I have played my fair share of roguelites and am a fan of the genre. You have no shortage of games to pick from, and it’s easy to understand why some say it’s oversaturated. From indie hits to AAA outings, most companies have tried their hand at the genre. However, one major player has been shockingly absent from it, that being Bandai Namco. Well, now the publisher is throwing their hat in the ring by publishing the latest from Brownies Inc., Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree.
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a roguelite game. The latest from Brownies Inc. tells a tale set in a mystic realm. It’s one of friendship, ancient evil, powerful swords, and the fate of Shinju Village. I recently had the opportunity to preview the game for a couple of hours and got a pretty good feel for it. It’s a roguelite with clear inspirations from others in the genre, but also one that brings a lot to it. Does Towa do enough to separate itself from the crowd? I think it might.
Double the Guardians
In the preview build I played, I had four hours to play Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree. Right off the bat, the combat separates itself from others in the genre. The game has eight playable characters, and you must pick two for each run you do. One character will be the Tsurugi, and will use dual swords for damage. The other character will be Kagura, and they will use spells to support you. Each character can be either and offers different playstyles, so experiment as much as you want.
The combat is interesting because you are essentially controlling two characters, with two different attacks each. The Tsurugi has two swords that you have to keep track of because they will lose sharpness. The only way to restore the sword is to swap to the other one; this is also an attack called quick draw. You also have another attack called a fatal blow, which is a powerful attack with a separate meter. They also have a dash that will quickly become your most-used move (at least it was mine).
The Kagura mainly offers support and uses spells. These spells can be different types of attacks or even buffs. You have two spells, each on a cooldown, so keep that in mind while playing. If you find controlling both too much, you can separate from the Kagura. They will stay still and act on their own, but you also can’t walk too far from them. Controlling both gives the game an interesting edge, and there is a lot of fun experimenting with duos. Combat feels satisfying, fun, and I found myself wanting to sneak in another run to try out another combination.
Beyond these abilities, there is another mechanic you unlock when you beat the first boss. When you finally beat the first boss, something will seem strange. Your Tsurugi and Kagura will seem hesitant about something, and then it happens. The Tsurugi cuts the Kagura, the final part of the ritual, which you must do after beating a boss. Now this is a roguelite, so death is expected, but this time it’s permanent. That guardian is gone, and now you have one less character to pick. You can’t keep picking the same combination and win. One more thing to keep track of, and more things I couldn’t stop thinking of.
Back to the Village
Besides going on runs, you’ll spend a lot of time in Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree in Shinju Village. After each run, you go back to Shinju Village as Towa and talk to the villagers. There is a lot to do, but I see many spending hours at the blacksmith. Towa can forge swords for resources, and it gets pretty in-depth. You have three options: Standard Choice, Artisan, and Smith’s Choice.
In the standard, you can customize the look of the sword and then participate in every step of forging it. Artisan is the same, only the customization is more in-depth. Smith’s choice does most of the work for you, but you can still adjust some of the stats. I spent a reasonable amount of time here because making swords is just fun. The customization is pretty good, too, and I found myself spending a lot of time making the most impractical swords. It does take a long time to make a sword, though, even without customizing the look, so Smith’s choice also makes sense to me.
There is also a lot to unlock in the village. All the villagers are fun to talk to, and you’ll likely find a favorite. There is a house where you can customize your looks. There is a dojo to upgrade your stats, along with swapping gear and spells. You can also fish, and I spent more time on this than I should’ve. The fish can be exchanged for resources, so my efforts were not wasted. There is a lot to do in Shinju Village, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s here.
A Vibrant World
During the preview, I also complimented the look and sound. Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a delight to look at. The world is vibrant and full of charm. I found myself stopping to look at the beautiful backgrounds of the game. This holds over to the character designs, the guardians and villages all feel distinct. I enjoyed the enemy design too, even though they can feel repetitive sometimes, they are still fun to look at. The music is also a delight, and I can’t wait to hear more in the full game.
I also appreciate the story so far. There is a big narrative, and while I’m not sold on it yet, I am intrigued. What I am sold on is the characters. They all have interesting relationships, and I found myself trying to learn more about them. While I do have favorites, I still wanted to get to know all of them. This carries over to the world as a whole. One reason I kept playing was that I just wanted to see more of it. There is something special here, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
A Lot of Potential
I only had four hours with Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, and I can’t stop thinking about it. The game ran great, and I encountered no issues during my time with it. There is a lot here, and it can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t take long for all the systems to click. I also can’t wait to see more of the game, because it feels like I’ve barely seen what’s available.
This has the potential to become a staple of the genre, and I can’t wait to see what the whole game is like. The combat feels great, and the town has so much to offer. Sword customization could be a game on its own. I enjoy all the characters and am interested in the world, and all music and designs are a delight to the player. While we’ll have to wait for the whole game to see, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree has a lot of potential, and you should keep your eye on it.
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is set to launch on September 19 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
