A combination of the FPS and roguelike genres sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately developer Terrible Posture Games didn't quiteA combination of the FPS and roguelike genres sounds like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately developer Terrible Posture Games didn't quite nail it with "Tower of Guns." What we get is a slightly lackluster game that can still provide some decent entertainment provided you are in the mood for some shooting and permadeath.
Some charm and personality are added to the game through stories that are randomized on each playthrough. They just serve as a way to serve up some humor and give reasoning as to why this is all going on. The graphics are reminiscent of Borderlands, only they look pretty dated. The soundtrack is unremarkable and goes largely unnoticed.
The core gameplay is basically just your standard FPS affair. Combat isn't terribly exciting thanks to some bland enemy design. The majority of what you'll face are nothing more than glorified turrets. From what I've noticed there isn't much variety in the boss department. I fought "Mama Spinbot" 5 times in a row across two playthroughs. Things do get more enjoyable the further you go into the tower. As you progress rooms get larger and are filled with more enemies and obstacles. The crazier the screens gets, the more fun the game gets. Even if some light slowdown rears its ugly head from time to time.
I have to give special praise to the level design. It makes the fame feel like an FPS from the 90's like Doom or Quake. It gives the game certain nostalgic, retro appeal that is sure to satisfy a certain audience.
The core combat of the game cane be entertaining, but not particularly remarkable. Because of that it's the roguelike elements that really give it an identity. The more you play the more you unlock. You'll start off with a selection of only two guns and two perks (you can only take on of each for a playthrough), but you'll unlock more as you go. The quest too 100% the game has the potential to keep people playing longer than they would otherwise.
Don't let the fact that this game is part roguelike scare you away with thoughts of high-difficulty. It's actually not that tough. Yeah death is permanent, but enemies usually drop enough health and weapon upgrades to ensure that so long as you shooting skills are up to the task you'll be ready for the room ahead. For those looking for a real challenge though certain perks are available to make things tougher. Just keep in mind the first playthrough won't be too terrible for most and it won't take that long.
As far as the game goes from a technical standpoint it's pretty solid. I did get stuck in the environment once, but a helpful "tilt" button got me unstuck in a jiffy. One of the biggest issues the game has is that there is no way to save you progress in the middle of a playthrough. If something comes up and you have to put the game down you can't pick up from where you left off later. A simple save system in the middle of a level would have saved gamers rom losing progress. Make sure you have time to complete a playthrough before starting one up. Luckily playthroughs don't take long and you'll probably die anyway.
As it stands "Tower of Guns" is a fairly unremarkable roguelike and FPS. There is a decently entertaining experience to be had here, but after beating my first playthrough I have no desire to jump back in for another. It's a solid game, but just not all that satisfying.… Expand
