Average Customer Review: ( 7 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

It's quite a bit more difficult than Kings Field since you don't get maps and the ability to WARP "anywhere" - you can just teleport back to the last save point using a magical feather.

There's also a VS mode that allows two players to combat each other using monsters that they have already beaten.

Game Shark codes are available on the internet for those who don't want to invest the hundreds of hours it will take to beat this game normally.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

The true precursor of the Souls series of games starts here.Nov 26, 2011
By Apierion
Some of us, not having had enough of the special brand of pain developer From Software inflicts on us with the excellent action RPGs Demon's Souls & more recently, Dark Souls, may have gone searching for what came before. Those that go searching generally find out about King's Field, but it is of the opinion of the author of this review that is in fact Shadow Tower, not King's Field directly, that is the direct precursor to the souls games, and in fact appears to be the missing link between the two (as opposed to the more recent Kings Field: The Ancient City)

Shadow Tower shares many traits with the souls games - namely - souls which you use to power up different stats. There is also weapon breakage, a lack of background music (which adds to rather than subtracts from the oppressive atmosphere), Switchable primary and secondary left & right hand equipment, An enormously deep stat & equipment based system, a near total lack of exposition or hand holding, and a brutal difficulty.

Many of these traits are shared by the Kings Field games, along with the first person perspective & the slow, deliberate pacing of the game. But it is the genesis of the Souls games seen in the mood and mechanics of this game that give a preview of things to come.

Having said that, don't come into this game expecting the Souls games, this game is different. As stated, it's first and foremost a slow, first person, PS1 game, and not a AAA title by any stretch of the imagination. This game was made using technology that was several years old at the time and showing it. Despite being a 3D 1st person RPG and the dualshock controller existing at the time this game was released, the analog sticks are completely unsupported and the control scheme is completely archaic, with strafing and look up/down controlled by the shoulder buttons of all things. The game becomes dramatically easier for the modern gamer by remapping the controls so that strafing is done on the d-pad, look up/down/left/right is done using the face buttons, and the attack/action/menu buttons are mapped to the shoulder buttons. this provides something of a modern button layout, but take care not to die before you save after you do the remapping, or you'll have to do it all over again! Such is life in the Souls games, or their predecessors.

Combat in this game is decidedly tactical for a game that is nominally an FPS-RPG. Managing HP, Stamina, and MP is first and formost, followed secondly by position relative the enemies on the screen. After such considerations the next most important thing is the durability of your equipment, which breaks at the most inopportune times. The level of detail and pacing in this game is more remenicient of a old-school PC RPG than a console action game.

In the end I'd say that this game is not for everyone. it's definitely got an audience, and if you like deep, thoughtful tactical RPGs with a slow pacing and minimal story line but lots of exploration and atmosphere, you will like Shadow Tower. If you like the Souls games, and can adjust to the Kings Field play style, you will also probably like Shadow Tower. If you like Skyrim you will not like Shadow Tower, and if you like Modern Warfare you are probably lost and should just click the back button on your browser.

This game gets points for giving a hint of the greatness to come, but it's hard to give this game a general recommendation outside of the specific audience described above.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Must have for First Person RPG FansMay 11, 2008
By Matthew Siebert "Ms"
Anyone who buys this game because it's marketed as an RPG is going to hate it. This is not a turn based RPG like final fantasy but a real time RPG. The best description of this is a First Person Shooter with swords instead of guns.... And a very slow pace. If your new to this type of game RENT IT FIRST.

People who know and love King's Field, as I do, will love this game. There are three complaints about this game compared to King's Field
1. Poor graphics
2. absence of music
3. NO MAPS
4. weapons break
5. "This is nothing like final fantasy"

My personal opinion
I didn't even notice the lack of music until I read about it in reviews as a common complaint, the focus to me is listening for new monsters to kill as they materialize out of nowhere. The graphics are also fine to me, but I still play games from the 90's on a regular basis.

The absence of maps and breakable weapons makes this game more challenging than it would be otherwise, but again, I think people exaggerate the difficulty. Its more than possible to beat this game without using any stat points.

Lastly, this isn't Final Fantasy, its not even close. If you like Final Fantasy it doesn't mean you'll like this (personally I like both). These are two very different games.

This game (to me) is a great game and one of the only 5 of its kind we currently have in North America along with Eternal Ring and the Kings Field Trilogy.

7 of 10 found the following review helpful:

Give this Game a Chance!Aug 17, 2000

I've played all the playstation games, and this was by far the best of them all. Although I never thought it possible, this game is actually better than the classics, King's Field and King's Field II. Even though it's a very long, involved game, I wish it was MUCH MUCH longer. Sure, some things could have been improved, such as the dialog and having more choices at the shop, but these are VERY minor drawbacks compared to the heart-pounding thrill of entering each level, not knowing who or what's going to come at you or where to turn. Also, I'll admit that many of the enemies could have been made powerful and cunning, but again, this game plays great, plain and simple. Buy it, and give it a chance!

6 of 13 found the following review helpful:

Terrible Remake of "King's Field"Feb 10, 2000

I've played King's Field 1 and 2, and the Games was realy fantastic games with wonderful Sound, near a real Movie. And I've buy the new Game "Shadow Tower". The Graphic is terrible, tedious, only new Monster and great Dungeons. No, NOT 5 STAR'S. This Game is simply bad. The Graphic have more Pixel than Tomb Raider, and this in a Game from 1998/1999. I'm in the fifth Level - all only in Underground. "Shadow Tower" is an disappointment.

See all 7 customer reviews on Amazon.com