Defense Grid 2 for Xbox One

UPDATE:  I am beating this game way too easily.  I've not only gold-medaled out at each level, but I've done it the first time through.  This is drastically different than the difficulties of the original game where I've still got a few scenarios that I can't beat.  To be fair to DG2, I plan on going back and re-playing a level or two in basic play mode (no boost towers and no weapon customization) and see if that is the real difference.

I am a huge fan of original tower defense game "Defense Grid" for the Xbox 360, a little gem of a game that I went out on a limb and bought a couple of years ago.  It was very nice to see the developers at Hidden Path update the game for the the Xbox One.  At $24.99, it's not cheap, but if you enjoyed the 360 version, of which I have played countless hours, or just like a good tower defense game, then it's a solid buy.

Here is a comparison of the graphics:

Original Defense Grid for Xbox 360

The new Defense Grid 2 for Xbox One

As you can see, the latest version is awash in color, which is somewhat distracting but you eventually get used to it.  While maintaining its original game play elements Hidden Path has also made subtle changes to player controls and information display.  For instance, each alien now sports a health bar as it moves to show how close to extermination it is, while the path it must take is marked all along the tiles themselves and change with tower placement.  It's easier to avoid creating closed paths and towers can now be built upon "boost" platforms allowing paths to be created without committing a lot of resources.  Defense towers can later be placed on these boost platforms for enhanced performance. Another noticeable difference is that overall game play is much faster.

The greatest improvement in the game display is the ability to not only zoom in on an area, but also re-orientate and pan across the playing field.  I'm sure there are other changes yet to be discovered (apparently the orbital laser has some new tricks), but generally Hidden Path has maintained the essential game elements and strategy of the first game while adding features, enhanced display, and control improvements to the new one.  Hidden Path seems to take customer feedback seriously and it shows is this new version.

For the price, given the amount of game time I expect to spend playing it, I can easily say that dollar for dollar this has been one of the best game purchases I have made for my Xbox One.  This is a great game.  I give it 9.5/10, but a perfect score is tempting.