Anomaly 2 Review: Watching Your Defenses Fight Makes Tower Defense Feel New Again

Anomaly 2 asks players to fight a war from the losing side. Instead of sending soldiers into battle, you send waves of enemy troops across a map and watch as your defenses tear them apart. It sounds strange, but it works.

The game, available on PS4, Linux, Android and PC, launched in 2013 as a sequel to the original Anomaly. Players control a group of survivors moving through a city overrun by robots, but the twist is that you are not the ones doing the fighting. That task falls to a network of turrets, mines and drones placed along the path.

The core loop is simple. Each mission shows a map of the city block you are about to cross. You lay down traps, set ambushes and choose which enemies get priority. Then you watch the action unfold in real time, moving your group of survivors from cover to cover while the machines do the dirty work.

The twist is the whole point. Most tower defense games put the player behind a wall, building up resources and watching the action happen. Anomaly 2 puts you inside the battlefield, moving with your own forces and watching your defenses do the fighting. It changes the stakes completely.

The survivors are the heart of the game. Each one brings a skill to the team: one might boost turret damage, another might heal or revive fallen allies. Choosing who moves first and who lags behind becomes a constant decision, and it adds a layer of strategy that pure tower defense rarely offers.

The story follows a small band of humans trying to survive in a world taken over by machines. It is not a deep narrative, but it gives the missions a reason to exist beyond just clearing waves. The voice acting is solid, and the characters feel like people rather than faceless units.

Anomaly 2 ramps up quickly. Later levels throw new enemy types at you, force you to deal with multiple paths at once, and strip away resources you took for granted earlier. The difficulty curve is steep, and some missions require several attempts before the solution clicks.

The replay value comes from the level editor. Players can build their own maps and share them online, which keeps the game alive long after the main campaign ends. It is a clever addition, though it requires a separate app to work properly.

On PC and PS4, the game runs smoothly. The frame rate holds steady during combat, and the visuals are detailed enough to show the scale of each wave. The Linux version exists, but performance there varies depending on hardware.

The mobile versions keep the same systems intact. Touch controls work well for laying down traps, though aiming and moving survivors takes some getting used to on smaller screens.

The differences between platforms are mostly about where you play, not what you play. The table below summarizes how each version compares:

What stands out most about Anomaly 2 is its confidence in its own twist. Here is why the game earns its place among tower defense titles:

1. The survivor system gives missions a human element most tower defense games lack.
2. The difficulty curve rewards planning and patience.
3. The level editor keeps the community engaged long after release.
4. The twist of playing from the losing side sets it apart from the genre.

Not everything lands perfectly. Some late-game levels feel like repeated versions of earlier ideas, and the pacing drags in sections where the challenge dips. The level editor also requires a separate app, which adds friction for players who want to share content.

Anomaly 2 is not a perfect game, but it is a confident one. It knows what it wants to be and executes that vision well. The twist, the survivor system and the level editor give it a lasting identity that most tower defense games lack.

Trailer, via 11 bit studios.

Anomaly 2 · game review · level editor · survivor system · tower defense