Tower 57
- November 16, 2017
- Pixwerk
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Tower 57 is a top-down twin stick shooter with destructible environments and a focus on co-op gameplay, set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world. The game features 16-bit inspired pixel art and offers action-packed gameplay with a seriously cool vibe. Players control a group of individuals with unique skills and abilities, tasked with infiltrating the reclusive Tower 57."
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- Tower 57 features stunning pixel art and a vibrant, retro aesthetic that appeals to fans of classic games.
- The gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, with a mix of exploration and combat that keeps players entertained.
- The game offers a unique mechanic where players can lose limbs and upgrade their characters, adding depth to the gameplay.
- The game suffers from significant technical issues, including crashes, bugs, and save problems that can disrupt the experience.
- Certain weapons are overpowered, leading to a lack of balance in combat and making other weapons feel useless.
- The campaign is relatively short, leaving players wanting more content and replayability.
- gameplay87 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Tower 57 is a mix of engaging mechanics and frustrating bugs, with players appreciating its retro aesthetics and chaotic top-down shooter style. While the limb-loss mechanic adds a unique twist, it often feels underutilized and can lead to annoying gameplay experiences due to technical issues and design choices. Overall, the game offers fun and challenging moments, but is marred by clunky controls and repetitive elements that may deter some players.
“Tower 57 is a visually stunning, top-down shooter that combines retro aesthetics with modern gameplay mechanics.”
“The gameplay is fun yet challenging, and since the levels are pre-designed instead of randomly generated, it stands out as a compact and interesting bullet hell game.”
“The combat is a blast with clean and precise mechanics as well as varied means for dispatching your enemies.”
“While the graphics were good and I enjoyed the theme of the game, the gameplay was also kind of clunky.”
“Doors locked after dying, levers not working, completely game-breaking as this is the main gameplay loop.”
“Sadly, gameplay is lacking severely.”
- graphics61 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
Tower 57 features visually striking pixel art graphics that blend retro and modern aesthetics, earning praise for their detail and vibrant design. While many reviewers appreciate the game's artistic style reminiscent of classic 16-bit titles, some note that the graphics can be marred by glitches and low resolution, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the graphics are generally regarded as a highlight, contributing to the game's charm and appeal.
“Tower 57 is a visually stunning, top-down shooter that combines retro aesthetics with modern gameplay mechanics.”
“The graphics are some of the best pixel art I’ve seen in a game, with a mix of retro and modern aesthetics.”
“Great attention to detail, love the graphic design.”
“Despite being released in 2017, the developers couldn't afford an artist and used retro pixel graphics.”
“I mean, sure I know it's pixel graphics and I'm not looking for some ultra-realistic graphics, but the moment I started the game it looks like someone threw a silk veil over my monitor because everything looks fuzzy as hell.”
“Had I known this is the sort of graphics I'm getting, I wouldn't have bothered to boot up the game.”
- story47 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its satirical dystopian elements and engaging lore, while others find it overly convoluted, lacking character development, or disappointingly short. Many reviews highlight that the narrative serves as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point, with some enjoying the humor and unique setting, while others criticize the lack of depth and coherence. Overall, the story is seen as decent but underwhelming, with potential that feels unfulfilled.
“The game has a lot of details; the satirical dystopian plot and writing were unique and consistently got chuckles out of me.”
“People probably watched the trailer for it, but Tower 57's a top-down roguelike shooter, with the story campaign focusing on playing as 3 of 6 special agents with the mission of infiltrating and shutting down a government gone corrupt by wiping out waves of mutants, soldiers, and machines throughout numerous stages on their way to Tower 57.”
“The game is really good, is fun, looks great, and the story is interesting.”
“There's a story here, but it feels overly convoluted for something so short.”
“The story is lacking a bit, but overall it's okay.”
“The story starts out slow for about an hour, then feels very rushed and zips by, and is oddly abrupt and disappointing at the end.”
- music34 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising its ability to enhance the gameplay experience and create an immersive atmosphere. The soundtrack features a mix of enjoyable synth and electronic elements that complement the pixel art style, although some users noted issues with short track lengths and occasional audio overlaps. Overall, the music is considered a standout aspect, contributing significantly to the game's charm and engagement.
“The soundtrack is also nice and does a good job hyping up the gameplay.”
“The music too is good, the sci-fi dystopia enhanced by the often moody synths and pulsing bass, with small vocal quips emitted by the characters from time to time.”
“Music, gameplay & pixel art are all excellent.”
“The audio is straight-up bad: redundant music, clunky sound effects, and character interjections so obnoxious that they make you want to shut them up.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“The music sets the tone in a unique way; sometimes it's a tad too quiet, though, but it really ups the gameplay and creates the atmosphere for the level you play.”
- stability27 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players have experienced game-breaking issues, requiring restarts and leading to frustration, particularly in multiplayer modes. Despite its appealing graphics and potential, the game's unfinished state and persistent technical problems make it difficult to recommend.
“Great game but abandoned and buggy, so if you get stuck because of a bug, then you're likely going to have to restart.”
“While the game looks great and runs very well, there are loads of glitches ruining the experience; some are game-breaking and even game-ending.”
“Unfortunately, it's too buggy; every single session has ended in a game-breaking bug of some kind.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a mix of retro adventure game parody and a variety of funny jokes and themes, often eliciting genuine laughter. Players appreciate its quirky, loud, and brash style, which includes dark undertones and clever references, making it enjoyable both in solo and co-op modes. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay experience.
“This is a funny little pixelated twinstick shooter.”
“Funny jokes and nice references made me laugh a lot.”
“The game shines in so many ways, with funny details, treasure chests, upgrade machines and much more around every turn and bend.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its neo-retro aesthetic, effectively immersing players in a nostalgic 90s vibe. The combination of unique music and pixel graphics enhances the overall experience, creating a convincing and enjoyable futuristic-retro world. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
“Great neo-retro atmosphere; way to plunge into the 90s.”
“The atmosphere is wonderful, a futuristic-retro world.”
“The music sets the tone in a unique way; sometimes it's a tad too quiet, though. It really enhances the gameplay and creates the atmosphere for the level you play, so it comes together quite nicely. Coupled with our pixel graphics, it makes for a powerful duo to play and enjoy.”
“Art style and atmosphere are very well done and convincing.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about grinding in the game; while some find it a fun way to enhance their experience and upgrade equipment, others view it as tedious and time-consuming. The grinding can lead to faster gameplay, but issues like bugs and inconsistent difficulty can detract from the overall enjoyment. For those seeking a challenge, avoiding cash grinding is recommended.
“Neat art, tedious gameplay.”
“If you are looking for a challenging experience, I recommend playing on hard and avoiding the cash grinding.”
“There are still many bugs where you can get stuck in rooms behind items or monsters, the difficulty ramps at odd moments and the hacking is downright tedious but the game itself has promise.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers decent replayability due to its short main campaign, multiple difficulty modes, six playable characters, and alternate level paths, encouraging players to explore different strategies and experiences.
“My one gripe is that the main campaign is a bit short, but with all of the secrets and multiple difficulty modes, there is a lot of replayability.”
“There are six different characters to play, and some of the levels have alternate paths to take, so for me, there is plenty of replayability.”
“My one gripe is that the main campaign is a bit short, but with all of the secrets and multiple difficulty modes, there is a bit of replayability.”
“There are six different characters to play and some of the levels have alternate paths to take, so for me there is plenty of replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users feel that while the emotional aspect of the game attempts to resonate, it ultimately falls short, likening it to a powerful soundtrack that lacks the depth and nuance needed to evoke a strong emotional response.
