Shadow Tower
Artwork of a square box. Depicted is an apparently undressed man, with a piece of dark brown fabric covering his eyes and a big necklace around his neck. He sits with his legs crossed, his arms around them, and looking up. The top portion reads "Shadow Tower" in uppercase black letters with a slight gothic style and a white glow around them.
North American PlayStation cover art
Developer(s)FromSoftware
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Shinichiro Nishida
Designer(s)Daisuke Ito
Hiroyuki Kani
Programmer(s)Hiroyuki Arai
Composer(s)Kota Hoshino
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • JP: June 25, 1998
  • NA: November 23, 1999[1]
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Shadow Tower[2] is a 1998 action role-playing video game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation.[3] The game was originally released in Japan by FromSoftware on June 25, 1998 and in North America by Agetec on November 23, 1999. 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

Shadow Tower was developed by FromSoftware, a Japanese game company that had made its name with the King's Field series, with which Shadow Tower shared several gameplay and thematic elements.[4] While it bears several tonal and mechanical similarities to the King's Field series, the team wanted to create an entirely different franchise.[5] The aesthetics were inspired by Western fantasy, while the goal with the gameplay was to have it difficult yet rewarding for players.[6][7] It used a similar engine base to the King's Field series, though it was redesigned and polished.[5] The game was produced concurrently with Echo Night, and had some crossover with the sound staff.[8] The game's soundtrack was composed by Kota Hoshino. As the game uses little in-game music, many of his contributions were unused, though some were later used for Evergrace.[9] It was originally published by FromSoftware in Japan on June 25, 1998.[10] The game was localized and published by Agetec, who had previously released multiple FromSoftware titles.[11][12]

Reception

The game received an average of 49% according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[13] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 27 out of 40.[3]

References

    1. ↑ "What Lurks In The Dreaded Shadow Tower?". Web Archive. November 23, 1999. Archived from the original on January 29, 2000. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
    2. ↑ シャドウタワー, Shadou Tawā
    3. 1 2 3 "シャドウタワー [PS]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
    4. ↑ Ciolek, Todd (March 16, 2015). "The History of FromSoftware". IGN. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
    5. 1 2 "World Republic Interview - FromSoftware". Gamers' Republic. No. 7. Millennium Publications. December 1998. pp. 112–113.
    6. ↑ シャドウタワーアビス - 開発ウラ話 第2回. Shadow Tower Abyss (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 24, 2004. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
    7. ↑ シャドウタワーアビス - 開発ウラ話 第3回. Shadow Tower Abyss (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 1, 2004. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
    8. ↑ エコーナイト パーフェクトガイド [Echo Night Perfect Guide] (in Japanese). Softbank Creative. 1998. pp. 128–131. ISBN 978-4797306996.
    9. ↑ "RocketBaby's video game and anime music journal: Interview with Kota Hoshino". RocketBaby.net. 2003. Archived from the original on April 24, 2003. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
    10. ↑ "PRODUCTS (Shadow Tower)". FromSoftware. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
    11. ↑ "AGETEC - Center Panel". www.agetec.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
    12. ↑ "Hardcore Gaming 101: King's Field". www.hardcoregaming101.net. Archived from the original on July 7, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
    13. 1 2 "Shadow Tower for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
    14. ↑ Wigmore, Glenn. "Shadow Tower - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
    15. ↑ D'Aprile, Jason (February 11, 2000). "Shadow Tower". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
    16. ↑ "Shadow Tower". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis. 2000.
    17. ↑ Reppen, Erik (November 1999). "Shadow Tower". Game Informer. No. 79. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on May 21, 2000. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
    18. ↑ Ash (December 1999). "Shadow Tower". GamePro. No. 135. IDG Entertainment. p. 234. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
    19. ↑ Sato, Yoshiyuki Ike (November 15, 1999). "Shadow Tower Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000"]". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
    20. ↑ "Shadow Tower". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Ziff Davis. 2000.
    21. ↑ "Review: Shadow Tower". PSM. Future US. 2000.
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