Review: Tower 57 (Steam)

I have played my share of twin stick shooters in the past few years. I was hoping that Tower 57 would have been the top game that I have played. I mean it brings me right back to my Genesis days.

Story

Tower 57 is looking to take over the rest of the Towers. It is up to you, a group of six, to infiltrate and stop this before everything goes to hell. The story is enjoyable and sets the tone for this dystopian nightmare. I think of it as a toned down version of Altered Carbon. The thing about the story is it really doesn’t matter as you play. The story isn’t always in your face trying to kill you or show you some new weapon. The game is actually made me ignore the story because I was having such a good time playing it. I don’t see that as a bad thing since this game can give players a high amount of replayability. You don’t want to be choking in the story every time you play the same level.

 

Graphics

If you’re looking for a twin stick shooter that is flashy and more current, then check out Jydge. If you’re looking for a game that has little nerdy moments and gives you the nostalgia that you really want, then play this game. The graphics in this game never failed me. I didn’t have a moment where I was bored looking at the screen. With destructive environments, interesting creatures, and a great looking selection of characters, this is a wonderful game to look at. The one thing that I had a hard time really enjoying was the main menu. Playing the game on my Mac, I had zero issues with the graphics. It was an enjoyable experience. I feel like the game will look better when it comes out on the PS4 though.

Audio

The music is an enjoyable venture back in time. It really helps that Tower 57 has the same sounds that games had back in the 16-bit days. The nostalgia is all the game has though. You won’t need to play this game with the sound on. In fact, you can load up your favorite playlist in this game and not miss a beat. The voice acting is a nice touch when one of the characters says something kinda funny. After the first time hearing these remarks, you don’t have to listen to them again. For a game like Tower 57, it would have been great to feel really immersed in this game.

Gameplay

In this game you need to be prepared to die at any moment. With Tower 57 I died over and over again. Some of those times, I died due to a lack of knowing the controls. Once I had a better understanding of how the characters move and use their chaos attack, I did better.

The game allows players to use a team of three characters from a pool of six total. Each character comes with a different weapon and ability that can be exchanged for all six characters. Picking a different weapon actually becomes a fun part of this game. It helps to try everything that you can get your hands on. When you start out you lose your legs, I mean it happens to the best of use. At that point you realize what you want to spend most of your money on. Buy some legs or a new arm that gives you added benefits as you play on.

The game has different areas in the Tower that lead you through the story. These areas are filled with traps and deadly creatures that want nothing more then you dead. Those creatures vary in size and color, yet as you progress you will notice they start looking the same. This didn’t make the game any worse for me, I actually enjoyed seeing familiar faces that i could destroy. The one thing that didn’t work for me due to a lack of interest was the online part. I would spend 10 minutes waiting to play. The volume of co-op games that are on Steam is just too vast to guarantee a player base, sadly. The game is actually built to play with someone else and I feel like I didn’t get to enjoy the full experience.

Verdict

Playing Tower 57 was an interesting and frustrating time. The online experience was really just me waiting for someone else to play with. I never fully got the chance to enjoy it, yet I know that I will keep trying on Steam. That was the one thing I hope is better on the PS4 version. Being able to play with your friends is a great touch. Besides that I can say that I will recommend this game to players who need a fun experience on Steam. From the great 16-bit graphics to the customization of the your characters, this game has a lot going for it. I can’t wait to play it on PS4.

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