The Deadly Tower of Monsters

The Deadly Tower of Monsters is one of the strangest games I've played in some time. It goes for a 1950's B-movie scifi aesthetic and completely nails it, it's just a shame that the gameplay is so simple making the overall package underwhelming.

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"The Deadly Tower of Monsters" is a humorous action-packed game that pays homage to classic sci-fi B-movies. Players climb a procedurally generated tower while battling an array of absurd enemies, from dinosaurs with laser guns to giant robots. The game features witty commentary from a director and crew, adding to its campy charm.

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Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,167 reviews

humor457 positive mentions

replayability12 negative mentions

The game is a hilarious homage to 1950s and 60s B-movies, complete with cheesy special effects and witty commentary.
The gameplay is fun and engaging, with a variety of weapons and characters that keep the experience fresh.
The art style and visuals are vibrant and capture the retro sci-fi aesthetic perfectly, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.

The camera angles can be awkward and may hinder platforming and combat at times.
The game is relatively short, taking around 4-6 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more.
The director's commentary, while initially entertaining, can become repetitive and annoying over time.

humor
465 mentions
98 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The humor in "The Deadly Tower of Monsters" is a standout feature, characterized by its clever satire of classic B-movie sci-fi tropes, delivered through a continuous and often hilarious director's commentary. While many players found the dialogue and comedic elements genuinely funny, some noted that the humor could be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes falling flat or becoming repetitive over time. Overall, the game is praised for its unique blend of campy aesthetics and witty writing, making it a delightful experience for fans of retro sci-fi and humor.
- “The deadly tower of monsters is a hilarious send-up to the sci-fi b-movies of classic Hollywood, with an appropriately all-encompassing retro vibe.”
- “The whole thing plays like you're in a DVD remaster of an old sci-fi classic complete with funny 'DVD commentary' by the director and producer that lasts through the entire game, while you're playing.”
- “The humor is great and details/references are so much fun to behold.”
- “The permanent narration of the 'director' is as forced and unfunny as can be.”
- “But as for the game itself, it was cheesy, not funny, not bad, just cheesy.”
- “He's just not funny.”
gameplay
398 mentions
31 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Deadly Tower of Monsters" is characterized by its blend of simple mechanics, including hack-and-slash combat and platforming elements, set against a humorous retro sci-fi backdrop. While some players appreciate the fun and engaging nature of the gameplay, others find it repetitive and lacking in innovation, with clunky controls and a high camera angle detracting from the experience. Overall, the game offers a mix of enjoyable mechanics and charming aesthetics, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more challenging or groundbreaking gameplay experience.
- “Gameplay-wise, the idea of climbing up a tower and defeating monsters, bosses, and progressing through the story is just amazing. It feels like a breath of fresh air playing something like this; it shows us the beauty of what video games always have been: a simple idea but very well elaborated.”
- “The gameplay surprised me for how solid it was, with smooth controls and convenient powers that allow you to jump down from the tower and get back up without making exploration and risk-taking a hassle.”
- “The deadly tower of monsters combines decent gameplay with a spectacular, hilarious setting.”
- “The gameplay is nothing special; a shame the controller configuration can't be remapped because it sucks for a twin-stick shooter!”
- “A great idea for a game, but largely undermined by clunky controls, poor camera angles, and sketchy combat mechanics.”
- “The gameplay gets stale pretty quickly, but thankfully the game doesn't overstay its welcome, lasting only about 4 hours.”
graphics
258 mentions
49 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant retro sci-fi aesthetic, effectively emulating the charm of 1950s and 60s B-movies with features like stop-motion animations and visible strings on characters. While some reviewers note that the graphics can appear dated, the overall artistic direction and attention to detail create a nostalgic and enjoyable visual experience that complements the game's humor and gameplay. The visuals are described as both beautiful and quirky, enhancing the game's comedic narrative and immersive atmosphere.
- “The visuals are stunning.”
- “The graphics bring the nostalgia to life, and on my system they do the game justice, cartoony, lush, and fun.”
- “The graphics are top notch, but more subtly, the colors, especially in the ape village, remind me of the b-movies, afternoon movies, and toys I watched and played with as a youngin' back in the halcyon days of the 70's.”
- “I understand the b-movie aesthetic, but the models, textures, and animations that are meant to be genuine are awful.”
- “The game is good, very fun actually; but even though my computer has a little better specs than recommended, I cannot play the game smoothly even in lowest graphics.”
- “Graphics and performance or graphics vs performance is not great.”
story
192 mentions
41 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a comedic homage to classic sci-fi, featuring engaging narration and a unique premise that blends humor with action as players climb a tower to defeat monsters. While the narrative is entertaining and filled with satirical references, some players found it lacking depth and replay value, as the main storyline is relatively short and linear. Overall, the combination of quirky characters, a fun plot, and a director's commentary style adds a creative twist, making it a memorable experience despite some criticisms of its writing quality.
- “It's a comedic love letter to the genre and well worth the play-through for the story.”
- “The story is great and engaging.”
- “The director commentary was honestly fun; I thought it was just something they did for the trailer, and didn't realize it was like the premise of the entire game: the way it tells both the game's story, and the story of the movie's production is really neat and creative.”
- “I'm still not sure what to think of this, but I did have a lot of fun while playing it, so I can recommend it, even though it was one of the worst written storylines I have ever seen.”
- “The plot is non-existent, but the game itself is engaging enough.”
- “There isn’t any replayability factor in Tower of Deadly Monsters; it’s a completely linear storyline.”
