Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree Reviews

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree wears its Hades inspiration on its sleeves, and while the gorgeous art style and colorful cast of characters are quite enjoyable, the rest of the experience is lacking. The combat system is overstuffed with far too many systems and currencies, while the different characters vary widely in their usefulness in combat. The biggest flaw is the two-character system, which actively drags down the experience both in single-player and co-op.

Despite an interesting premise and top-notch presentation, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree only manages to be an average roguelike action RPG, failing to elevate itself beyond the ordinary.

Ever since Hades set a new gold standard for the genre back in 2020, the mechanics and structure of the isometric action RPG roguelites have become somewhat staid. The maze of rooms, the choice of exits, the array of collectables, the slowly progressing unlockables, the narrative that teasingly develops after every run; let’s face it, most of us could play a new genre entry in our sleep. Sure, we’d die a lot, but it’d be doable. So, it’s refreshing that Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree attempts to do something new with the standard formula, even if it isn’t always successful in the process.

Towa And The Guardians Of The Sacred Tree is sadly a frustrating, repetitive, poorly balanced experience. It's a shame, because there is a decent amount of heart present, backdropped by beautiful designs and a stellar soundtrack. Unfortunately, the gameplay loop quickly becomes completely mindless, combat is a chore, bosses feel cheap, and your game clock counter just keeps going up while the emotions of the story never hit. There are some nice ideas here, but the execution and implementation still does not lend itself to an enjoyable Roguelite title at all.

The visually stunning world of Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is compelling and full of heart, staking its claim in the bustling roguelite genre with its unique dual-character mechanic. Its cast of vibrant characters, both in your party and in the hub area, fills the journey with depth, though sometimes a little at the expense of the pacing, but still makes for a thoroughly enjoyable adventure.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a top-notch roguelite with a memorable storyline that may feel bloated at times, but it is, undoubtedly, one of the most unique games in the genre due to how packed it is with things to do.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a heartfelt and captivating adventure, featuring a cast of colorful characters and engrossing storylines. As a roguelite, it does its job very well, delivering a nice spin on the Hades formula with its use of two characters per run.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree has a lot of half-good ideas—each one marred by questionable design decisions.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree has some interesting ideas, but ultimately the combat in this Roguelike makes it a chore to play.

Roguelites live and die by the strength of their loop: how satisfying it feels to fight, die, and to get back into the fight again. Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, developed by Brownies Inc. and published by Bandai Namco, is one of those games that takes a familiar formula and wraps it in something heartfelt and charming. On the surface, it’s about swinging swords and surviving dungeons. But underneath, it’s also about forging blades, building bonds, and shaping the future of a...

If you love action-packed roguelikes then I have great news because Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is oodles of fun.

All in all, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a fun roguelite with a gorgeous presentation, especially for its price tag. It looks great and feels great to play. However, the incredibly lengthy cutscenes you have to sit through between runs lest they disappear forever can feel really annoying. The writing is good, but the pacing is off.

To stand out from the crowd, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree take a few risks. Some pay off immensely, while others fall a bit flat. This is definitely one worth checking out if you're looking for a fast-paced combat system with a Shinto mythology-inspired story. However, if you're keen on experiencing the game in co-op, it's best to err on the side of caution.

When most roguelite games focus on fast-paced action and challenging gameplay, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree takes a different approach. This new release from Brownies, the studio behind the Doraemon Story of Seasons series, brings their signature painted visual style to the roguelite genre while putting storytelling front and center. Working with Bandai Namco, they’ve created something that feels more like playing a JRPG than your typical dungeon-crawler. This review of Towa an...