Shadow Tower

Shadow Tower
File:Shadow tower box.jpg
Developer(s)	FromSoftware
Publisher(s)
Composer(s)	Keiichiro Segawa
Platforms	PlayStation, PlayStation Network
Release date(s)	PlayStation PlayStation Network
Genre(s)	Role-playing video game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Shadow Tower (シャドウタワー, Shadou Tawā) is a first-person view action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and released in 1998. It shares many similarities with the King's Field series of games. A sequel, Shadow Tower Abyss, was released for the PlayStation 2 only in Japan.

Story

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.

Gameplay

Shadow Tower is an action oriented dungeon crawl very similar to the King's Field. It features a familiar 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 traditional system of experience points which the player uses to grow more powerful. Instead, the player's abilities naturally increase as a direct result of killing monsters and doing certain actions in the game. For example each time the player is hit, his or her maximum health will increase as the character begins to toughen up; and as the player uses melee combat to defeat monsters, their strength will increase. 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 (which can be off-putting to some) 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.

External links

• GameFAQs link