Towers II
Move on up with this first Jaguar RPG
By Wes PowellFebruary 1, 1997
Towers II is the first genuine RPG for the Jag. I love RPG's, so
when I first heard about this game, I was very pleased. The screenshots
that I saw looked very good as well. Well, the game's finally been
released, and I'm happy to say that this game is excellent.
The graphics are great. The textures on the wall, floors, and ceilings
are done well. They do get a bit grainy when you're up-close, but just
take a look at Doom....The game has blocky walls, and everyone loves it
(well, most people). The res on the textures is right in-between AvP and
Doom. The frame rate of the game is very good indeed. When I first
started to run around, I said to myself "Whoa!.. This is pretty
fast!"....and it's not choppy, which is extremely important. The screen
bobs up and down like you're really running (i.e. Doom)...and you can
see the weapon that you're carrying moving in and out of the screen to
add some realism.
The enemies are rendered up nicely. They have a smooth and shiny look
from a distance, but the enemies get a bit pixilated when up-close too.
Nothing like the pixelization ya get on AvP, but there is some. There is
some noticeable texture warp...but it's nothing compared to the junk
you'll see on the PSX...in fact, it's barely noticeable.
The animation of the enemies left me wanting a bit more, but at least
there are more than 15 enemies....more than AvP or Doom's put together.
As for special effects, there aren't many. The light textures are
animated, but that's almost a must have. The draw in is a little closer
than what I would have liked, but it works out just fine. When stuff
starts to pop into view, it starts the depth cue, which shades the object
until you get closer. This kinda creates a light sourced look. The music
is done well. There is an into track, an in-game track, and an ending
track. They all sound pretty good. The in-game tune is the one that
really counts, and it doesn't get annoying or repetitive. The track is
really long, and it really counts when you play for long periods of time
(which you will).
The sound effects aren't bad at all either. The slashing of a weapon on
a foe creates a cool cutting sound (sounds like it hurts... hehe). Your
footsteps go left, right, left, right...on the speakers (if ya got
stereo sound), and all the effects are in stereo too. There are a few
digitized effects too...for getting hit, and killed. There are sounds
when an enemy greets you ...and you can hear their footsteps when they
approach unless they fly. I didn't feel that this area was lacking.
The gameplay is excellent...and one of the games strongest points. The
control is a bit hard to grasp onto in the beginning, but like most
games, you'll get the hang of things. You start out with your bare
hands, then work your way up to crossbows, swords, spells, etc. You can
equip your character with boots, armor, helmets, rings, necklaces and
weapons.
You've got a magic bar and a life bar. When these are low, you can go to
sleep and regain mana and energy...that's if your character isn't
hungry. You can be attacked while you sleep, so be sure to clear the
area.
Character interaction is very good. You'll be able to talk to people in
the tower, and you'll often have to go get something and bring it back
to the being in exchange for an important item. When you kill someone,
you'll be able to search-over his/her/it's body for good stuff.
The puzzles in the game are very intricate and well thought-out. You
must pull levers, navigate through series of teleporters, walk on
sensors, solve riddles and even resurrect people! This game has to be
played to be believed.
There is also something unique about this game. On Doom, if you find a
secret door, you'll simply be treated to extra ammo etc....but on this
game, it's essential for making progress, and that definitely keeps you
on your toes.
This game is deep, and will appeal to action gamers and RPG lovers alike!
Towers II Story
It has been several months since we've been in Lamini. The repairs to
our ship are almost complete and the crew's morale is finally on the
rise. We've heard no news on the wars in Airatose, we've heard no news
at all. No information seems to reach or leave this dungeon of an island.
At first, when we ran around, I thought this was paradise. But
having to go through what we have, I would have considered being in one
of Sargon's torture cells, paradise. At the time of the wreck, we were
alive, and that's all that mattered. Now I realize, time soothes the
emotions and things appear as they truly are.
As I've stated before,
there is no information, not just about Airatose, but anything. This
island seems to be cut off from the rest of reality. No one will talk
about anything, besides the current affairs here on Lamini. All the
people of power seem to be extreme wielders of magic and there is no
real outside trade. So how did these mages become so wealthy? There have
been rumors of Lamini's elite guards not returning from a quest.
We've
been asked to see Farale, the new sheriff. We entered Farale's office. A
stout man in his later ages sat behind a desk. We quickly exchange
greetings and he began to speak about a lord named Daggan." Lord Daggan
was once a good man, who held one of the high seats on the council. He
was an avid astronomer, who made many discoveries.
Then one day he
resigned his commission, stating only that his research takes precedents
over any problems we might have. "Strange happenings soon followed.
Mighty explosions were seen at his tower, but when examined, not a trace
of damage. Also, he's been seen excavating bones out of the mystic's
graveyard. When the council inquired about his doings, he flew into a
screaming rage." At that point we knew he had gone mad, and must be
stopped. All knights and sages who held a chair on the Lamini council,
were sent to either make him come to his senses or destroy him. They
never returned."
Several well known thieves were spotted leaving
Daggan's tower with bags full of treasure. We caught and questioned one
of the hoodlums. What he confessed to us was truly amazing. He spoke of
Daggan's guards being very dimwitted and that sneaking around them was
very easy, especially for a man of his talents. He also spoke of strange
beings, the likes that I have never heard. Eyes with large wings that
fly and wield powerful magic. Giant men made out of iron, living fire
and other unnatural beings."
Also inside the tower, just lying around
the floors were the bones and weapons of previous looters who not so
quick for Daggan's guards. Feces from animals that were never picked up.
This is very strange for Daggan, he was normally a very tidy and neat
man. It seems that his tower, which is still in the process of being
built, is falling apart. Normally we wouldn't have believed a word of
what this thief was saying, but it was the way he told his story. You
could just feel the unbelievable truth."
Once again we ask you to help
us with our problems. We feel that sending only one of you in, to stop Daggan, is to our best advantage. He would never expect only one man." The reward offer is very small, but anything you find in Daggan's
tower is yours to keep. When you return, a small keep will be built for
you. Thus you will always have a home in Lamini."
Game Data |
Scores
|
| Title |
Towers II |
Graphics |
85% |
| Publisher |
Telegames |
Sound/Music |
80% |
| Genre |
RPG |
Gameplay |
95% |
| System |
Jaguar |
Control |
N/A% |
|
|
Overall |
88% |
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