Toren

Our Comments and Scoring Policy

GamingTrendNiko DelValle

80/100

Toren has great style and a compelling story to tell. Though it’s dragged down by its gameplay, it’s still far more than worth the asking price for the experience it offers.

ShackNewsSteven Wong

7/10

I enjoyed my time with Toren, despite a handful of frustrating sections. It is an example of art and poetry told as a video game. Yet, I can't say that I feel the need to repeat the climb, even with the hope of getting further insight into the story or the promise of somehow overcoming an ending that somehow manages to be both beautiful and gloomy at the same time. Toren is an experience that's worth at least one run. Then, it gets put up on a shelf like a nice book, where it ends up disappearing alongside the other novels.

Gaming NexusChapel Collins

7/10

Because it's such a small game, there isn't all that much to it; it's not a game with something for everyone. Still, even if you're interested, remember that the game is only two hours long, even though it's a very focused two hours, some people may feel they have overpaid for the amount of content they are given.

COGConnectedNicholas Plouffe

63/100

Toren is a fantastical adventure game about a young girl’s quest to kill a dragon. To get to him, she first needs to climb the mysterious tower she finds herself by growing a tree and entering dreams. Mystical and enchanting, this is a casual game that you can play through over a weekend best suited for those who enjoy a more unique tale or setting. While Toren does lack a bit of polish and content, it’s a great short-term escape from reality.

DestructoidChris Carter

6/10

Toren is a very cool concept that’s held back by its rough presentation, especially on the PC platform. Truth be told though, I think developer Swordtales should keep making games and simply refine its touch, as the studio clearly has the knack for it.

Game SkinnyCurtis Dillon

6/10

While beautiful and intriguing, the shortness and control issues make Toren feel like wasted potential

PSExtremeBen-Dutka

5.5/10

Graphics: 6.6 Gameplay: 5.2 Sound: 7.4 Control: 4.5 Replay Value: 3.7 Overall Rating: 5.5 Online Gameplay: Not Rated Publisher: Versus Evil Developer: Sword ...

GameSpotJanine Hawkins

5/10

Waxing and waning.

VideogamerSteven Burns

5/10

Toren's weak central mechanics, repetitive action, and overall bugginess are mitigated somewhat by its engaging mood and direction.

Game RantAnthony Taormina

3/10

That’s Toren’s biggest struggle in the end: it’s inability to build off of what are largely some very basic concepts. The story, the visuals, and most importantly the gameplay all feel like the first step in a long process towards developing a fully realized game. However, rather than continue to iterate on ideas like wind pushing the player back, using heat to create light and melt ice, or even just basic traversal, the game shipped as is. It’s hard to fault a developer who clearly has ideas and talent, but when they deliver a game this clunky there’s little choice. Toren is not worth gamers’...

TheSixthAxisJim Hargreaves

Unscored

As we’ve said before, the game is propped up by some wonderful artwork. What few characters there are have a distinct look about them, as does the tower itself and the amalgam of dream sequences players will find themselves drifting in and out of. Unfortunately the audio side of things doesn’t hold up as well. Although we’ve no complaints about the soundtrack, Toren’s lack of voiced narration is somewhat of a let down. Having to read slowly emerging bubbles of text is not only annoying, it also breaks momentum.