EN
TOWER OF THE BANE
About 3 hours of gameplay and 100% completion
I played it because it's “a friend's game” and I've followed its development from the beginning. However, I think that if someone had shown it to me and said, “Play this,” I would have bought it and certainly not regretted it.
The gameplay is basic but effective, easy to learn, and I never had any problems with it. The graphics and visuals are beautifully crafted, and I especially liked the lighting effects with the flames and reflections on the water. The same goes for the animations, which are smooth and enjoyable.
Exploring this world is really satisfying: seeing the map fill up, checking every nook and cranny to see if there are any environmental puzzles (which are very well done, by the way), trying to find what will allow us to move on to the next part... It's a real gem for completionists like me. On top of that, the environments are beautiful and all have their own unique atmosphere, like the forest.
The enemies are fairly basic but do the job, although it's a shame that one of them (the one in the mine) reappears too often. The dungeons are the central focus of the game alongside the plague, and they're well done too. Six towers with different mechanics, even if they're not complicated, still feature interesting mechanics like the “something has changed” tower or add to the lore like the ruins tower (my favorite). However, I find the last two towers less interesting than the others. It's not that they're bad, but they're not on the same level as the others.
How can I talk about the game without mentioning the music by Killar and Frandaman, which I dare say is exceptional? As someone who pays particular attention to music in games and everywhere else, the music in Towers of the Bane manages to blend the atmospheres and set the tone for the whole adventure. In fact, you can recognize the signature style of the two composers. I felt myself flying, cooling down, and so on, but always immersed in the atmosphere of the areas/battles/towers, which serves the game wonderfully.
SPOILER
In terms of the story and lore, it doesn't reveal much, yet it's very understandable. I'm just a little disappointed that the ending doesn't say more about the plague. I would also have liked to know more about its origins, but I realize that's not necessarily possible. In any case, it makes you want to theorize, imagine, etc. I was particularly taken with the post-plague story, the stories of the survivors told by their descendants. Talking to NPCs really pays off. My favorite part was the section on the ancient hero in the ruins, with the staging and scenery in the tower creating an atmosphere that tells us much more through visuals than through text. You learn everything about this hero simply through observation and deduction, which is brilliant.
END OF SPOILER
My favorite tower is the tower in the ruins, my favorite area is the forest, and my favorite dev is Nirsos.
Well done on all your work, everyone, it's fantastic! I can't wait to see what happens next!