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Tokyo Babel

Tokyo Babel Game Cover
90%Game Brain Score
story, music
atmosphere, grinding
90% User Score Based on 71 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Tokyo Babel Game Cover

About

Tokyo Babel is a single player action adventure game with fantasy and anime themes. It was developed by propeller and was released on March 31, 2016. It received very positive reviews from players.

The gates of Heaven are closed shut; the realm of Hell consumed by flood. And in their wake, countless parallel worlds wither away, one after the other. The surviving angels and demons gather at the city they believe to be their final chance at salvation: the floating purgatory of "Tokyo Babel". Joined by humans, they embark on a pilgrimage across the seven layers of Babel, hoping to ascend Jac…

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Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
Tokyo Babel screenshot
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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 71 reviews
story32 positive mentions
atmosphere3 negative mentions
  • Unique and ambitious story blending apocalyptic myth, theology, and character drama with strong emotional and philosophical themes.
  • High production values including excellent artwork, professional Japanese voice acting, impressive soundtrack, and dynamic animated fight scenes that enhance engagement.
  • Multiple heroine routes offer substantial, distinct story arcs with satisfying endings, encouraging multiple playthroughs and revealing deeper plot mysteries.
  • Inconsistent pacing with tonal shifts between intense horror, high-stakes action, and lighthearted/comedic or slice-of-life scenes that can disrupt immersion.
  • Characters initially rely on familiar anime archetypes and the protagonist's detached personality can feel emotionally distant, requiring patience for later depth.
  • Visual novel resolution limited to 720p causing display issues on modern higher-resolution screens and occasional awkward translation or storytelling inconsistencies.
  • story
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of Tokyo Babel is a complex, multi-layered narrative set in a post-apocalyptic purgatory blending various mythologies, focusing on the enigmatic protagonist Setsuna and his relationships with three female leads. While praised for its intriguing themes, emotional depth, and bold, cosmic drama, it is also criticized for inconsistent plot details, tonal shifts between dark and comedic moments, and sometimes stiff or rushed writing. Overall, it offers a unique and engrossing experience for fans of visual novels who appreciate rich lore and multiple route structures despite some narrative flaws.

    • “The story’s dramatic tension centers on Setsuna, a stoic and enigmatic young man whose past and motivations slowly unravel as the game progresses.”
    • “Raziel’s path delves into faith, obedience, and self-worth; Sorami’s route confronts trauma, denial, and the pain of abandonment; Lilith’s story tackles the complexity of desire, rebellion, and identity.”
    • “The layered route structure enriches the narrative and encourages multiple playthroughs, each version of the story highlighting different victims, different villains, and different interpretations of the pilgrimage’s purpose.”
    • “There are quite a number of plot holes -- plot details are inconsistent between routes, sometimes even between route endings.”
    • “The contrast between cosmic tragedy and casual comedy can be jarring, especially when a story rooted in divine collapse suddenly pivots into lighthearted antics.”
    • “Some of the writing (such as the romance parts) feels a bit stiff and doesn't have enough build-up, and the plot appears to have some inconsistency, but besides that I found it to be quite enjoyable and entertaining overall.”
  • music
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its high quality, with many highlighting the excellent soundtrack that blends electronic, ambient rock, and classical elements, especially during action scenes. The professional voice cast and well-crafted sound design enhance the immersive experience, though some find the musical style niche or average depending on personal taste. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's strong atmosphere and anime-like feel.

    • “Firstly, the production is very high quality, the art is wonderful, the music & voice-acting are great and especially the action/fight scenes are very impressively executed; it actually felt like watching an anime at times.”
    • “Featuring prominent Japanese voice actors for its cast, an excellent soundtrack, dramatic scenes, and long fights, it certainly was entertaining until the end.”
    • “I would say that Tokyo Babel is worth picking up even when it's not on sale, because the quality of the visual novel is amazing; it has a professional voice cast, stunning art, amazing soundtrack, interesting story and likeable characters.”
    • “Music is about average, art is decent, and the fight scenes are okay, but not enough to salvage this visual novel.”
    • “The soundtrack is an odd hybrid of electronic and ambient rock.”
    • “Whether the music is to your liking depends on whether or not you like the grunge genre, though the supplemental music to create ambiance or set the mood is pretty good.”
  • emotional
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Tokyo Babel delivers an emotionally complex narrative blending theology, mythology, and personal trauma, exploring themes of regret, betrayal, and redemption across multiple heroine routes. While its emotional depth and character drama resonate meaningfully, inconsistent pacing and a focus on over-the-top action may dilute the impact for some players, requiring patience to fully appreciate its introspective story.

