Toren

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 83
  3. Negative: 36 out of 83

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  1. sophos
    May 18, 2015
    0
    Extremely boring and short. Plus. Have a lot of bugs.
    Easily the worst game I have played from a long time.
    Stay away from this piece of crap. Save your money.
  2. wesker2012
    May 13, 2015
    4
    Interesting premise, story, and game that fails to deliver in the end. The visuals and music are the best part of the game which relaxes you. The game however doesn't feel deep enough to be satisfying. The gameplay is very basic, repetitive, and not fun. Overall, its a decent attempt at a videogame from a first time developer. I liked the spiritual aspect of the game.
  3. sophos_marica
    May 18, 2015
    0
    Four years to develop this crap? This game is a bad joke.
    Extremely boring. Broken in every way.
    Poor gameplay, poor graphics, poor duration, zero replay value.
    Save your money and stay away from this crap.
  4. Yelreblew
    May 13, 2015
    1
    Jogabilidade fraquíssima, puzzles pateticamente fáceis, duração lamentável de gameplay, sem falar da história que não é lá essas coisas. Bom, está é a melhor definição para Toren.
  5. sophos_nsm
    May 12, 2015
    10
    A beautiful fairy tale. An exciting history, an astonishing visual, supplemented by a great soundtrack. Special fondness for the final battle.
    recommended
  6. Vinivendra
    May 17, 2015
    8
    Toren is great conquest to Brazilian game market, when I start to play I got really surprised the game has as very beautiful art (I love the cartoon like style), a great story and a awesome way to delivery it. I saw some bugs (there is a stair where I always get stuck on the top) but nothing which interfered in my gameplay. The only thing I have to complain is that the game is to short.
  7. ArthurDeMartino
    May 17, 2015
    9
    [DISCLAIMER: There will be some small spoilers up ahead. Also, I was a beta tester for some of the boss fights when the game was in it's development stage. Also this is a re-post from the pc review,]
    I really don't like scoring games over numbers, I feel this is a system that does not truly convey an interactive experience, nor I feel slicing a game on it's different systems is the way to    [DISCLAIMER: There will be some small spoilers up ahead. Also, I was a beta tester for some of the boss fights when the game was in it's development stage. Also this is a re-post from the pc review,]
    I really don't like scoring games over numbers, I feel this is a system that does not truly convey an interactive experience, nor I feel slicing a game on it's different systems is the way to truly say if a game is worth a look or not.

    Rather, I like to look at the whole.

    Toren is a game of simple mechanics. Perhaps 'subtle' is the word I am looking for, as in this is not a game defined by it's combo system Moonchild can do (despite having a sword at several points of the game and using it to actually hit and wound a Dragon), nor by the "salt the holy icons" moments the game have (which feel like a chore - both for us the players as well the character.)
    I'd argue these little mechanics help tell the story.

    You salt the holy symbols because it's a purification ritual.
    You hide behind the statues because a terrible wind is blowing, and you do not want to fall down the platform.

    The mechanics are there so you react and interact with the scenes and the story. Only when you confront the dragon there is a "fear", a "tension" that you might lose some short of progress (Well there are some platform/exploration that might end up resulting on your character death but those are uncommon).

    So it's a game that doesn't want to train you or reward you for being awesome at platforms and most puzzles are basic - They often make sense in the logic of the world meaning they are really simple.

    This leaves us with the center of Toren itself: It's story. It's message.
    Once you actually know that it's a story is about the cycle of reincarnation as seen by some gnostic sects, all the symbolism makes sense.
    All the concepts of the game match the mythos surrounding it, and the game ends with it beginning anew, as if you 'reincarnate' the experience to do all over again,

    It's a game about learning 'truths' as seeing by said religious/cultural lens and navigating a beautiful world and having rituals that mark these learning experiences.

    Which I guess makes Toren a "Narrative" game; A game where you do not play for it's sick jumping mechanics or kick ass sword combos, but by paying attention on it's muted and quiet story. Some reviews claim it's pretentious, yet all it does is take knowledge that exists outside the game and creating a symbolic experience for them.

    If you wish to experience a story in which the gameplay helps convey some emotional moments for the experience, Toren is your jam. Take note it's a story that barely has any dialogues and it's marked by rituals. Trying to figure out said rituals was part of the fun for me, but your mileage may vary.

    I truly feel even if you disagree with the game beliefs, seeing them executed in this form is interesting, unique even. I'd love to see more spiritual games like that being made, all sharing different point of views.

