Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree

“Action roguelikes are a tough genre to screw up, yet Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree manages to do that. From lacklustre in-run upgrades, to permanent progression that is boring, to perhaps the biggest problem of how utterly dry combat is, it drops the ball in many locations. The better parts, such as the banter and voice acting, are not enough to carry the woefully lacking core gameplay.”

“Overall, there's a bit too much holding Towa back from a recommendation. There are better Hades-likes out there, most notably Hades II: Melinoe Goes West. If you're a dyed-in-the-wool roguelite fan, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree will definitely fill your cup, but I think it's too easy to walk away from.”

“Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is an exciting roguelite action game filled with flashy spells, sword combos, and diverse characters brought to life with strong voice acting. Its colorful maps and fast-paced battles are enjoyable, but the game clearly isn’t built for two players; most mechanics fall on one person, leaving the other with little to do. Heavy reliance on luck and random card draws, along with a confusing upgrade system, hold it back. In the end, it’s a fast and stylish single-player roguelite that struggles to leave a lasting impression.”

“Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, from developer Brownies, is a fabulous roguelike action game that brings more to the table than not. It features solid presentation and story, a great backend system that brings a heavy amount of strategy and fun, while hiccupping only with its enemy repetition.”

“Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree brings a unique roguelike experience where you can experiment for hours. It’s not easy to learn the new concepts, and it is tough to adjust in the beginning. But give the game a chance and you will discover what it has to offer as a satisfying and solid adventure, as you spend hours figuring out how to make your characters shine.”

“Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a great example of a game that might be inspired by something else but nonetheless manages to be darn fun on its own. It's easy to write it off as a Hades knockoff, but there's enough fun in this game to enjoy it on its own merits. The core mechanics can occasionally be a touch awkward, and the narrative never really grabbed me, but the moment-to-moment gameplay was plenty of fun. If you're looking for a different flavor of action-RPG adventure, Towa hits the mark.”

“Towa And The Guardians Of The Sacred Tree is sadly a frustrating, repetitive, poorly balanced experience. It's a shame, because there is a decent amount of heart present, backdropped by beautiful designs and a stellar soundtrack. Unfortunately, the gameplay loop quickly becomes completely mindless, combat is a chore, bosses feel cheap, and your game clock counter just keeps going up while the emotions of the story never hit. There are some nice ideas here, but the execution and implementation still does not lend itself to an enjoyable Roguelite title at all.”

“Despite its simple combat and complex upgrade system, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a game with a lot of soul. A roguelike that places a greater emphasis on narrative and atmosphere, it ended up being one of the most charming titles I've played in a while.”

“Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree might look like it's following in Hades's footsteps, but looks can be deceiving and there's a lot more to Brownies Inc.'s latest than a cursory glance would suggest. Stuffed with intriguing, if regularly overwhelming, ideas and demanding mechanics, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree does enough to stand apart on its own merits.”

“All in all, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a fun roguelite with a gorgeous presentation, especially for its price tag. It looks great and feels great to play. However, the incredibly lengthy cutscenes you have to sit through between runs lest they disappear forever can feel really annoying. The writing is good, but the pacing is off.”

“Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a heartfelt and captivating adventure, featuring a cast of colorful characters and engrossing storylines. As a roguelite, it does its job very well, delivering a nice spin on the Hades formula with its use of two characters per run.”

“Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree has a lot of half-good ideas-each one marred by questionable design decisions.”