Toren
- May 11, 2015
- Swordtales
- 5h median play time
A beautiful and thought provoking exploration into so many different ideas on life, which can be completed in one joyous, yet bewildering, sitting.
Get on Steam"Toren" is a single-player fantasy platformer game with an intriguing story and pretty visuals. As Moonchild, you'll climb Toren tower, solving puzzles and battling monsters to find freedom, while the tree of life within the tower grows with you. With its dense atmosphere, stellar music, and highly emotional narrative, Toren brings poetry to life through its dark fantasy storytelling and award-winning art design. However, be aware of the numerous bugs that may hinder your experience.
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Reviews
- Beautiful art style and visuals
- Engaging and unique story
- Atmospheric soundtrack
- Clunky controls and camera issues
- Very short gameplay (around 2 hours)
- Repetitive and simplistic puzzles
- story838 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of *Toren* is described as beautiful yet vague, often leaving players confused due to its abstract and metaphorical presentation. While some appreciate its poetic and atmospheric qualities, many find the narrative convoluted and lacking depth, with essential story elements being easily missable. Overall, the game is seen as a short, artistic experience that prioritizes storytelling over gameplay, appealing primarily to those who enjoy exploring intricate narratives.
“The story is on the weird side but it goes well with how things play out; you are the moonchild that needs to save humanity that is trapped in this tower called Toren.”
“The story was so simple but was done in such a roundabout and elaborate way it seemed there was more to it.”
“Toren is an interactive tale focusing on a brief and beautiful story about our passage through life.”
“The story is almost completely nonsensical and just says random platitudes which have very little to do with what's going on in the moment.”
“The story is weird and all the poetry presupposes you care about what's going on - but you don't even know what *is* going on...”
“The story, or lesson, if there is one, is impossible to gauge under all the pseudo-philosophical bull**** the game throws at you.”
- gameplay392 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Toren* has received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers citing clunky controls, simplistic mechanics, and a lack of engaging content. While the game features beautiful visuals and an intriguing story, the gameplay is often described as repetitive, slow, and frustrating, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the experience. Overall, it seems that those seeking a rich gameplay experience may be disappointed, as the game prioritizes narrative and aesthetics over solid mechanics.
“The gameplay is solid with good direction, the world is beautiful and the story sucks you in making you feel that you’re exploring that tower yourself.”
“The two-hour playtime is just long enough for the universe to sink in, leaving behind pleasant memories of an unusual story, while also being short enough that its rough-cut gameplay won't leave a mark.”
“Despite being a short game, it is a beautiful and amazing play... you'll be overwhelmed by the beauty that surrounds you... not only the scenario, but the sounds, the lights and the soft gameplay.”
“This game has awful controls and bad game mechanics.”
“The gameplay is very limiting and slow to the point the repetitiveness could have gotten really annoying if the game was larger.”
“An amazing premise hampered by terrible gameplay.”
- graphics371 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting that while the artistic direction and visuals can be breathtaking and imaginative, the technical execution often falls short, featuring outdated graphics reminiscent of earlier console generations and various glitches. Despite these shortcomings, the unique art style and atmospheric presentation are frequently praised, suggesting that the game may appeal more to those who appreciate aesthetics over high-fidelity graphics. Overall, while the visuals are not top-tier, they contribute to a charming and immersive experience when paired with the game's music and narrative.
“Breathtaking visuals and art style.”
“The 2D artwork and 3D visuals are breathtaking, even when playing in 4K.”
“The character and the universe are beautiful, even at today's graphical standards.”
“The graphics in this game are sub par, at the very best.”
“The first thing you will notice is that the graphics aren't pretty; in fact, in some places they're downright ugly.”
“Unfortunately, the game is both very short and very easy, and the graphics sometimes look like something you'd see on the Nintendo 64.”
- music240 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in Toren is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, with many reviewers highlighting the atmospheric orchestral soundtrack that enhances the game's visuals and storytelling. While some noted that the music occasionally feels mismatched with gameplay moments, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature, making it worth purchasing even independently of the game. The combination of haunting melodies and rich instrumentation, particularly strings, creates a captivating experience that complements the game's artistic design.
“The music is absolutely beautiful.”
“The excellent atmospheric soundtrack (with a heavy reliance on string instruments like violin and cello) massively enhances immersion.”
“The music is fitting of the mood and adds plenty of character and flavor as you make your way up the tower.”
“It tries to entice you with its concept and art, but the music, or lack thereof, and gameplay just make the experience a dull little trek through typical modern indie game.”
“When the narrator is talking, sometimes the background music will completely drown him out.”
“Be seeing the credits they had more money for music than for environment designers, or even level planners...”
- stability93 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with falling through the floor, clunky controls, and frustrating gameplay interruptions that hinder the overall experience. While some players found the graphical glitches manageable, many reported significant stability problems that detracted from enjoyment, making the game feel incomplete and rushed. Overall, the stability of the game is a major concern, with many reviewers noting that it requires substantial patches to improve its performance.
“The game also isn't as buggy as some other reviews make it seem.”
“It is buggy and has the clunkiest controls I've experienced, worse than some bad console ports.”
“The game feels like an incomplete game, and is very buggy.”
“Sadly, the game is also disgustingly short, and suffers from pretty mediocre gameplay along with bugs (mostly graphical glitches but some platforming issues too).”
- atmosphere88 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of Toren is widely praised for its beautiful art design, immersive soundtrack, and unique storytelling, creating a captivating experience that resonates with players. However, some reviewers noted that awkward controls and pacing issues can detract from the overall immersion. Despite its short playtime and technical flaws, many agree that the game's atmospheric qualities make it worth experiencing, especially for those who prioritize creativity and narrative over gameplay challenges.
