‘Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree' Carves Bold Addition To Rogue-Like Genre With Weapon-Switching Focus
Replayability, procedural generation and non-linear progression – these are the core pillars of rogue-likes, a subgenre of role-playing games (RPG) often lauded for creating unique and unpredictable experiences with every 'run', the term used to describe each playthrough of the game, where death means starting over almost from scratch.
With the roguelike genre dominated by titles that have perfected the formula, like Hades or The Binding of Isaac , what more can newcomers bring to the table that hasn't already been done countless times before? For publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment and developer Brownies Inc., their answer lies in Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree , an upcoming 2D action roguelike oozing with charm and visual flair, and most importantly, offers a refreshing take on the traditional hack-and-slash format with its heavy emphasis on weapon durability and hot-swapping.
Over the course of a roughly half-hour gameplay preview session, we were able to experience a taste of what's in store for the ambitious title, and after trying out its innovative combat mechanics, left with an eager yearning for more.
As a studio known for turn-based RPGs like the Egglia franchise, or relaxing farming simulators like 2019's Doraemon Story of Seasons , Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree marks a bold departure for Brownies Inc., not only due to a shift in genre, but also the overall intensity of moment-to-moment gameplay.
This intensity isn't immediately apparent from the get-go, as the game presents a similar cutesy visual aesthetic seen in the studio's past titles, with heavily stylised designs for characters and environments alike. Players take on the role of Towa, the priestess of the fictional Shinju Village, who is tasked with gathering eight trustworthy companions, known as Guardians, as they embark on a quest to defeat Magatsu, an evil god who threatens to consume the land with his dark miasma and armies of creatures known as Magaori.
Unlike traditional roguelikes, though, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree features an overarching narrative that's directly influenced by the completion of runs, with the inclusion of a unique time-progression mechanic.
Due to Magatsu, time has come to a complete standstill in Shinju Village, with players needing to complete runs to progress the game's main plot. 'Once you defeat the final boss in each run, the village's time progression will be altered, constantly progressing with each run cleared,' explains game director Shuhei Yamashita in an accompanying interview session with Geek Culture and other Southeast Asian media.
'This is one of the unique essences of the title, as not only will each run feature multiple paths to choose from, but clearing them will directly affect the game's storyline and push its narrative forward.'
The essence of any rogue-like lies not only in its procedural runs but in the core combat mechanics that tie everything together. In Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree , players don't venture on runs alone, but always in groups of two. Furthermore, Towa might be the game's protagonist, but she doesn't actually embark on runs, instead leaving it up to her eight companions.
Players have a choice between two of the eight playable Guardians, each with their own distinct visual style and backstories to discover. Take Nishiki, for example, a towering humanoid Koi fish who laughably loves eating seafood and can't swim despite his appearance, or Origami, a woman who, like her namesake, wears a giant Origami boat as a hat, and Bampuku, a giant bipedal Shiba Inu who's the definition of the word huggable. Interestingly, the wacky designs of some of the Guardians weren't an idea inspired by other games, media or folklore, but rather the creations of Yamashita himself.
'We did want to make strange and interesting characters for the game, and we thought it was a good idea to make them stand out a little bit. I designed the looks of Nishiki, Origami and Towa, and it doesn't matter if they look strange, I mean, there are eight characters, so why not make some of them look a little weirder?'
It's not only looks that set the Guardians apart, as each also possesses unique movesets and abilities to mix and match. Players will take two Guardians across each run, one taking on the role of 'Tsuguri', the main damage dealer wielding two swords, and the other a 'Kagura', a supporting role which offers a choice of two spells, each bound to a trigger button.
Once a run begins, players will encounter the traditional rogue-like format of progressing through procedurally generated instances, choosing different paths with varying rewards along the way. What sets the game apart, however, is its focus on themes of duality in its core concepts, as apart from having two characters and their aforementioned roles, hot-swapping between weapons also plays a key part in combat.
No matter the character chosen as the Tsuguri, each will enter battles equipped with two swords, the Honzashi (Main) and the Wakizashi (Sub), with each character possessing unique attack patterns for both: Origami, for example, performs a slow but powerful sweeping attack combo with her Honzashi, while her Wakizashi requires the attack button to be held to charge up a ground slam that deals damage in a straight line. Shingin, a fox-ninja hybrid Guardian, throws his Honzashi forward to attack at range, while his Wakizashi calls down an explosion from the sky at range.
The use of both weapons is tied together by the game's blade sharpening system, which causes the quality of each weapon to degrade with every attack, reducing their effectiveness unless the player performs a 'Quick Draw', a move that causes the character to quickly swap weapons, striking with the new one while simultaniously sharpening the other. Unlike most games with a weapon degradation system, however, both swords lose their sharpness extremely quickly, usually after five or so attacks, making constant weapon-swapping essential and encouraging equal use of both.
With the combination of two swords, two spells, and a final ultimate move known as a 'Fatal Blow' that's unique to each Guardian, combat quickly becomes a dance of utilising everything at each character's disposal while dodging an enemy's telegraphed attacks, resulting in an addictive gameplay flow that's equal parts hectic and engaging.
After clearing each combat encounter, players will receive rewards based on a chosen path, which can range from materials, currency, or a choice of four Graces, run-specific upgrades that can enhance the capabilities of swords and spells, or provide new abilities like a window of invulnerability upon dodging. Instead of combat encounters, players can also choose a path after battle that leads them to a shop to exchange currency for a Grace, or a spring that refills their health. This pattern then repeats until the player reaches the final boss for the run, or until death.
