Shadow Tower


Shadow Tower is a 1998 role playing game video game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation. The game was originally released in Japan on June 25, 1998 and in North America on November 19, 1999, and subsequently re-released on the PlayStation Network in Japan on September 27, 2007 and in North America on March 31, 2015. In North America, the game was published by Agetec. Shadow Tower shares many similarities with the King's Field series of video games. A sequel, Shadow Tower Abyss, was released for the PlayStation 2 exclusively in Japan.

Gameplay

Shadow Tower is an action-oriented dungeon crawl very similar to King's Field. It features a first person style of gameplay where the player engages in combat with enemies, searches for hidden items and traps, and interacts with NPCs. Unlike most RPGs, it does not feature a system of experience points which the player character uses to grow more powerful. Instead all creatures are non-respawnable and every type of enemy killed will raise fixed stats on the player, so in order to increase specific stats a variety of different enemies need to be killed. The game also includes an item which allows the player to increase any stat by a few points manually, allowing for some character customization. A common issue for new players is that stat names don't refer to what they might be used to from other RPGs; for example, the stat Strength doesn't affect the character's attack power, but their hit points instead. Each piece of the character's equipment has a durability rating, meaning that it will wear down over time and must eventually be repaired or replaced. The game also features no music and no automap. Some differences from the previous King's Field installments are a shield that acts as an actual usable item that must be raised to block attacks, a more in-depth equipment screen, and the new progression system.

Plot

The game is set on the continent of Eclipse, in the Holy Land of Zeptar. The player takes the role of a mercenary named Ruus Hardy. Returning home to Zeptar, he finds that the entire city, as well as the central tower, have been sucked into the underworld. He meets an old man who gives him the Dark One's sword, the only weapon which can injure the demons responsible. Swearing to rescue the old woman who raised him, as well as the rest of Zeptar, Ruus descends into the underworld.

Development and release

Reception

The game received "unfavorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 27 out of 40.