This game has multiple ideas that I did not like and I could say that it all combined to an experience that I did not like. These are my thoughts on… The Tower on the Borderland
Visuals
First thing you’ll notice in this game is a set of visuals that are inspired by the PS1 era of video games although very interesting to look at at times it came off as bland and uninteresting. But I will admit that character designs were pretty solid. The mc looked the way I would imagine them to. And the monsters… well let’s just say on top of their interesting design they also had the interesting idea to include… the monsters.. genitalia 💀. These at least made me interested in fighting these quite random looking beasts. Areas and Atmospheres in this game are absolutely the pinnacle of why I think the game doesn’t have an amazing design. Most of the areas look similar or give off the same vibe boring me after just the first 30 minutes. Not only that but the colorset does not impress at all. Most things look mundane or dull. And looking at that through the entire runtime was disappointing even if it made sense for the atmosphere you’re in.
Gameplay
Now when I mentioned ideas I didn’t like it starts here. To start the combat is super unsatisfying, not only did I feel unrewarded it also made me feel super weak against my enemies due to the absolutely horrible controls. I have never played something that I struggled with more controls wise than this. I still got confused after a whole hour of gameplay, I personally played on keyboard and mouse, so I couldn’t tell you if it was easier on the controller since I ran into technical issues beforehand. Which has nothing to do with the game. Now if you’re wondering if there was anything else to make the game more interesting… not really. In my experience I just ran straight through not even wondering if there was anything else to do, but I never felt encouraged either, meaning that most of my gameplay was me spamming one to three buttons upon fighting enemies. Hit. Dodge and run, and possibly find the occasional upgrade. There is a final note I have to mention and that’s the fact that souls like aren’t my favorite; so maybe this would be better for those who do
Story/Characters/Music?
Now usually this isn’t too important in a souls like experience, sadly this would be my only saving Grace of a souls like and this sadly didn’t deliver even what I may have been hoping for. On the one hand you have the interesting mystery of what the hell is even going on? I had this question several times and on the other hand you have the answers, answers that didn’t make me happy( It’s hard to not spoil it considering the short runtime) but it was easily forgettable and baffling at times. I mean it seriously felt like grasping at straws at its finest, because most events happen so loosely that it was hard to follow, and maybe a replay can change my mind but I truly doubt it. Also since most of the music felt non existent I’ll avoid it for now.
Performance
On a high note the game performed pretty well. Didn’t experience any screen tearing nor frame drops. Everything not only ran smoothly but it also all worked right out of the gate meaning you should be ok to play this!
Verdict
If you’re wondering, I don’t recommend this game. It’s hard to like something that combined many elements of things you don’t like, but when that happens and you fail those multiple elements, it just makes the experience so much worse. I give the game a 4.5/10. It’s got some greatness in atmosphere and its performance is rock solid. This seems like a game that would be nice, but there is tons of ironing out to do before moving on to the next project. Those were my thoughts on The Tower on the Borderland! Thx For Reading! Keep doing great things! You’re good at them. Bye 🙂
Side Notes
This review was done on a computer using an RX 6750 XT Power color and an Intel i5 13400F. This review does NOT have any details about controller support.
