Overview
PixelJunk Monsters is a good fun Tower Defence Game for the PS3. It's a cheap download that I highly recommend if you like this style of game.

Review
Tower Defence games are either your thing or they are not. It's easy to find out - try this one:
http://www.handdrawngames.com/DesktopTD/Game.asp

Basically they are games where multiple types of enemies emerge from one or more points and make their way around the screen to your base. If they reach your base they inflict damage. To try to prevent them from reaching your base you build towers of various types with various abilities to kill them on their way past.

The key differentiators for this game amongst this style of game are:

Character

You are a character running around the screen building towers rather than using a mouse pointer. This means that you have to run around and pick up things dropped by the dead monsters.

Upgrading

As a moving character if you stand under a tower you can speed up it's upgrading process. Towers also upgrade on their own as they inflict damage.

Unlock Towers

As you play this game monsters drop gems as well as money to buy more towers. These gems can be used to unlock various high powered towers with special abilities.

Powers

Certain special levels in the game can also give your character special powers, I won't go any further as I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!

This game is addictive and great fun. Put it this way: with GTA IV, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Burnout Paradise sitting there unplayed, this reviewer and his mates spent about 8 hour straight playing this game on two separate occasions.

After running around building and upgrading towers there's something very satisfying about watching your field of fully upgraded lasers decimate a huge squadron of enemy bats.

This game is also quite hard, especially for a "casual" style game. And it can be quite frustrating to have to keep restarting and following a 'Trial and Error' process to figure out what tower goes where when you're trying to get a perfect score.

In my opinion the music is at best ignorable, however it would seem it's a feature for some, and the album was the first album released on the PSN.

The game also features Trophy specific challenges for multiple levels if Trophies are your thing.

There is a sequel called PixelJunk Monsters Encore available which I haven't played.... Yet.

Score

Rating: B

Good
- Interesting implementation of the Tower Defence Idea.
- Satisfying fun single and multi player.
- Well Priced

Good&Bad
- Focus on your character. Some will like it and some won't.
- The Music.
- The level of difficulty.

Bad
- Frustrating 'Trial and Error' gameplay.

Mr Staypuft
Old School Gamer

My Xomba Articles:
http://www.xomba.com/user/slewis68au