An interactive movie I would say. Settled on a fictional, near human extinction background where the player struggles to make sense of what they are seeing. Information is presented purposely fragmented in space and time, leaving lots of options to imagination and producing a catching “I need to know more” feeling that binds one finding to the next. On the technical side, the graphics are stylized and clean –perhaps they feel a little bit simple at times– which, combined with a great voice acting, make for a powerful communication channel in the most dramatic moments. Game play is simple, but navigating the world seems a little bit heavy sometimes. I played this title in Linux through Wine without any issue that I could notice. I would totally recommend this title, in particular if you are looking for a fresh story.
This game could be an almost 5-stars title, if it wasn’t for the historical bias, artificially and unnecessarily introduced in the final levels. Tower of Time features a very creative setting, flexible skills system, a great battle system and very detailed graphics. The decisions you are forced to take result in your team members taking different alignments to the point that you won’t be able to make everyone happy. Technically is quite stable, with only some few crashes after battles. ***SPOIL ALERT*** The plot drives the player to a level where a parallel universe merges into the starring characters’ universe. This parallel universe is dominated by zealous and violent humans. Until this point all character and bosses names fit very well in the Tower of Time universe, and then, unexpectedly appear three bosses named after Spanish conquistadors, without any connection to any other element in the game’s plot. *** END OF SPOIL ALERT *** I’m not trying to minimize Spain’s historical responsibility, but the way Tower of Time handles it just feeds a black legend in an unnecessary way to the game’s plot. This is unfair.
Pyre develops around landscapes, races and rules that are foreign to the new player at first, but that become nostalgia at the end of the game. The story line and the beautiful graphics conform the channel for those feelings. The game play is founded on some basic rules that allow for a deep game development. The story development has direct impact on the game play, and vice-versa. Indeed another great title from Supergiant Games!
Sundered has a carefully tailored game play, a daunting atmosphere, and a flawless implementation. The choice to embrace or resist adds a lot of weight to the player, and is decisive to keep them involved in the development of the story. Either choice dramatically alters both the game play and the outcome of the game. Congratulations for such an exceptional title, Thunder Lotus!
Ash of Gods is a very immersive RPG title that continuously puts the player in extreme situations, most of which have mixed positive/negative outcomes. The very slowly unveiling plot together with the horrible events that happen one after another add a lot of tension to the game play, making the player fear for the well being of the characters. The only reason I don't give this game 5 stars is because of some few stability issues that made me repeat some battles. This title is definitely a must for followers of the genre.
