Action roguelites come in many shapes and sizes. More often than not, it’s just you against the world, fighting your way through hordes of enemies. But what if you aren’t alone on your quest? In Brownies Inc.’s Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, you are joined by a support character on your journey. Can you form an unstoppable team and stop Magatsu from taking over the world?
The Sword and the Staff
In Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, you find yourself in the peaceful village of Shinju. However, the world is about to be conquered by the evil Magatsu and his Magaori, and it is your job to stop them as Towa. You won’t be alone on your quest, though. Aiding you are the eight Prayer Children: These eight heroes are untouched by time and have vowed to protect the village from the looming threat.
The game takes the form of an action roguelite. At the start of each run, you choose two of the eight Prayer Children and assign them one of two roles: Tsuguri (sword) or Kagura (staff).
The Tsuguri is the physical attacker of your party. As the name suggests, they will mostly use sword-based attacks. The Tsuguri has two blades at their disposal. You can switch between them at the push of a button and will need to do so frequently, as they each have a durability meter. Each Prayer Child has a signature move tied to each sword. Take Mitsuri, my favourite Tsuguri during this preview testing, for example. One of her attacks was a flurry of blows, while the other was a dive attack targeting a zone on the field. Once you have attacked enough, a bar on the bottom left of the screen will fill up. Once it is fully charged, you can unleash a finishing move. This can be anything from a massive blow in front of the character to launching projectiles. It’s great fun to try out different characters and see which attacking style suits you best.
However, there is also the mage of your party: the Kagura. Like the Tsuguri, each Kagura has access to two support moves, either offensive or defensive. Take Mitsumi’s brother Bampuku, for example. He can either summon three floating lightning orbs, or smash enemies with a giant floating fist. Both the Tsuguri and the Kagura are default companions, so choose your favourite two and mix and match to find your perfect team. Do you want to push damage and go for full offence, or do you prefer choosing a Kagura with more health and a barrier move?
Village life
But the game wouldn’t be called that without the daughter of the gods herself: Towa. She plays a supporting role, helping the eight Prayer Children. Between quests, she can interact with the villagers of Shinju Village, trading the items that the Prayer Children found on their journeys for upgrades. While most aspects of village life are presented in the form of easily navigable menus, the weapon forging is presented as a minigame. In the forge, you must complete a series of challenges involving timing button inputs or remembering sequences to create the perfect sword. Your performance will influence the durability of your katana and thus the number of stat points you can allocate to the weapon during the sharpening process. Those who don’t want to play this minigame needn’t worry! You can always choose the Smith option and let Tanzo, the village blacksmith, do the forging for you. Sword enthusiasts will be pleased to know that you can customise the shape, colour and name of your blade.
Every villager, even those who don’t have a “real” function within the game’s fighting mechanics, has a story to tell. So keep your eyes and ears open for someone who wants to talk to you. You’ll want to protect them even more.
A world of light and dark.
It would be a shame to preview this game without talking about its presentation. The world is beautifully animated in what I would describe as isometric 3D, despite the promotional material stating that it is 2D. Every character is voiced and has a distinctive portrait. And it’s not just Towa and the Prayer Children. Every villager is unique, with a subtle (or not so subtle) nod to Japanese folklore in their design. You will be delighted to see recognisable elements ranging from a koi fish and a shiba (or akita) inu to origami and architecture. Japanese culture has permeated all facets of mainstream culture in recent years, so it’s only natural that a Japanese team would take full advantage of this. However, it doesn’t feel forced; it’s a clear artistic choice.
For those interested in playing Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, the wait is almost over. Brownie Inc. has teamed up with Bandai Namco, and the game is set to be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Steam on September 19th. If you can’t wait, be sure to check out the demo on your preferred platform.
