- Publisher: Versus Evil
- Release Date: May 12, 2015
- Also On: PC
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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May 19, 2015Toren really is about its narrative, and that is arthouse gold. Like the finest of foreign cinema, this game challenges how the wisdom behind blockbuster design would dictate a game should be put together. It's constrained by budget and, perhaps, a lack in confidence to go all the way and risk complete innovation, but it's a beautiful, emotive, and powerful experience, and it's going to be one of my games of the year. If not one of my favourite games ever.
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May 12, 2015A beautiful and thought provoking exploration into so many different ideas on life, which can be completed in one joyous, yet bewildering, sitting.
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Jul 13, 2015It’s a thought provoking game with a lot of heart, and it left me excited to see what Swordtales decides to put out next.
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May 22, 2015Boasting some superb art design and fun battle/puzzles mash-ups, Toren is a worthwhile experience let down by some shoddy combat and bugs.
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May 12, 2015Toren is a nice addition to PS4 indies' library. At first sight, it seems like a classical adventure (platforming, puzzle, exploring, a little bit combat...) but underneath all that it explores vital concepts like death and life, and apply them directly to gameplay. I wish it lasted a little bit more because it's a really short game.
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May 21, 2015Toren won’t appeal to everyone, obviously, but creates a wonderfully moody and magical atmospheric vibe that few games achieve.
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May 21, 2015Despite some bad technical issues, Toren is an emotional videogame/experience that is worth at least one run.
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May 18, 2015Toren is very rough-around-the-edges, but there is some charm during the few hours it lasts.
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May 12, 2015I didn’t like Toren as much as I was hoping to, but there’s still some pretty neat ideas that make it worth checking out.
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May 19, 2015In the end, Toren is a decent indie title if you are looking for something quick to play.
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Jun 7, 2015Poor gameplay, bad controls, weak level design and a predictable story, are some elements that make Toren a completely forgettable experience. This game is a good attempt of Swordstales, but it fails on almost every aspect.
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May 18, 2015Despite it's good intentions, Toren is an accumulation of gross errors. Some of them are almost logic for a newly formed studio, but unforgivable anyway. We love to support independent proposal, but sometimes is impossible.
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May 15, 2015It’s sort of like a half-baked idea that had excellent ingredients, but those ingredients weren’t quite assembled correctly and it was removed from the oven too early. And so, the result is sort of edible, but far from tasty.
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Jul 6, 2015Toren is quite good from an artistic point of view, but in terms of level design it's pretty bland and it's got too many technical issues.
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Playstation Official Magazine UKJun 30, 2015There are moments of brilliance to be had, but it's hard to appreciate them. [July 2015, p.95]
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May 27, 2015Toren looks beautiful but is not nice to play. It has bugs and the controls are really bad.
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May 27, 2015Despite some strong world design and a compelling soundtrack, Toren just can't keep up with the other great platformers on the market, even from the previous generation. The miserable visuals, combined with technical problems and loose gameplay, leave this journey coming up way short – and making us wish that The Last Guardian would surface sooner rather than later.
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May 18, 2015Toren is a game that has its heart in the right place, but doesn’t execute it very well at all.
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May 18, 2015It's a wasted chance, and that's a real shame. The gameplay can't keep up with the good premises, and the game really looses much of its appeal in a matter of minutes.
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May 13, 2015Although barren, its gameplay systems operate well enough, going hand-in-hand with developer Swordtales’ minimalist approach. That said, mechanically, it fails to do anything that truly immerses players any more than the game’s pretty visuals.
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May 15, 2015Toren felt like it was just trying to check things off of a “how to make a video game” checklist. Monsters? Check. Armor? Check. Jump button? Check. Scrolls? Check. A dragon? Check. Platforming? Check. Varied environments? Check.
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Jun 29, 2015Toren could have been a good game. Artistic design sets the right tone, but the outdated graphics, numerous bugs and duration of about two hours have completely ruined what this game could have been.
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May 13, 2015A plethora of technical problems and uninteresting level design win out over the positive aspects, and this experience is below par as a consequence. Listen and look at it by all means – just try to avoid actually playing it.
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May 25, 2015With another year in dev and refinement of story, gameplay, and technical aspects, Toren might blossom into something special. As it stands, it's a work-in-progress sent to market too soon.
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Games Master UKAug 5, 2015The sense of goodwill you'll take into this Ico-aping adventure peters out pretty much instantly. [Aug 2015, p.79]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 34 out of 83
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Mixed: 13 out of 83
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Negative: 36 out of 83
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May 13, 2015
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May 13, 2015
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May 18, 2015