Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity[a] is a 2022 Japanese side-scrolling action roguelike game developed by //commentout and published by Playism for Windows and Nintendo Switch. Players climb the titular Tower of Perpetuity with the goal of reaching the summit. The game had a mixed reception.
| Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | //commentout |
| Publisher(s) | Playism |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Roguelike |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay edit
Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity is a side-scrolling action roguelike game.[1] Players climb the titular Tower of Perpetuity with the goal of reaching the summit. Along the way, they encounter enemies and hazards that must be evaded or defeated. The layout of the tower changes daily; players compete for the top score on the online leaderboard for each iteration. Players choose one of the five playable characters to climb the tower with, Cocoa, Imibi, Kanae, Kukuri, or Shippo de Tail, each with their own unique abilities.[2]
The game lacks a basic attack. Instead, players must use time-limited special abilities in combat or evade enemies completely. Runs culminate in a bullet hell style boss fight where player characters must dodge barrages of bullet attacks. Players are encouraged to advance quickly in the tower by a karma system that sends powerful enemies toward them if they take too long.[2][3]
Development edit
Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity was developed by a Japanese indie game developer //commentout. The game was first exhibited at the 2017 Tokyo Game Show[4] and initially released as an early access PC title on Steam in November 2020. In June 2022, a full version of the game was published for PC and Nintendo Switch by Playism in English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.[1] The game was influenced by Rogue Legacy, Risk of Rain, and Dark Souls.[5]
Reception edit
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 74/100 (NS) |
| OpenCritic | 67% |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN | 7/10 |
| TouchArcade | 4/5 |
| Siliconera | 7/10 |
Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity received "mixed or average reviews", according to the review aggregator website Metacritic, which calculated a weighted average rating of 74/100 for the Nintendo Switch version based on six critic reviews.[6] Aggregator OpenCritic found that 67% of 9 critics recommended the game.[7]
IGN Japan rated the game 7/10 points, commending the concept of changing tower layouts but finding them still too repetitive in the long run.[8] Jenni Lada, writing for Siliconera, also rated the game 7/10 points. She called it a "novel challenge", noting how the focus on evasion rather than combat sets the game apart and forces players to get creative, but felt it needs more balancing and variety.[2] Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade assessed the game as "fun to play on a basic level" and overall an "enjoyable affair". He rated it 4/5 points.[9] Famitsu praised the game's "cute" visuals and recommended it to those enjoying roguelikes with quick runs.[3]
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ a b Romano, Sal (21 May 2022). "TOKOYO: The Tower of Perpetuity launches June 2 for Switch, PC". Gematsu. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Lada, Jenni (1 June 2022). "Review: Tokoyo Makes Avoiding Combat a Way of Life". Siliconera. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b "『常世ノ塔』プレイレビュー。通常攻撃なしで回避テクが必須？ 妙に色っぽい敵が待ち構える塔を登っていく手応え抜群のローグライク2Dアクション". Famitsu (in Japanese). 2 June 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ "かわいく、ゆるく、ハードコアなローグライクアクション『常世ノ塔』がTGS 2017に出展". Famitsu (in Japanese). 13 September 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ "常世ノ塔 -TOKOYO:The Tower of Perpetuity - //commentout.info" (in Japanese). 22 September 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Tokoyo: The Tower of Perpetuity Switch". Metacritic. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "TOKOYO: The Tower of Perpetuity". OpenCritic. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Mio (19 June 2022). "24時間ごとにダンジョンの構造が変わるローグライトアクション『常世ノ塔』レビュー". IGN Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Musgrave, Shaun (7 June 2022). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Card Shark' and 'TOKOYO', Plus the Latest Releases and Sales – TouchArcade". TouchArcade. Retrieved 4 August 2023.