Since Hades was released towards the end of 2020, numerous games have emerged attempting to replicate its unique gameplay style, each introducing their own spin. Most recently, Bandai Namco and Brownies unveiled Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree. During Summer Game Fest, we were given a brief chance to try out the game, and while we look forward to exploring more of its RPG aspects, our anticipation for playing it further is growing.
If you’ve previously played Hades, you might find Towa’s gameplay familiar; in this scenario, you pick a character to use the swords and another to use the staff, representing the main attacker and support respectively. Once you leave the hub, embark on a run where defeating groups of enemies grants you a bonus for your journey. As you progress, you’ll encounter decisions about which room to confront next. What type of boost would you prefer? Are you after currency that contributes to overall advancement, or do you simply require more healing options?
At first glance, Towa appears quite similar to other games, and it seems like a brief demonstration doesn’t fully highlight its unique features. However, we did get a chance to try out the weapon switching mechanic. In the game, you can decide which character carries the divine sword and the divine staff. Interestingly, these swords are paired, so when you strike with one, the edge becomes dull. After it’s completely worn out, your attacks against enemies will deal much less damage – a deterioration that happens surprisingly fast.
The durability of weapons regenerates when they are sheathed, while each character’s sword moveset is unique. Adding diverse spells from support characters and an unseen weapon crafting system, there’s plenty that catches my interest. Despite the game being enjoyable to play, with an attractive art style and a promising soundtrack, it’s clear that a full understanding will require more hands-on experience.
To put it simply, although Towa was fun to try out, I believe I need a more substantial experience to fully gauge its unique aspects. Demos of RPGs and roguelikes typically don’t provide enough depth in just 15 to 20 minutes, and the demo we played is identical to the one that will be available at events like Anime Expo. This works fine for casual players attending these events, but it poses a challenge for me when I’m under tight time constraints due to my job requirements.
Perhaps I’ll have another glance or two at Towa during Anime Expo to get a clearer view. Or maybe not. Regardless, the demo build seems to have sparked my curiosity enough; let me make that clear, I’m eagerly looking forward to exploring more of Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree when it releases on September 19.
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2025-06-12 16:55