Dungeon Defenders is the second of two tower defense games I've played in the last month that employ some unique twist on the formula. Rather than presenting a standard, "Drop turret and wait," approach, Dungeon Defenders places you in the action as one of four classes, adding an Action RPG element to gameplay. Although it doesn't lend itself to solo play all that well, the idea is solid and really fun with a group of friends.

I like Dungeon Defenders' look. It may trend a little too towards "cartoon" for some players, but I personally like that look. For one, it shows the Unreal Engine is indeed capable of displaying colors that aren't a shade of gray/ green/ brown, but helps speed up gameplay. Everything - characters, enemies, and defenses - are big and really easy to identify on sight. You don't have to think about what you're seeing; there's a bright, graphic quality that instantly lets you know what you're about to face.

I also like that it adds a bit of personality to the game. You can customize your character's colors and equipment, so you can leave your own little stamp on your character. There are also numerous callbacks and references to other well-known games, which is always fun when handled correctly.

Best of all, the game runs smooth, even when you're in the middle of a massive horde of enemies, which happens often.

Music and sounds are around for ambiance, though to be perfectly honest I tended to block both out during games. Dungeon Defenders is all about teamwork and communication, so I made sure to focus on what my teammates were saying rather than what I heard in the background. The few moments I did stop to hear what was going on around me (mostly between waves), I liked what I heard. It was calming, but still had a jazzy epic-ness.

The basic premise behind Dungeon Defenders finds you playing as one of four heroes - all kids - who are charged with the unenviable task of protecting the kingdom while their folks are away at war. There's an apprentice mage, who uses projectiles and specializes in creating ranged towers, as well as a Squire who is handy with a sword and can erect strong barriers. Then there's a Huntress, another ranged character who can set traps for enemies. Finally, there's a Monk, whose uses a combination of ranged and melee attacks. He can also alter his partner's stats and afflict enemies with numerous status ailments.

Dungeon Defenders tosses in numerous play mechanics, so it is sometimes hard to actually describe what is going on at any given moment. It's a tower defense game where you have to place structures in key locations to keep enemies away from a giant crystal sitting somewhere on the map. Before each wave of enemies, you are presented with a short Build Phase, where you can place structures and discuss your strategy with your teammates. Build Phases also happen between waves, offering the opportunity to reassess your strategy, bolster certain defenses or upgrade existing ones.

After setting up your barricades and turrets, you are dropped into a button-mashing Combat Phase. Here you jump into the action as one of four warriors, hacking, slashing and casting spells to keep your structures from folding under then constant deluge of enemies. Along the way, you'll find new items to equip, increasing your combat effectiveness, and collect mana to let you repair and upgrade structures, or summon new ones.

Between matches you can visit your Tavern, a hub area where you can sell off unwanted gear, equip new gear and re-spec your character or apply other bonuses. Most of the same options are available during your Build Phase, but while in your Tavern, you have a little more time to think.

You can also take on Challenge levels, which usually twists normal gameplay, such as adding a mobile some-thing-or-another for you to defend. There's also mode where you can only rely on defenses.

Dungeon Defenders isn't something you can play solo. Even with a full group of four, the game takes little time in jumping from zero to murderous. During my first few games, I repeatedly made the mistake of underestimating how difficult each wave was, chalking it up to bad luck. After a few waves, I was usually left eating my own words and trying to figure out how they broke through what looked like a foolproof defensive scheme.

There's a definite ramp up in challenge, giving you just enough time to get acquainted with the game's controls and mechanics, before all hell breaks loose and you're stuck in the middle of a nasty horde of enemies. Although you can drop the difficulty down, Dungeon Defenders doesn't take prisoners and will push you to the very edge.

It's frustrating, especially if you have no interest in ever teaming up with other players, but with a group, you can always work through issues and you'll want to come back for more. It's hard, but has a horror movie quality where you'll actually enjoy the shock of losing and the sensation of going back to teach the game who's boss. Coordination and communication are, as you would expect, key - so make sure you're playing with people you know or a talkative group that knows how to play as a team.

Although you can play the game solo, Dungeon Defenders is built for multiplayer. Finding a game is easy and you can drop in/ drop out whenever you want. If you can't find someone to play with online, local co-op is also available.

Levels showcase a surprising amount of flexibility when setting up your grand strategy, though when playing solo, you limit the number of available strategies. With two or more players, you can find ways to use each character's build options to create a sounder defensive plan. Ok, so you can technically do this solo by switching characters, but it takes more work to switch out characters and making sure everyone has enough mana. Also, higher-level characters have access to better structures, so unless you're spending a lot of time spreading the love between characters, it isn't likely that everyone's contributions will be at the same level, creating a massive weak link during later levels.

Everything is based around collecting mana, which is looted from slain enemies. You can drop an initial placement for cheap, but upgrading costs more mana. Though it is tempting to drop an entire arsenal of traps, towers and barricades, a shared pool of build points limits how much you can build in any level. Each structure uses up different amounts of points, forcing you to talk your strategy through with your teammates and get the most out of your defenses.

It's a smart strategy, though it does assume you're playing with a good group of players. When I was able to get with a good group - which to the community's credit was often - we could work out a grand strategy and everything worked fine. There are, as usual, a couple of players who don't play well with others. With these guys on board, the core mechanics absolutely crumble and Dungeon Defenders devolves into a frustrating experience.

Not having someone to play with, or a general aversion to multiplayer in general, is the only massive roadblock in whether or not you should download Dungeon Defenders. Yes, even with a group it is incredibly hard, but nothing you can't overcome with the right people and strategy in place.