“Toren is a short, artsy game that bets a lot on the atmosphere it conjures, which in my case worked very well.”
“The excellent atmospheric soundtrack (with a heavy reliance on string instruments like violin and cello) massively enhances immersion.”
“The presentation, art design and music help convey an atmosphere that few other games can match.”
“I kept getting pulled out of the atmosphere of the game because of the awkwardness of the controls and movement speed.”
“The atmosphere is decent, although the plot's disjointed nature at times can throw this off.”
“Be aware that the playtime will be short, clocking in about 3 hours or less and is mostly for the story and atmosphere with some splashes of puzzles, strategy, platforming, and action moments throughout.”
- replayability26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has very low replayability, with most reviews rating it around 1/10. Players note that the game is short, typically lasting only 1 to 2 hours, and lacks significant content or mechanics to encourage multiple playthroughs, aside from achievements. While some appreciate the unique experience it offers, it is not recommended for those seeking extensive replay value or complex gameplay.
“Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's a good thing, it adds replayability if anything.”
“It's interesting for a game to add replayability through story rather than unlockables or new gear and the like.”
“Not much for replay value, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of gameplay, but it does have cards and achievements.”
“It should probably be noted that leaves half the card drops remaining and the game has no replayability.”
“I purchased Toren on sale after reading the reviews and it is definitely worth playing for the experience, but if you are looking for a game with replayability, complex gameplay, open world interactions, and long hours to log in, this won't be the game for you.”
“As stated in other reviews, this game is super short; about 2 hours max. Sadly, no replay value unless you haven't gotten all the achievements.”
- emotional22 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find it rich in symbolism and capable of delivering a touching experience through its art and music, others criticize it for being vague and emotionally distant due to its convoluted storytelling and abstract sequences. Despite technical issues and a lack of engaging gameplay, the game manages to evoke a sense of beauty and atmosphere that resonates with some players, though many feel it ultimately falls short of creating a genuine emotional connection.
“Really heartwarming.”
“Despite this, it is still heartfelt and rich with symbolism and the art style, albeit different than what you are used to seeing in a multimillion dollar project, still allows moments of beauty and atmosphere.”
“Toren is a very emotional and philosophical trip with beautiful music and art style.”
- character development16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is primarily highlighted through its innovative and beautiful character designs, which are praised for enhancing the overall aesthetic experience. While the designs are celebrated, some reviews suggest that the depth of character development may be overshadowed by the game's visual elements and world-building. Overall, the character designs contribute significantly to the game's appeal, though they may not fully compensate for a lack of narrative depth.
“The story, music, world, and character design are all fantastic.”
“Art design, world design, and character design are where Toren shines.”
“Character designs feed into that, apart from one brusque fellow near the end who got lost on his way to a different game.”
“If you really, truly want to see all the pretty vistas and character designs at the expense of all else, then do what I did and buy this.”
“The character designs too were innovative.”
- grinding13 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, with unresponsive controls that complicate even simple tasks. Exploration, intended to be rewarding, often feels boring and unproductive, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Many sections seem designed to artificially extend gameplay, detracting from the overall experience.
“It is just boring, and a bit tedious to play.”
“The platforming and action/adventure type elements were all really unresponsive, tedious, and repetitive.”
“Many of the sections feel tedious for the sake of being tedious... it was as if these sections were meant to lengthen the game.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while many players report smooth performance and good compatibility with low-end PCs, others experience glitches, floaty jumping, and performance issues that detract from the experience. The design is praised for its optimization, but some users feel that the overall performance could be improved.
“It is also well-optimized, meaning that low-end PCs will probably be able to support its best graphics.”
“Very easy on the computer, very well optimized.”
“That having been said, the design is fantastic, and clearly optimized.”
“The gameplay is glitchy, with floaty jumping and significant performance issues.”
“The game suffers from optimization problems that hinder the overall experience.”
“Despite some positive aspects, the performance issues are hard to overlook.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky bugs and the amusing pairing of music with gameplay, particularly during boss fights. Players found themselves laughing at unexpected glitches, such as flying off cliffs, which added a layer of entertainment despite the game's overall lack of engaging qualities. While the humor provided some enjoyment, it often served as a distraction from the game's more tedious aspects.
“The pairing of the music and the boss fights is honestly kind of funny.”
“Or that it's buggy, including a set of hilarious bugs that saw me flying off a cliff at mach speed when I pushed a set of statues.”
“Throughout the whole game you’re treated to a twin-stick shooter while a hilarious song plays in the background.”
Critic Reviews
Bite-sized beauty -- Toren review
Toren has great style and a compelling story to tell. Though it’s dragged down by its gameplay, it’s still far more than worth the asking price for the experience it offers.
80%Toren Review
It's a pity that this is just an average title, not only because it's clearly a labour of love, but mainly because many of its aspects are nothing but average. Beautiful to look at, with a magnificent musical score, and a distinct narrative style with a heavy focus in symbolism, which, although not flawless, is quite captivating. Is it worth a try? Actually, it's worth several, as long as those that will give it a shot can enjoy a video game that favours feelings over gameplay, and can stomach the fact that this is like a glimpse of something much grander. The rest can safely pass Toren by…
60%Toren Review – Once I Built a Tower to the Sun
Toren is an imaginative game with an interesting narrative and beautiful game world. For every moment of striking art or good design, however, there’s something wrong with the game technically or in terms of its moment to moment gameplay. Ultimately, like Moonchild herself, Toren would have benefitted from a bit more time in the tower, exploring its own design and ideas before rushing to the top. There’s very few things that are more ironic than a game that plays with the notion of time feeling incomplete.
50%
