The Deadly Tower of Monsters (2016)

Needed a break from Furi so I played Deadly Tower of Monsters. I had fun. It has great style and a good share of laughs. The running commentary is a nice touch. Overall it’s a good time. It has a somewhat clever but also disappointing ending. I won’t go into detail, because the game does a great job lampooning both games and films, and the finale plays into that quite well. The final battle was just a touch too easy.

P.S. freefalling from the top of the tower is damn good fun.

I was listening to a podcast recently and someone mentioned a game that was a parody of schlocky sci-fi movies from the 1950s, and I immediately went to Steam and bought it. Even though I was sold on the premise alone, the amazing thing is that the game actually delivers even more than I could have hoped. Old sci-fi B-movies aren't just the gimmicky premise of this game, everything about the game ties into that premise. The enemies are either stop-motion dinosaurs or actors in rubber suits or puppets being dangled by wires. There is a blurry video effect that makes the game look like it's actually an old VHS tape. To skip a cut scene you hold the A button and the scene fast forwards like a videotape, complete with scan lines and sped-up audio. The "narrator" of the game is actually the director of the movie that you are supposedly watching, who is doing a commentary track for the DVD release of his crappy old movie. And suffice it to say that this game isn't just a one-trick pony, it continues to deliver on its premise throughout the 8 or so hours, with an excellent payoff in the last act.

In terms of gameplay, this is a decent action platformer. There are plenty of ranged and melee weapons that can be upgraded with collectible gears that you find throughout the world. I found the lack of information about the weapons (like damage and speed) annoying at first, but eventually I realized that it really doesn't matter that much, just choose the weapons that suit your playstyle and upgrade them. The combat can be moderately challenging from time to time, but nothing unfair or frustrating. There are a few boss fights that are clever enough and have a reasonable level of difficulty.

All in all, this is a great package. Some games based on a gimmick end up being more clever than they are fun. You might stick with them because the art direction is great or the writing is good, but the gameplay really doesn't stack up. The Deadly Tower of Monsters isn't that kind of game. The gameplay is fun and deep enough to keep you engaged, and the gimmick is so thoroughly and smartly explored that it's always a pleasure.