From the onset, Twisted Tower wears its inspirations on its sleeve, it’s very obviously heavily inspired by the likes of BioShock and that is something I adore. Developed by Atmos Games and published by 3D Realms (yes, that 3D Realms), this is a game that I can’t wait to see more of.
Not Your Everyday Disney Trip
After spending time playing through the demo, all things click into place; the gameplay, story, and atmosphere all scream BioShock in the best ways possible. With a minimum of two playthroughs to see it all, this demo gives me — and anyone who plays it — a taste of what’s to come as we step into the shoes of Tiny, a man on a quest to win treasures beyond your wildest dreams, only to find that your lost love is trapped in the tower at the hands of Mr. Twister.
The gameplay loop sees you blast through warped mascot enemies with upgradable weaponry all thanks to a chap who looks like their face belongs plastered to the machine, with my mind always playing “Welcome to the circus of value” as I look at the upgrades, all for the price of tickets, which you can find plenty of sprawled across the hotel floor or looted off the corpses of those you slain.
Circus Of Value
The game takes place in a 1950s environment following a war. After finding out his love left him for a more well-off man, Tiny finds a ticket to “win treasure beyond measure” at Twisted Tower. Just from playing through the demo, it’s obvious something more is going on here — the foes address the protagonist as if they know him, and while obviously Mr. Twister is that man who his lost love left him for, it’s not clear the motives behind the foe.
Just the little bit of story that we do get is enough to get me invested, and kind of reminds me of the original BioShock with a more forthcoming relationship compared to protagonist Jack and friend-turned-foe Atlas. Its atmosphere also exudes that feeling alongside an abandoned and dystopian Disney World vibe. Almost like Walt Disney had some sick desire to see people’s suffering rather than joy when creating his media empire.
Also, you are encouraged to play the game more than once, with different paths opening up during different playthroughs indicated by blocked areas with a large red X. This, I love, I can enjoy linear games that provide choice, and if Twisted Tower does anything that continues that trend, I’ll be a happy (albeit jumpy) guest.
The graphics are solid and character designs are eerie. I’ll say the Splicers made more of an impact and obviously Disney’s line of characters are more marketable, but these bloodthirsty mascots still have a place in the equation.
Don’t Get It Twisted
Now, while the game itself is solid, this demo did have some… issues. During my first playthrough, I got startled (I know, big baby here) by an enemy in the kitchen and stumbled back into a corner… only to fall through the map. There are some small glitches and oddities that I’m sure will be ironed out of the full release, and luckily they are few and far between.
The rest of my issues with the demo are more personal taste that I can easily see being fixed during the final release if others share my opinions. I find the game’s mixing to be middling; some parts are pretty quiet while others are deafeningly loud. I also think it’s too easy to get tickets, not only can you find some on the fallen enemies, but also scattered around the level, too. Obviously, I don’t hate the collection aspect itself, it’s a solid enough means to get people to explore, but I think finding a tad less tickets would do the game some good in the end as it makes people consider what the best way forward would be rather than finding all the tickets and blowing them on every upgrade for their favorite weapon (Miss Fire, for the win).
Twisted Conclusion
I do think Twisted Tower can make for an amazing remedy for those looking to get that distinctive BioShock brand of unease. It meshes together a confusing yet engaging plot that will no doubt be fleshed out in the five different levels that will come at launch, as well as simple gameplay that makes it an easy game to pick up and play.
Twisted Tower has no set release date, a demo is freely available on Steam.