    If anything I said here interested you, then take the game for a spin. It's cheap and in the short side length wise, you can beat it in about two hours and a half, perhaps more or less. But this game wasn't crafted to pad things up. It wishes to tell you a story, to show you a world, and then to give you the message that inspired the crafting of the story in the first place. And then it ends in a metaphor.    … Expand
  8. FriedConsole
    May 19, 2015
    6
    Toren is in the vein of Journey or Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons in that the "puzzles" are not hard unless you are a total idiot and that it is about enjoying the visuals and story. The visuals are really unique and sometimes amazing. Look up some screenshots for this game!! The game is wonky and a technical mess. The were some meta puzzles of how to get through the game without it breakingToren is in the vein of Journey or Brothers: a Tale of Two Sons in that the "puzzles" are not hard unless you are a total idiot and that it is about enjoying the visuals and story. The visuals are really unique and sometimes amazing. Look up some screenshots for this game!! The game is wonky and a technical mess. The were some meta puzzles of how to get through the game without it breaking and having to restart the checkpoints. Might be worth putting up with if you like these types of games.… Expand
  9. SuperkenGaming
    May 15, 2015
    8
    Toren
    A beautiful adventure
    Toren is a mix of Journey and Ico minus the puzzles and combat ico has. Toren is all about the climb. The climb through life and the climb up a tower. The entire game is one giant metaphor. Toren starts you out as a new born and you gradually age as the game progresses. As you progress through the world you will enter dream sequences, some which are    Toren
    A beautiful adventure
    Toren is a mix of Journey and Ico minus the puzzles and combat ico has.
    Toren is all about the climb.
    The climb through life and the climb up a tower.
    The entire game is one giant metaphor.
    Toren starts you out as a new born and you gradually age as the game progresses.
    As you progress through the world you will enter dream sequences, some which are hidden that will give you more insight and more pieces to the much larger puzzle.
    These dream sequences are just as gorgeous as the main game.
    There are a few secrets that can be found in the world of Toren, but only a few, this is a very small game.
    These secrets are for the most part missable, but not necessary.
    They will definitely help you out a little bit along your journey though.
    Toren is basically a platforming adventure like journey with little to no combat, and no real puzzles which makes for a relaxing time, something I can truly appreciate.
    A few challenges thrown at you, but nothing you wont instantly understand the moment you slip up.
    But handles and looks more like Ico.
    That being said, controls feel a bit stiff, and the game is a tiny bit buggy, nothing that will cause problems, but there are definitely a few noticeable hickups.
    Toren is a great journey and a beautiful game, but still I find it difficult to call this a game rather than an experience.
    However whatever you want to call it,
    Toren offers a 2 hour experience that is well worth your time.
    For what it is
    an adventure game 8.5/10
    overall 8/10    … Expand
  10. BasilZero
    Dec 2, 2017
    6
    Game: Toren
    Genre: Action Adventure
    Publisher/Developer: Versus Evil/Swordtales System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 61/100 Value Score: 6.1/10 • Story: 6/10 • Characters: 6/10 • GamePlay: 4/10 • Graphics: 6/10 • Sound: 7/10 • Music: 6/10 • Length: 5/10 • Replay Value: 5/10 • Player Value: 6/10 Pros +Design is colorful and vibrant, you can tell the developer had good    Game: Toren
    Genre: Action Adventure
    Publisher/Developer: Versus Evil/Swordtales
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 61/100
    Value Score: 6.1/10

    • Story: 6/10
    • Characters: 6/10
    • GamePlay: 4/10
    • Graphics: 6/10
    • Sound: 7/10
    • Music: 6/10
    • Length: 5/10
    • Replay Value: 5/10
    • Player Value: 6/10

    Pros
    +Design is colorful and vibrant, you can tell the developer had good intentions to make the game based on the art style and design
    +Chapter select allowing you to replay certain sections rather than starting all over

    Cons
    -Design quality seems a mixture of 6th and 7th generation gaming, some poorly designed visuals from time to time.
    -Animation is clunky
    -Gameplay feels clunky and slow at times
    -Puzzle and combat are a bore
    -Very short    … Expand
  11. SpongyTwinkies
    Jun 13, 2015
    4
    My interest in the game was only mildly sparked by an occasional unusual setting or character. But nothing connects well. And poorly written prose, choppy game events, terrible character animations, and buggy game play make this a title to avoid.
  12. rvncto
    May 9, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just got this game for a couple $ in PSN Hidden Gems sale. I have always loved the game ICO on ps2. And kept seeing how this game tries to be like ICO. It does feel like ICO a bit in the beginning. But the feeling quickly fades. The game is crazy short. I finished it in one sitting in < 2 hours. Thats fine by me since its nice to actually finish a game now a days. The Camera is a pain in my ass. It seems to be be limited to only a certain range of movement. Most of them not that useful. The story was pretty interesting. I like the idea that she seems to be climbing the tower infinitely , reborn at the bottom again and again. Like a certain Stephen King series I loved.

    Though the the "enemies" are pointless. Theres only 3 kinds of enemies. some toothy tadpoles, ghost guys and the dragon itself. the toothy tadpoles at least try to jump at you, while the ghost guys just move slowly back and forth and you just walk behind or in front of them, just not into them. The Dragon battles are interesting enough but not much variety. First it attacks with A, then it attacks with B , then finally it attacks with a combination of A & B. There was interesting dreamlike imagery in the game. That made me think. But ultimately the graphics were late ps2, early ps3 level. It felt like a practice project for the developers. As this game is a 5 years old. I wonder if the developers got a chance to refine their craft. I hope so. Cause the ideas weren't bad. But the execution was.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 25
  3. Negative: 5 out of 25
  1. Games Master UK
    Aug 5, 2015
    24
    The sense of goodwill you'll take into this Ico-aping adventure peters out pretty much instantly. [Aug 2015, p.79]
  2. DarkStation
    Jul 13, 2015
    80
    It’s a thought provoking game with a lot of heart, and it left me excited to see what Swordtales decides to put out next.
    Read full review
  3. IGN Italia
    Jul 6, 2015
    50
    Toren 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.
    Read full review
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