It took 10 years to make it happen, but the sequel to one of my favorite tower defense games is finally almost here

pcgamer.com:

Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten(opens in new tab) is an excellent tower defense game, and so it wasn't surprising that in 2013, a year after its release, a sequel was announced. And then, nothing happened. I don't know why. 

But now it's back! A decade down the road, developer Level Up Labs has officially «re-revealed» Defenders Quest 2: Mists of Ruin(opens in new tab) and said it will be out later this year.

Defender's Quest 2, like the first game, promises to mix tower defense tactics with «long-term strategy» and RPG-style party and character building. This time around, players will lead a team known as the Hunters on a mission across the Shining Lands in a last-ditch effort to save the once-lush oasis from a deadly gas called Mirk.

One of the things I liked most about Defender's Quest was the writing, courtesy of James Cavin—a bit oddly, it's his only listed credit. The underlying story is fairly generic «chosen one» stuff but it never takes itself seriously, and it's filled with silly dialog like this early-game encounter with your first NPC:

Defender's Quest 2 is being written by indie developer and PC Gamer contributor(opens in new tab) Xalavier Nelson Jr., whose previous releases include Witch Strandings(opens in new tab), Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator(opens in new tab), An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs(opens in new tab), and the upcoming El Paso, Elsewhere(opens in new tab). He clearly has a knack for the unusual, so hopefully it will be a good fit.

Delighted to announce that after over a decade of development, Defender’s Quest 2 is finally releasing — with me as co-lead and narrative director!Y’all are in for something very special. :) https://t.co/udNHM2xQ7OApril 5, 2023

A release