A Protector, protecting

Fresh from the first footage of in-game action, a preview build of Gods vs. Humans arrived at Nintendo Life HQ for us to get to grips with. Taking in several stages as the Egyptian God Osiris, the demo offers a sneak peek at what to expect from the finished product.

Despite some similarities to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord, Gods vs. Humans plays very differently. The premise is that humans are building towers to overthrow the Gods, and you must use your almighty powers to destroy the constructions without harming your followers, as they provide you with the respect energy you need to utilise your powers. Should you hurt any humans their mood will decrease, which makes them work harder and provide you with less energy, but if you play fair they will become happier, slowing down their work and giving you more respect.

Your powers come in offensive and defensive flavours, with attacks ranging from fireballs to hailstorms and defensive abilities including scarecrows, mummies and pin-up girls, and each ability has its own energy requirements and effect on the humans' moods. By linking attacks well you can boost their moods before scaring them away and beginning to destroy the four pillars that support each floor of the tower. However, not all humans are created equal, with different units possessing unique abilities, from Evil Priests preaching hate against you to make your followers angry to Protectors wielding artefacts to defend the tower from your attacks. There's quite a lot to learn, but you can press – at any time for a rundown of each unit's strengths and weakness.

Protect this portal or it's all over

You can attack any floor you like, but the overall aim is to destroy the entire construction, with the quickest way being to knock out its foundations. However, these are naturally stronger than the rest of the building, so the direct route is out of the question; instead, by destroying the floors above, the rest of the tower will fall down and greatly damage the foundations.

For such a short introduction there's a lot to learn about Gods vs. Humans, from unit types to attacking strategies, as it's unlike anything seen on WiiWare to date. However you feel about its theological standpoint, it's an intriguing title with plenty of fresh gameplay ideas and a unique graphical style, and certainly one to keep your eye on.