Tower of Fantasy

Tower of Fantasy

Embarking on the intriguing journey of 'The Wanderer', Tower of Fantasy introduces players to the compelling narrative of a wanderer lost from their twin in the beginning, only to find themselves amidst a struggling human colony on the planet Aida. The planet echoes the aftermath of a near-human extinction caused by the overexploitation of an invaluable resource called Omnium. As alliances on Aida wrestle over Omnium's curse or boon, players form bonds with Zeke and Shirili and commence a gripping exploration into Aida's tumultuous politics.

Unraveling the Narrative Webs

While the storyline underpins a gripping backdrop, the narrative starts to unravel almost instantly. Meeting Zeke and Shirili introduces a rapid influx of characters and information, often too brisk to form an emotional bond or make sense of the daunting details. With the storyline's key turning points marred by mediocre writing and concluding with monotonous details, the narrative often loses traction.

The Aesthetical Falls

A crucial aspect of dropping the ball is the game's presentation, which is laden with irregular voice acting and peculiar animations. Even in the pivotal cutscenes, the voice modulation vacillates between overly dramatic and lackluster. These scenes are further marred by unnatural character movements and awkward interaction instances, making these sequences a hurdle to cross for further quest progression.

The Combat Duels

Offering a ray of hope, the combat framework appears promising initially but gradually aligns with the narrative's shallowness. With a choice of three weapons at disposal, each possessing unique elemental strengths, Tower of Fantasy has an appealing overtone. The slow-motion sequences and unique combat talents brought by a well-charged weapon make the battles seem fascinating. However, the trivial enemy fights and monotonous boss battles shatter this illusion swiftly, undermining the potential of the established combat mechanics.

Constraining Boundaries

One of Tower of Fantasy's main drawbacks is the stringent time limitations on its gameplay content. Progressing through the storyline and accessing locked chests or level caps are all controlled by specified time frames, hampering the smooth gaming experience. The process of stumbling on a new chest, only to be delayed by a 2-day countdown, can be disheartening for players and severely undermines the exploratory delight the game's aesthetically pleasing world offers.

The Gacha Axle

Having a mixed approach to its monetization scheme, Tower of Fantasy neither wholly discourages free play nor completely promotes paid progress. The storyline doesn't necessarily bless players with impressive weapons, and high-grade items are rather difficult to stumble upon. Regardless, as long as upgrades are maintained, a player can cruise through the PvE content comfortably. The bias appears predominantly in PvP combat, where players investing in weapons inevitably gain a strategic advantage, diluting the gaming authenticity for non-paying gamers.

The Verdict

In a nutshell, Tower of Fantasy, despite being a visually appealing MMO, fails to impress with its inconsistent narrative, flawed game presentation, and unfulfilling combat system. It compensates minimally with its expansive character creation tools and mesmerizing open-world exploration, often dampened due to the dominative time-gating feature. An undefinable stiffness plagues the game, making long-term engagement a challenge.