Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree

I was never particularly fond of roguelite games before I discovered Hades. The idea of dying and having to start over from the beginning was not something my patience particularly appreciated, but then Supergiant's gem came along and changed all that. Today, I'm not so quick to shy away from this genre, and I thought Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree looked quite cosy and interesting at first glance. On the surface, you see the cheerful colours, lovely environments, and overall, it seemed to be drenched in a generous dose of Japanese design. All of that at the same time in what is essentially a fairly classic roguelite where you, together with Towa and a bunch of other characters, embark on an action-packed journey to restore peace to the kingdom.

The most unique thing about Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is that you control two characters, or rather, you can switch between having the character follow you or taking control of both with separate joysticks. The side character you choose from a large gallery of characters acts as support with magic while you dish out punishment with your sword. From the small village of Shinju, which serves as the game's hub, you set out on a "run" through colourful landscapes, slaying monsters in every area. Once you've cleared them, you get to choose a "Grace" that increases your skills, select a portal to the next area, and head towards a boss at the end, and if you die, you have to start over. In the charming little town, you can upgrade your weapons and other skills so that you are a little stronger when you give it another brave try.

It's a classic concept that doesn't do much to surprise. Before each round, you can choose between eight different companions, which changes the play style quite a bit. In other words, there is a little pleasure in finding the support you like best and whose attacks work best for your style of play. You can also let a second player take control of the other character, so you can play this in co-op mode, which works fine as the areas are small and easy to navigate. However, the player who plays support must accept that their attacks have a "cool-down", so the playing style is considerably slower for them.

The most appealing aspect of this game is definitely the visual design. The colours are bright and clear, which makes the environments very inviting, however, the limited areas also mean that there is nothing to explore directly, which is a shame. I would have preferred a more open approach than the rather small areas in which I fight the enemies. Even though the environments don't quite come into their own, the design is still very appealing and cosy, which is the game's big plus side. The enemy design isn't particularly exciting and doesn't make much of an impression, but the bosses feel a little more unique. Above all, it's the cheerful, colourful palette that stands out, and everything is accompanied by pleasant music. Unfortunately, the game suffers from incredibly monotonous dialogue that becomes frustrating to listen to after a while. It's the same nagging repeated by your companions, which really drags down the overall soundscape.

In this genre, if you fail, you have to replay everything you've completed, but something that I think works quite well here is how the next round is noticeably easier. In the village, you can shop and upgrade weapons, and even though this is done in a very cumbersome and lengthy mini-game, there are generally generous upgrades available for your next attempt. A boss that may seem too strong on the first attempt is much easier later on when your weapons have been significantly improved.

However, there is one hugely important factor missing for me to give it a higher rating. It's the famous "just one more run" feeling that is so important in this type of game. It doesn't feel frustrating or unfair, but it doesn't feel particularly fun either. I often feel satisfied after two or three rounds, and I don't think that feeling should come so quickly with this concept. Once you've found your preferred companion, there aren't really any surprises, so it's just a matter of managing to get a little further. This wouldn't have been a negative thing if it had been incredibly fun, but it mostly just manages to feel fine.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is not a bad game within its genre. It has responsive controls, offers a good dose of challenge, has a unique game design with two controllable characters, and is very lovely to look at. But in terms of entertainment, it feels quite simple and lacking in depth. If Hades was what got me seriously involved in this genre and piqued my interest, unfortunately this game doesn't do anything special to maintain it. It's visually pleasing and fun to play in short bursts, but it's not much more than that, and since Hades II is only a week away, this doesn't feel particularly important to check out in the grand scheme of things.