music
154 mentions
48 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its nostalgic, retro sci-fi vibe, effectively capturing the essence of classic B-movie soundtracks. While many players found the soundtrack to be enjoyable and fitting, some noted that it can become repetitive over time, with a limited number of tracks. Overall, the music enhances the game's atmosphere and complements its quirky humor and engaging visuals.
- “The music is surprisingly good, using bombastic retro space music cues from movies back in the day.”
- “The OST is easily another one of this game's very strong points, the tracks are very 'spooky, space' themed but have a hint of heroism that lends itself well to the overall feel.”
- “The music is fantastic, nailing the old sci-fi sound.”
- “Within the first 30 minutes of starting the game, I found the background music to be annoying and shut that off.”
- “My biggest complaint is that it could've used more music on the soundtrack as you tend to hear the same themes a lot after playing for a while.”
- “And you will hear those songs for the entirety of this short game, except when the music seemingly breaks or perhaps just randomly stops playing for whatever reason, which makes the game really uncomfortably silent.”
replayability
28 mentions
11 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the character and weapon variations that enhance enjoyment, many express disappointment in the lack of significant replay value after completing the main campaign. Some modes, like survival and co-op, offer additional replay opportunities, but the absence of new game plus or substantial changes in subsequent playthroughs limits the experience for many. Despite these drawbacks, the game is still considered worth playing for its unique experience and engaging story.
- “9/10 I really like this game; it's semi-short but replayable and offers a unique experience.”
- “Character and weapon variation increase enjoyment and replayability.”
- “Despite being a more story-driven game, it still boasts some replayability with all of its little secrets.”
- “So there is no replay value once you have completed the main game.”
- “If I have any regret about it, it's that there's basically no replay value (the game doesn't change at all, and there's no new game plus), and it doesn't appear there will ever be expansions.”
- “Well, it has little to no replay value, and though the idea is novel, some of it feels old.”
atmosphere
22 mentions
55 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by 80s and 90s sci-fi films, creating a nostalgic experience reminiscent of old CRT monitors. Players appreciate the combination of humor, a fitting soundtrack, and engaging graphics that enhance immersion without sacrificing quality. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a unique blend of charm and artistry, appealing particularly to those familiar with the era's cinematic style.
- “A unique game with good humor, good soundtrack, and great atmosphere.”
- “In 'vhs', it coats the experience in a veneer of nostalgia, conjuring the atmosphere of an old CRT monitor.”
- “I am very much an atmospheric gamer - I love to immerse myself in a world, and ideally one that puts neat imagery in my head, and this game is doing a phenomenal job.”
- “In 'VHS', it coats the experience in a veneer of nostalgia, conjuring the atmosphere of an old CRT monitor.”
- “The whole game takes place on an island, which is a planet, and you'll start at the base of the island/planet working your way up to the top of the tower, which reaches the planet's atmosphere.”
- “Enemies are easy and it suits the game's atmosphere and style; it never became annoying, boring, or frustrating for me.”
grinding
16 mentions
13 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game offers enjoyable gameplay and engaging mechanics, it can become tedious, particularly towards the end. Players noted that grinding for currency to upgrade skills is possible, but the game emphasizes player skill over character power. Overall, the experience is fun but may feel repetitive in certain aspects, especially in level design and combat.
- “Gameplay was plenty of fun and the progression wasn't tedious.”
- “The game is fun from a writing and gameplay perspective, but it does get a little tedious by the end, so I am glad it's not longer than 3-4 hours to complete it.”
- “Some of the level design can be tedious and there is not much for the game outside of combat and the story.”
- “Extremely dry humor and tedious gameplay.”
optimization
11 mentions
9 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
64 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for not delivering satisfactory performance, particularly on high-end hardware, which experiences noticeable issues despite being playable. Users report that graphics quality does not meet expectations, often likening the visuals to poorly animated claymation rather than a realistic experience. While lower-end systems can run the game, the overall optimization leaves much to be desired.
- “The game has some optimization issues, but it's still entirely playable even on lower-end hardware. However, high-end systems like mine shouldn't be suffering as much as they do in certain areas, albeit still playable.”
- “And despite the NVIDIA logo on loading, and me turning all performance sliders down -- this runs like a bad claymation video.”
- “It should feel 'real world', not... 'modern poorly optimized'.”
- “Performance issues persist; the game has some optimization problems, but it's still entirely playable even on lower-end hardware. However, high-end systems like mine shouldn't be suffering as much as they do in certain areas.”
stability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game is described as having significant stability issues, particularly with its skydiving mechanics, which are reported to be buggy and lacking in responsive control. Despite these flaws, players still find enjoyment in the overall gameplay experience.
- “The sky diving, which seemed to be this game's draw that made it different, is buggy. Diving for hoops, I know I went through it, but nothing happened, not even close. Oh yup, I got it, and it just felt like no control at all.”
- “Buggy but fun mindless button smasher.”
- “The sky diving, which seemed to be this game's draw that made it different, is buggy. Diving for hoops, I know I went through it, but nothing happened, not even close. Oh yup, I got it, and it just felt like no control at all.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Character development is characterized by a charmingly stereotypical low-budget sci-fi aesthetic, effectively capturing the essence of the genre through both character and enemy design. However, the reviews do not provide insights into deeper character arcs or growth.
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its cleverness and wit, combined with heartfelt moments that create an engaging and enjoyable experience for players.
- “It's clever, witty, heartfelt, and fun.”