Tower Hunter: Erza’s Trial

A fun platformer/metroidvania game with fighting game-like combos for attacks. Get as far as you can during a tower run, and if you die, you start over from the village. Skill ups from spent crystals are retained though. If you enjoy challenge runs as I do, this will fit the bill. Nice character designs with a lighthearted story.

the game has a kind of trashy vibe, but it’s fun. the style is similar to a grand chase metroidvania. it does get pretty repetitive, so I recommend grabbing it on sale

Tower Hunter: Erza's Trial is a 2.5D side-scrolling action game developed and published by IceSitruuna, offering a blend of roguelike mechanics and Metroidvania exploration. Released in October 2019, the game presents players with a challenging journey through a mysterious tower, embodying the tale of Erza, a battle maiden bound by a demon's contract that grants her multiple lives upon death. This unique premise sets the stage for a gameplay experience that is both engaging and, at times, frustrating.
The game's visual style is characterized by its toon-rendered graphics, providing a colorful and vibrant aesthetic that contrasts with the often dark and perilous environments of the tower. This artistic choice contributes to a distinctive atmosphere, though some players have noted that the level design can feel disjointed and occasionally nonsensical. For instance, there are reports of shops appearing in illogical locations and secret areas that are marked on the map but lead to empty spaces, which can detract from the immersion and flow of exploration.
Combat in Tower Hunter is fast-paced and relies heavily on player skill. Each weapon offers unique combos and magical abilities, allowing for a variety of playstyles. The dodge mechanic is crucial, enabling players to avoid attacks and maintain offensive pressure. However, some players have expressed concerns about the responsiveness of controls, particularly regarding skill animations that have a noticeable wind-up time, making them difficult to execute effectively in the heat of battle. Additionally, the inability to deflect enemy projectiles with weapons has been pointed out as a missed opportunity to enhance combat depth.
The game's roguelike elements introduce a high level of difficulty, with each death sending Erza back to the beginning of the tower. While this design choice emphasizes the importance of skill and strategy, it can also lead to frustration due to the game's length. With over six levels, each comprising two extensive sections and culminating in a boss fight, progress can feel slow, and setbacks are punishing. This structure has led some players to compare the game unfavorably to titles like Dead Cells, citing longer levels and less fluid progression.
The soundtrack, while generally enjoyable, has been noted for its repetitiveness. With long levels and limited musical variety, the tracks can become tiresome over extended play sessions. Additionally, some technical issues have been reported, including problems with stereo sound effects and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.
In terms of narrative, Tower Hunter presents a story that is both intriguing and occasionally perplexing. The English translation has been criticized for its awkward phrasing and occasional nonsensical dialogue, which can hinder the player's understanding and immersion. Despite these issues, the core gameplay loop remains compelling, with the promise of unlocking new abilities and progressing through the tower serving as strong motivators.
Overall, Tower Hunter: Erza's Trial offers a challenging and engaging experience for players who appreciate difficulty and exploration. While it has its flaws, including control responsiveness, level design inconsistencies, and technical issues, the game's unique premise and gameplay mechanics provide a solid foundation. For those seeking a game that tests skill and perseverance, Tower Hunter presents a worthwhile, albeit imperfect, adventure.
Rating: 7/10

It gets way difficult after some time, difficult as it almost feels its unfair.
But I genuinely enjoyed what I played.

Seems fun enough.
Setting is neat though doesn't seem super important.
Combat system feels a bit more like a fighting game than I was expecting overall it's fun but not super amazing.
You have decent amount of options for what stats and abilities to upgrade and get to decide for yourself what upgrades are good.
While you can configure some of the keyboard controls there are several fixed keybinds that you'll need to use, mainly enter key but also map zooming and moving.
Speaking of map, the way it gets mapped could be better often ceiling of a hallway or room remains unmapped unless you bother to jump right into the ceiling. Also sometimes the levels get constructed in a way that makes you think there must be some secret way to get further or find something at a dead end but sometimes there just isn't anything.
Wasn't sure what would happen when exiting the game mid run and was happy to realize that it does save and resumes you where you were at, I suppose there's a good reason why most games say something along the lines of save and quit.

You can get this for next to nothing. Its not a great gaym, but it is fun. Its a roguelite level based waifu fighter. Its enemy veriety is lacking, items are terribly limited and overall presentation is just meh. There really isnt much of a story either. Yet, at the price point on sale, its at least 10 hours of decent fun for a low price. I put on a movie and just run around. But it really does not come close to a Dead Cells or a Astral Ascent...

Bought this because it was on sale for $1.75 and I own Frontier Hunter on ps5 and you know what, not too bad. If you like dead cells it's very similar. Some translation/localization errors but other than that it's a good time. combat is wicked fun and the music slaps. oh and I don't know if it's everyone but the games really dark and there's no brightness setting. Had to use nvidia overlay game filters to brighten the image.