The Silk Road of the Eastern Dynasty

An unusually quirky take on the history of the legendary Silk Road, The Silk Road of the Eastern Dynasty is an entertaining tower defense game that combines elements from other genres to form an interesting mix. With its quirky visuals and engaging gameplay, it's easy to see why this title has garnered quite a bit of attention since release.

History buffs looking for an accurate depiction of the Silk Road might feel a bit disappointed by what they find here. However, those who are willing to overlook some of these issues won't be able to help but appreciate how well the game captures the spirit of the era. If you're interested in learning more about this time period while having fun at the same time, you'll definitely want to try this game out.

Survive and Defend

The Silk Road of the Eastern Dynasty follows the same gameplay formula we’ve come to expect from tower defense games. A horde of enemies advances on the map while you carefully set your defenses to maximize efficiency. As long as you keep everything intact, you shouldn’t have any trouble keeping up with the waves of attackers.

The game’s cheery art style betrays its difficulty, however, as latter stages can get pretty hectic. That said, they're generally short enough that you don't end up getting overwhelmed or frustrated. Even when you do lose, though, there's always the option to restart and try again, learning from your mistakes each time.

Flat Plane

Unlike some other popular tower defense games like Plants vs. Zombies, The Silk Road of the Eastern Dynasty goes for a gameplay style that looks and plays more like Kingdom Rush. Battles take place on a flat plane rather than across varying terrains, which means that towers must be placed in specific locations to offer optimal coverage.

Enemies follow a winding path through the level, moving from left to right along their route. This makes them fairly predictable, but also gives you ample opportunity to plan out your strategy ahead of time. Although it does make things easier, this approach also creates a sense of disconnect between the player and the action, as the game feels a bit too removed from the actual battles.

Historical Accuracy

The game’s developers claim that The Silk Road of the Eastern Dynasty offers an accurate portrayal of the era, although this isn't necessarily true. It's clear that they've made an effort to recreate the historical setting accurately, but that was clearly not the primary goal of this project. Rather, it's focused on providing a compelling gaming experience.

If you're looking for a historically accurate depiction of the Silk Road, you should probably look elsewhere. While the buildings and other cultural landmarks are all based on real places, the events depicted in the game aren't particularly factual.

Pros

• Entertaining gameplay
• Great soundtrack
• Charming character and building designs

Cons

• Gameplay can become repetitive after a while
• Basic visuals