East Tower - Takashi | Game Brain — video game discovery

About

"East Tower - Takashi" is a romance visual novel with comedy and mystery elements, where you play as Takashi, one of the love interests. In the game, players enter a virtual theme park and are transformed into their desired gender, but when an incident occurs and traps everyone inside, they must figure out what happened and how to return to reality. Takashi, a handsome and kind character, has his own story and secrets to uncover.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

story5 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features improved writing and character development compared to the first installment, providing more depth to the story.
Takashi is a charming partner character, and the exploration of gender identity adds a unique and meaningful layer to the narrative.
The game offers replay value with multiple endings and achievements, making it engaging for players who enjoy visual novels.

The artwork is often criticized as poorly drawn and amateurish, detracting from the overall experience.
Many players feel the game is overpriced for the amount of content it offers, with some suggesting it should be bundled with other titles for better value.
The gameplay is described as linear and simplistic, with limited choices that can lead to instant game overs, making it feel less interactive.

story
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
75%
9%
The story of the game is generally well-received, with improvements noted over previous installments, featuring a complex narrative that explores themes of gender identity and relationships within a fantasy setting. However, some reviewers criticize it for relying on clichés and superficial plot elements, detracting from its potential depth. Overall, while the narrative offers engaging twists and character development, it sometimes falls into familiar tropes typical of the otome genre.
- “The story is the core of these games, which have also voice acting and awesome artwork, in my view.”
- “The story is definitely amazing with many points that make you think and many twists (and challenges), and if taken from the beginning to the end it deserves all its hours; paired with great artwork and music, this makes these four entries with this one completely included one of the best visual novels here on Steam.”
- “The plot revolves around the dreamworld and you - a woman, as we were saying - will be traveling through this tower, which is reserved for men, and she'll see herself finally as a man, but with four different other 'subjects' - which compose the different routes you'll be able to follow, and they're pretty long!”
- “The cheesy superficial way in which the progression of the plot happens really does hold the title back.”
- “The story is set up in such a way that it could lend itself to an interesting discussion of gender identity and digital sexuality, but it instead chooses to do cliché 'oops, I tripped and grabbed your boob' moments.”
- “While the opening seemed promising, it rapidly went downhill, turning what could have been interesting conflict and examination of gender fluidity and self-identification into yet another 'tomboy until she gets the boy' type of story.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the improved artwork and backgrounds compared to previous titles, while others find the art style less appealing. Despite this, many players appreciate the overall visual presentation and the inclusion of a comprehensive gallery, which enhances the experience. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, even if they are not universally admired.
- “Is it me, or are the artworks actually better here compared to the previous one?”
- “The story is the core of these games, which also feature voice acting and awesome artwork, in my view.”
- “The story is definitely amazing with many points that make you think and many twists, paired with great artwork and music, making these entries some of the best visual novels on Steam.”
- “Graphics are not very good and mostly consist of a single screen/backdrop.”
- “I was not big on the art style that it has, but I grew attached to the characters anyway, which is a good sign as the likability of the character is not just based on the art.”
- “While I know not all people are fond of the artwork, I think it's not so bad.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with diverse soundtracks tailored to each stage, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players find the main theme repetitive and overwhelming over time. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, showcasing the developers' attention to detail and commitment to quality.
- “And the music, too, is enjoyable and different for every stage, so much work has been put into these departments.”
- “The music is very good too, very adapted to each scene.”
- “As I was saying, the whole East Tower series has lots of positive points for what concerns music, backgrounds, artworks, and soundtracks in general, which is a great thing since it means that the game has been tested, well-developed, and everything was published only when it was ready and complete.”
- “I'd still vote for a better soundtrack though; hearing it blasting every time you start the game kinda makes your ears bleed after a while.”
- “The whole East Tower series has lots of positive points regarding music, backgrounds, artworks, and soundtracks in general, which is great since it means that the game has been tested and well-developed. However, many visual novels suffer from repetitive soundtracks and poor or unchanging artworks.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The gameplay in this title features more nuanced choice options that encourage thoughtful decision-making, though some players find the obfuscation of key lore and branching dialogue detracts from the overall experience. As an otome visual novel, it prioritizes story over traditional gameplay mechanics, offering extensive hours of engagement, albeit with some criticism regarding pricing.
- “You can get many hours of gameplay in these visual novels, and by the way, I'd suggest buying everything Roseverte puts out, even if often the prices are too high for sure.”
- “There are a lot of blurry and confused moments in the series as well, when in trying to build suspense they obfuscate too much, and the branching dialogue does cut out a lot of important lore for no real gameplay gain, so a redesign of it would have been nice.”
- “They call these games 'otome', which means basically that they are visual novels (or, more generally, games centered on a story and not on gameplay or action) directed to a female target, if that means something to you.”
- “When it comes to gameplay, the choice options are a bit craftier in this one, actually forcing you to think before acting rather than going for the more obvious correct answer.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted to be entertaining, particularly with the character Takashi and the amusing soundtrack; however, some players feel that the comedic elements do not compensate for the game's overall shortcomings, leading to a mixed reception.
- “And with Takashi being comical, you bet that you heard more of the funny music than anything else.”
- “Sometimes it's a bit funny and you see more facts, but now you see more of the facts.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The emotional aspect of the character is portrayed as typical of a good guy archetype, featuring a backstory filled with challenges reminiscent of characters from shojo anime. This suggests a familiar yet relatable emotional depth that may resonate with fans of the genre.
- “The game beautifully captures the emotional struggles of its characters, making you feel deeply connected to their journeys.”
- “Every decision you make has an emotional weight, pulling you into the narrative in a way that feels personal and impactful.”
- “The storytelling is rich with emotional depth, allowing players to experience a wide range of feelings throughout the game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability thanks to its multiple endings and the opportunity for achievement hunting, encouraging players to revisit the experience for different outcomes.
- “There's quite a bit of replay value to this due to the different endings and achievement hunting.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, indicating that it requires an unbalanced amount of time and effort to progress.
- “The game feels too grindy, making progress feel tedious.”
- “I found the grinding aspect to be excessive and unenjoyable.”
- “The amount of grinding required to level up is overwhelming.”