Hidden Path Entertainment announces Defense Grid: The Awakening has shipped to stores in North America. As promised, the boxed version of this tower defense game provides a DRM free installation, as well as a code for the Steam edition to support online features:

AUSTIN, TEXAS – July 28, 2009 – Defense Grid: The Awakening, Hidden Path Entertainment’s critically acclaimed tower defense strategy game for PC, has shipped to retail stores in North America through a partnership with Aspyr Media. Gamers who purchase Defense Grid: The Awakening in stores will receive two products in one package. First, A DRM-free version of the full game on the included disc allows for local profiles to be created for saves, achievement tracking and score ranking. For players who want to take their Defense Grid: The Awakening experience online for Internet leader boards, online rankings and achievements, a code is included in the box that will allow them to download the full game from the Steam digital distribution platform for no additional cost.

Released through digital distribution in December 2008 to tremendous praise, Defense Grid: The Awakening takes the best features of the addictive tower defense genre and fuses them with the Gamebryo engine to deliver beautiful 3D environments, spectacular effects, a dynamic soundtrack and deep strategy gameplay. Ensuring AAA quality and impeccable game balance is a development team with a pedigree that includes franchises such as Age of Empires, Half-Life, Crimson Skies, Homeworld, MechWarrior, and Rise of Nations.

Defense Grid: The Awakening finds humanity struggling against an invasion by a relentless alien force. The player is tasked with defending key outposts with the aid of ancient, but powerful, defense towers and an artificial intelligence construct. Intuitive controls and a range of objectives make it fun for players of any skill to progress through the 20 story levels, and the dozens of additional challenge modes. Ten different tower types, each with unique strengths, allow for multiple strategies as players scheme to take down wave after wave of invading creatures, each more powerful than the previous.

Defense Grid: The Awakening is rated E10+ (for gamers 10 and older) by the ESRB. For more information on the game please visit www.hiddenpath.com.