I’m just going to go ahead and start this post with a warning: The frenetic pace and rapid player motions during playing this game may make you look slightly crazy.

Knights Onrush is probably my personal favorite tower defense-esque game for the iPhone and consequently warrants a plug. With several new game titles released/in progress by developer MoreGames Ent. (including a spin off hack and slash!) Knights Onrush is a testimony to the company's dedication to game quality. Everything from the clean graphics, artistic style, and difficulty level in this game seem just right, making a great game to pick up and play without sacrificing quality.

Whereas most tower defense games rely on placement of defenses, Knights Onrush places a heavy emphasis on the player’s direct involvement. The typical scheme of “waves of baddies” followed by “upgrade your defenses” does still factor into the game, but essentially as the wide variety of enemies attack YOU are responsible to either fire off your collection of weapons, feed enemies to your dragon, or personally fling enemies to their death.

Instead of endless waves of opponents, players will face a campaign mode featuring several levels and stages. Each stage starts you with different equipment and features unique combos of enemies, keeping the gameplay varied and fresh. The inclusion of “levels” and a campaign mode gives a sense of completion and accomplishment. Though I do enjoy the typical survival mode, the campaign is a definite plus for gamers who like the feeling of beating a game. For those who do enjoy wave upon wave of baddy though, don't fret, a classic survival mode is included as well.

In terms of presentation, the Knights Onrush shines with cartoony but sharp visuals. Each of the wide variety of enemy types looks distinct and very stylized and is memorable. Furthermore, the vibrant colors and general backdrops of your castle and defensive weapons are both colorful and pleasing to the eyes. Each upgrade to your gates and weapons is immediately noticible and it is quite satisfying to see your new, blue fireball ready to freeze your enemies.

The sound quality is quite solid as well, though nothing particularly stood out. The music is fittingly epic, but the campy sound effects each enemy made when being squished, ignited, or otherwise tossed to their death can drill on your earbuds. While entertaining at first, the sounds quickly get annoying, so this may be the game to switch to silent if in a public area. 

At $0.99, this game is a great bargain and has already provided me with more than my money’s worth of entertainment. Needless to say, rapid flicking movements along with constant squealing noises emitted from enemies will turn a couple heads your way, so I recommend playing with ear phones.  You can download Knights Onrush here