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"The Tower" is a survival horror game set in an 11th century English prison, where you play as a man named Elliot who must face his insanity and survive. The game has been remastered with Unity 5 for 2015, offering improved graphics and an unforgiving permadeath system. Virtual reality support with Oculus Rift is also planned.

The Tower screenshot
The Tower screenshot

15%
Audience ScoreBased on 81 reviews
story7 positive mentions
gameplay4 negative mentions

  • The game has a strong atmosphere and sound design that can create an immersive experience.
  • The voice acting is well done and adds depth to the narrative.
  • The concept of using sound to navigate through darkness is intriguing and has potential.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including a broken save system and invisible walls that hinder progress.
  • Gameplay is overly reliant on unskippable cutscenes and lengthy monologues, which disrupt immersion.
  • The game is extremely short, with many players reporting only 10-20 minutes of actual gameplay.
  • gameplay
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this title has received largely negative feedback, with many users criticizing its limited interactivity, poor level design, and long non-interactive segments. While the concept of using sound as a gameplay mechanic is intriguing, it is poorly executed, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is seen as having potential, but it suffers from significant gameplay issues that detract from its promise.

    • “The mechanics leave no room for error whilst trying to evade this guard.”
    • “An interesting gameplay concept, but they didn't pull it off.”
    • “All in all, I love the concept of using sound as a gameplay mechanic, but I don't think this game does that correctly.”
    • “There's only about 10 minutes of gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is not good, especially the level design.”
    • “Overall, interesting premise, marred at the moment by horrendous pre-alpha gameplay.”
  • story
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a central focus, featuring an intriguing and gripping narrative that draws players in, though it suffers from inconsistencies in production quality and numerous bugs. While some players appreciate the depth and atmosphere of the storyline, others find it overly lengthy and lacking in engaging gameplay elements. Overall, the story is praised for its potential and immersive qualities, but it requires further refinement and polish to enhance the overall experience.

    • “The voice acting, story, atmosphere, and idea are amazing.”
    • “Very intriguing storyline right off the bat, instantly had me drawn in.”
    • “It has a great story and you get a good sense of what is happening through the story as it is told of the unfortunate events that have led him to the tower in the first place.”
    • “The plot takes itself very seriously, but the rest of the production value is at an odd mismatch with that, which creates a very hollow impression.”
    • “The whole game is just an unnecessarily long, boring story with a few areas of graphics.”
    • “More effort put towards the bugs, gameplay, and getting the story to a solid length, I believe, would make this game more 'complete' for more to purchase.”
  • graphics
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the atmospheric visuals and certain areas that look good, reminiscent of styles like Grimrock. However, many users criticize the presence of graphical glitches, invisible walls, and a frustrating user interface, suggesting that the overall graphical quality is inconsistent and detracts from the experience.

    • “It had good graphics, and had atmosphere building up.”
    • “The graphics in some areas look pretty good...”
    • “They took the visuals of this game miles further which I definitely appreciate.”
    • “Invisible walls and graphical glitches abound; the UI verges on actively hostile... it's just pain from start to finish.”
    • “Graphically, it looks fine when you can actually see what’s happening.”
    • “The whole game is just an unnecessarily long boring story with a few areas of graphics.”
  • atmosphere
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its cinematic quality, strong graphics, and effective sound design, creating an engaging environment that blends darkness and light. However, some players feel that the atmosphere is hindered by excessive dialogue and a lack of immersive soundscapes, which detracts from the overall experience. While many appreciate the atmospheric elements, a few critics note that it fails to evoke a sense of creepiness or tension.

    • “This game has given me context in my life in a very cinematic and atmospheric way.”
    • “The atmosphere in particular is extremely well done.”
    • “A very nice and atmospheric game, a fusion of darkness and light; you will know what I mean when you play it.”
    • “The atmosphere doesn’t really get a chance to get going, due to Elliot spending a large portion of the time speaking.”
    • “I was not creeped out; it had no atmosphere to give a creeped out feeling, and it didn't feel like a 'darkness of the tower' so much as 'the annoying bumping into walls and pools of water tower.'”
    • “No score/music during the running around to give off a feeling of space and atmosphere.”
  • stability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is severely compromised, with numerous bugs and glitches affecting the menu system, user interface, and gameplay experience. Players report issues such as invisible walls and frustrating interactions, particularly in specific scenes, leading to a consensus that the game feels unfinished and problematic, especially given its alpha status. Despite these issues, some users still find enjoyment in the game, indicating potential for improvement.

    • “The menu system is so buggy, you cannot turn off fullscreen either.”
    • “Invisible walls and graphical glitches abound; the UI verges on actively hostile... it's just pain from start to finish.”
    • “There is some potential here and I understand the game is in alpha, but I feel terrible for anyone who pays full price for this; the game is a buggy mess.”
  • music
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music aspect of the game is largely criticized, with users noting the absence of a significant music track and a reliance on limited sound effects. While the voice acting is described as decent, it is often perceived as overdone, contributing to a lack of atmosphere and immersion during gameplay. Overall, the absence of a musical score detracts from the experience, leaving players feeling disoriented and frustrated.

    • “There is no real music track to speak of; the voice acting is decent but overplayed.”
    • “But being in complete darkness with limited sound effects, no music or score, and I'm sure I hit every wall in the dark room at least six times, was not fun.”
    • “No score or music during the running around to give off a feeling of space and atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express mixed feelings about the emotional aspect of the game; while some find solace in relating to characters' struggles, others feel the narrative is overly lengthy and unengaging, detracting from any emotional impact.

    • “It made me feel better that at some point someone has had a worse day than me.”
    • “The whole game is just an unnecessarily long, boring story with a few areas of graphics.”
    • “I felt no connection to the characters; their struggles seemed forced and unrelatable.”
    • “The emotional moments fell flat, lacking the depth needed to truly engage the player.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to a frustrating experience despite its short playtime of around 30 minutes. Overall, players find the optimization to be a major drawback.

    • “But no, a ~30 min game and horrible optimization issues; this game is not very good.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in this game is perceived as unintentionally amusing, with one user describing it as "hilariously bad," suggesting that its shortcomings may provide a form of entertainment despite its overall poor quality.

  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has limited replayability, with users noting that only about 10 minutes of content is available to play, suggesting a lack of depth or variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “As far as I can tell, only 10 minutes of the game are playable.”

Buy The Tower

1h Median play time
1h Average play time
1-1h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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This game contains adult content