The Tower on the Borderland

About

In "The Tower on the Borderland," play as Erin, a special ops soldier trapped in a nightmarish, labyrinthine Tower filled with grotesque creatures and demonic squadmates. Navigate the Tower using your radio for guidance, engage in action-horror combat, and explore to find a way out. The game boasts a PlayStation 1-inspired visual style, aiming to deliver a haunting and atmospheric horror experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features a strong atmosphere and art style reminiscent of PS1-era horror games, creating an immersive experience.
Exploration is a key component, with a sprawling labyrinth of interconnected pathways and secrets that enhance the sense of discovery.
Combat mechanics, while initially clunky, offer depth and can become rewarding once players adapt to the system, especially with the focus on timing and positioning.

The combat can feel sluggish and unresponsive at times, making encounters frustrating, especially against tanky enemies.
The camera controls can be janky, particularly when navigating around points of interest, which can detract from the overall experience.
The game is relatively short and may feel repetitive due to limited environments and lack of movement upgrades.

graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The graphics of the game are praised for their PS1-inspired retro aesthetic, which effectively creates a dark and eerie atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While some players feel the art style can become repetitive over extended play, the unique visuals and chilling music are highlighted as key elements that draw players in, particularly those who enjoy retro horror and metroidvania elements. Overall, the game's art style and ambiance are well-received, contributing positively to its appeal.
- “The art style and atmosphere of the game are pretty nice.”
- “The PS1-inspired graphics nail that retro vibe, and the creepy atmosphere really set the mood for the whole experience.”
- “I am really digging the dark and eerie ambiance, which is elevated by the discreet but chilling music; together with the retro-style visuals, they bring the player into the game pretty fast.”
- “Enemy designs and general aesthetics are where I mainly vibe with this game, though.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
20%
13%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie and immersive qualities, enhanced by a unique art style and PS1-inspired graphics that evoke a retro vibe. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of music and visuals, creating a sense of exploration, mystery, and danger that captivates players from the start. Overall, the atmosphere is described as rich, intriguing, and a key element of the game's appeal, aligning well with its "atmospheric horror" theme.
- “Creepy atmosphere from the first minute and a cool sense of exploration, mystery, and danger.”
- “The developer described the game as 'atmospheric horror,' and this is accurate and was the main reason I was initially attracted to the project.”
- “The creepy atmosphere really gets me taking every corridor as it comes.”
- “The PS1-inspired graphics nail that retro vibe, and the creepy atmosphere really set the mood for the whole experience.”
- “Love the eerie atmosphere; the music and visuals come together so well.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The game's story is characterized by a dark, immersive narrative that embraces cosmic horror elements and unfolds through exploration and encounters, with minimal exposition. Players find the plot intriguing, particularly the mysteries surrounding antagonists and the backstories of characters, despite some repetitiveness in level design. The strong visual design enhances the storytelling experience, making it engaging and atmospheric.
- “Really dark and immersive game that approaches its story in a manner I particularly like: no exposition, no explanation.”
- “This is a pretty cool game, nice art, rich atmosphere and an intriguing story.”
- “I'm interested in finding out more about what the bad guy was up to, and the backstory of your now evil squadmates.”
- “The game has very strong visual design: an evocative color palette and sprawling Piranesian maze-like architecture, with important story sequences and boss fights taking place in interesting locations.”
- “You progress in the game through encounters and exploring locations, with cutscenes providing story details and characterization.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The gameplay is characterized by a complex labyrinthine structure that encourages exploration, complemented by a unique atmosphere and solid combat mechanics that reward strategic timing. However, the combat can feel clunky, leading to frustration as players often resort to evasion rather than engaging enemies directly. Additionally, some mechanics, like the radio feature, are seen as underutilized, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The combat of this game features a mechanic where spacing your attacks or retaliating after a dodge rewards you with more damage, giving fights a bob and weave feel to it.”
- “Very unique atmosphere and solid combat mechanics.”
- “Gameplay focuses on exploration of a megastructure.”
- “Good game but one of the main mechanics of the game being combat is clunky as hell and running away from enemies most of the time doesn't make it very fun to play.”
- “Probably my biggest complaint is I felt that the radio mechanic was severely underutilized.”
- “A spiraling labyrinth of interconnected pathways and secrets that makes up for its slight shortcomings in combat mechanics with a dreary story that touches on the best aspects of cosmic horror.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to create a dark and eerie atmosphere, effectively enhancing the overall experience with its chilling and minimalistic soundtrack. Players appreciate how the save point music provides instant stress relief, while the combination of sound and retro visuals immerses them deeply into the game world. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's ambiance, evoking feelings of isolation and safety.
- “Love the eerie atmosphere, the music and visuals come together so well.”
- “Paired with a very minimalistic soundtrack, the tower soaks in a mood of isolation.”
- “I am really digging the dark and eerie ambiance, which is elevated by the discreet but chilling music; together with the retro-style visuals, they bring the player into the game pretty fast.”
- “Music represents our safe space aka bonfire of sorts.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is highlighted by the impressive design of the enemies, which adds a spooky and engaging element to the overall experience.