    • “What sets Tokyo Babel apart is its blend of theological speculation, mythology, and emotional introspection.”
    • “The world is thick with the weight of lost universes, and nearly every character carries emotional scars shaped by regret or betrayal.”
    • “It aims to tell a cosmic story about redemption and divine silence while also delivering an emotional character drama shaped by trauma, desire, and moral struggle.”
  • graphics
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics feature a distinctive and generally well-executed art style with beautiful artwork and clear character designs, although some find the aesthetics unremarkable or not fitting the theme. The resolution is limited to 1280x720, which may result in stretching on higher-resolution screens. Overall, the visuals are praised for their clarity and contribution to the experience, complemented by good effects and voice acting.

    • “Cool artwork, and almost no deformation in CGs.”
    • “The voice acting is excellent, the artwork is top notch and the effects contribute to the experience without reducing that experience.”
    • “In addition, the aesthetics were pretty boring for what was supposed to be a story about angels and demons.”
    • “Characters and art style aren't anything special, but each character is easy to tell apart and distinctive, which is a big plus.”
    • “I also don't really like the art style of the characters, but that's something else.”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is praised for being genuinely funny, well-paced, and often providing entertaining, slice-of-life moments that offset the darker, more serious themes. Conversations and character interactions, especially involving the women and the emotionally restrained protagonist, deliver laughs and emotional depth. However, some players note a tonal dissonance between the lighthearted comedy and the grim, post-apocalyptic drama.

    • “The conversation between Lillith and Raziel when they are playing Civilization together was absolutely hilarious and I loved it.”
    • “Entertaining, genuinely funny slice of life moments.”
    • “His backstory is decent at the very least and his lack of emotion does lead to hilarious moments so he's not a total flop of a character.”
  • atmosphere
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game’s atmosphere is compellingly dark and oppressive, evoking a universe on the verge of collapse with a mix of tragic, burdensome, and hopeful tones. Its sound design enhances this mood effectively, especially in the early moments, though later lighter scenes sometimes weaken the intense apocalyptic feel. The prologue is particularly praised for its strong, eerie horror-mystery atmosphere, which some feel is not sustained throughout.

    • “When the story leans into these heavier themes, it creates an unusually bold atmosphere — tragic, burdensome, and strangely hopeful.”
    • “It works well with the material and the sound design as a whole has been cleverly conceived; pockmarked by subtle whistles, echoes, and vibrations, which all serve to bolster the atmosphere immensely.”
    • “While these scenes aim to provide levity and bonding, they often dilute the apocalyptic atmosphere and drag momentum to a crawl.”
    • “The atmosphere of the first 20 minutes deviates so much from the rest of the visual novel.”
    • “The atmosphere is immediately unnerving — a universe on the brink of oblivion, inhabited by survivors who cling to hope through a dangerous pilgrimage meant to reach the summit and confront a silent, absent god.”
  • gameplay
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is reminiscent of an SMT game but falls short in delivering the engaging mechanics and meaningful player agency that characterize that series. Overall, it lacks depth and impact in its gameplay experience.

  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers good replayability with three different routes, encouraging multiple playthroughs to experience all the content.

    • “3 different routes, so a good replay value as well.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users appreciate the game's character design and art style, highlighting them as visually impressive, though specific details on character development are not mentioned.

  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly because action scenes feel unnecessarily prolonged, making the experience drawn out and less engaging.

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30h Median play time
30h Average play time
30-30h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Tokyo Babel is a action adventure game with fantasy and anime themes.

Tokyo Babel is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 30 hours playing Tokyo Babel.

Tokyo Babel was released on March 31, 2016.

Tokyo Babel was developed by propeller.

Tokyo Babel has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked Tokyo Babel for its story but disliked it for its atmosphere.

Tokyo Babel is a single player game.

Similar games include Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen, WITCH ON THE HOLY NIGHT, Sabbat of the Witch, Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue, Crystalline and others.