Lich Defense's charms without having to take this route, and for tower defence fans in need of something just that little bit different this is a must.