Toren Reviews
'Toren's artistic approach is marred by finicky controls, a troublesome camera, and gameplay that feels more like small proofs of concept than a cohesive product.
Toren is a good story that suffers in the telling, with simplistic platforming that's hampered by a sloppy camera and controls.
Toren shoots for the moon but lands nowhere special.
Toren is very rough-around-the-edges, but there is some charm during the few hours it lasts. The stylized aesthetic and narrative take the best parts from fables and mythology, giving them a poignant sense of presence.
A beautiful and thought provoking exploration into so many different ideas on life, which can be completed in one joyous, yet bewildering, sitting.
Toren's weak central mechanics, repetitive action, and overall bugginess are mitigated somewhat by its engaging mood and direction.
Toren is a very cool concept that's held back by its rough presentation, especially on the PC platform. Truth be told though, I think developer Swordtales should keep making games and simply refine its touch, as the studio clearly has the knack for it.
Toren is an experience that's worth at least one run. Then, it gets put up on a shelf like a nice book, where it ends up disappearing alongside the other novels.
There's nothing majorly wrong with Toren. Although barren, its gameplay systems operate well enough, going hand-in-hand with developer Swordtales' minimalist approach. That said, mechanically, it fails to do anything that truly immerses players any more than the game's pretty visuals.
Regardless of my complaints, Toren still successfully brings home an intriguing experience, rife with beauty and intrigue. Its technical merits or lack thereof may frustrate some, but I feel no worse for wear. If you're looking for a short, colorful adventure to entertain you for a few hours, it's hard to go wrong here. Just watch your step.
Toren felt like it was just trying to check things off of a "how to make a video game" checklist. Monsters? Check. Armor? Check. Jump button? Check. Scrolls? Check. A dragon? Check. Platforming? Check. Varied environments? Check. I could go on, but I'll spare you. Each of these things were only half thought out and glued together haphazardly. No thought was given to creating an enjoyable experience that uses all elements of a video game to form something incredible. There's a good game hiding deep down inside Toren, but it missed the mark in almost all ways and failed to fully realize any of its ideas, leaving it as much less of an experience than it should have been.
The game is beautiful in many aspects, but with multiple glitches, slightly broken mechanics, short play time ,and performance issues, it is hard for me to say pick it up at full price. In fact, I would say give this game a shot once it goes on sale. Until then, hold off on this rather unique title.
Boasting some superb art design and fun battle/puzzles mash-ups, Toren is a worthwhile experience let down by some shoddy combat and bugs.
Terrible textures aside, there's a beauty to Toren's art and audio direction that's worth beholding. The problem is that outside of these assets, Swordtales' two hour adventure falls short. A plethora of technical problems and uninteresting level design win out over the positive aspects, and this experience is below par as a consequence. Listen and look at it by all means – just try to avoid actually playing it.
For now, Toren is suited for someone looking for a story-centric game for the weekend, a younger audience looking for an easier game, or anyone looking at getting into game design. This game is a great example of what you can hope to accomplish early on, and should act as a great portfolio piece for anyone involved. It's worth the $11 though just barely, and will delight anyone looking for a great art style to enjoy as they sort of mindlessly solve simple problems.
Because it's such a small game, there isn't all that much to it; it's not a game with something for everyone. Still, even if you're interested, remember that the game is only two hours long, even though it's a very focused two hours, some people may feel they have overpaid for the amount of content they are given.
Despite some strong world design and a compelling soundtrack, Toren just can't keep up with the other great platformers on the market, even from the previous generation. The miserable visuals, combined with technical problems and loose gameplay, leave this journey coming up way short – and making us wish that The Last Guardian would surface sooner rather than later.
Toren has great style and a compelling story to tell. Though it's dragged down by its gameplay, it's still far more than worth the asking price for the experience it offers.
Toren is a short but sweet game about growing up, climbing towers, and fighting dragons, all shrouded in symbolism and cosmic metaphors. While it has its flaws - including a noticeably limited playtime - it's an incredibly unique outing from Swordtales that's well worth playing.
Toren won't appeal to everyone, obviously, but creates a wonderfully moody and magical atmospheric vibe that few games achieve.