Upon death, runs are reset, which removes all Graces earned, but players will still be able to retain any materials found. These can then be brought back to Shinju Village and used for weapon crafting and ability upgrading for the Guardians, although we were not able to try this out due to the curated nature of the preview. This limitation also extended to the game's time progression narrative, but in theory, these systems will serve to supplement to the game's already solid combat foundations by offering gradual improvements to each character, keeping gameplay engaging even after multiple runs.
Despite the relatively brief preview session, it's clear that Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is an ambitious title for Brownies Inc. There's always something impressive about a team willing to step out of their comfort zone, especially when the resulting game effectively balances familiarity with innovation. This could very well be the next sleeper rogue-like hit, which is impressive considering the project itself was a happy accident of sorts.
'It started with us trying to challenge ourselves with something new,' Yamashita concludes, 'We wanted to start a small project, and thought the rogue-like genre would be a good start. But it ended up becoming bigger than we expected, and now it's a super big project, and we're just bulldozing through it with sheer willpower.'
Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree will launch on 19 September 2025 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Culture
a day ago
- Geek Culture
‘Wind Breaker' Live-Action Film Adaptation Ignites Fighting Spirit In Dec
The fighting spirit that runs in the veins of Furin High School will continue into the silver screen, as a live-action film adaptation of Wind Breaker has been announced. Following the broadcast of the anime's second season finale, a new X/Twitter account opened to share a first-look teaser of the upcoming feature. Kentaro Hagiwara ( Blue Period , Tokyo Ghoul ) directs the project, with Yosuke Masaike ( Anime Supremacy! ) and Yoshitaka Kamo serving as scriptwriter and producer, respectively. Not much else is known, including cast details and story specifics, but it is set to be released in Japanese theatres this December. An accompanying visual was also revealed, as seen below: Based on Satoru Nii's delinquent action manga, Wind Breaker follows Haruka Sakura, who prides himself on being a skilled fighter while growing up as an outcast due to his unconventional appearance and lack of social skills, and his goal to become the best. The anime debut ran from April to June 2024, followed by a second season from April to June 2025. CloverWorks, whose credits include The Promised Neverland , Bocchi the Rock! , and Spy x Family , helmed both seasons, featuring series composition by Hiroshi Seko ( Chainsaw Man ), character designs by Taishi Kawakami, and music by Ryo Takahashi ( SK8 the Infinity ). 'Welcome to Furin High School, an institution infamous for its population of brawny brutes who solve every conflict with a show of strength. Some of the students even formed a group, Bofurin, which protects the town. Haruka Sakura, a first-year student who moved in from out of town, is only interested in one thing: fighting his way to the top,' reads the full synopsis for the series. The Wind Breaker live-action movie hits Japanese cinemas sometime in December. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Wind Breaker Wind Breaker live-action
Geek Culture
2 days ago
- Geek Culture
Hideo Kojima's 'Death Stranding' Animated Film Lands Writer For An Original Story
Announced late last month, Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding animated film adaptation is steadily gaining momentum, with Raised by Wolves writer Aaron Guzikowski signing on to craft its screenplay, which will feature an original story separate from the events of the games. Unlike the franchise's other game-to-screen adaptation, the live-action A24 movie, which is expected to follow the events of game protagonist Sam Porter Bridges, the animated film will journey into unfamiliar territory for fans of Death Stranding , telling a completely original story while still set in the same post-apocalyptic world. Death Stranding (2019) Although specific plot details are still being kept under wraps, the film will be in a similar vein to adult-targeted, animated genre films like the recently released Predator: Killer of Killers Disney+ anthology film. The onboarding of Guzikowski, whose other film credits include the 2013 drama Prisoners and the 2014 TV series The Red Road , was announced by Hideo Kojima's Tokyo and L.A.-based Kojima Productions and L.A.-based animation company Line Mileage. Death Stranding (2019) 'I love the world of Death Stranding , it's so creatively freeing, so beautifully dark and yet hopeful; I'm so excited and honored that Hideo Kojima, whose work I've long admired, has invited me to dwell within his creation, to birth new stories into this fertile, mind-bending universe,' said Guzikowski in a statement, 'Drawing and animation have always been near and dear to my heart, so to finally get to play in this space is a dream come true.' 'As an avid gamer, I can say, unequivocally, Death Stranding is the most cinematic, thought-provoking video game I have ever played,' added Line Mileage CCO Daniel Dominguez, 'Playing it gave me the same emotional rush, visceral punch, and intellectual pleasure I had the first time I watched Blade Runner , or Ghost in the Shell . Adapting it into a form it so naturally evokes is an honour.' Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Death Stranding Death Stranding Animated Film Hideo Kojima
Geek Culture
2 days ago
- Geek Culture
‘Civilization: Eras & Allies' Brings Empire-Building On The Go As The Ultimate 4X Mobile Experience
Ever wanted to be a ruler of an empire? To build a kingdom from nothing but a lone settlement into a sprawling global superpower, gathering resources and training an army big enough to conquer other nations through diplomacy or conquest? The Civilization franchise offers just that power fantasy by perfecting the 4X turn-based strategy formula, allowing players to dominate its digital world utilising the four genre tenets of eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate, rewriting history itself along the way. Now, 2K Games are reimagining the iconic series for mobile with Civilization: Eras & Allies , a free-to-play MMORTS (Massively Multiplayer Online Real-Time Strategy) mobile game built from the ground up for handheld platforms, taking the tried-and-true 4X formula and redefining it in a way that's more accessible for all any yet still engaging for even the most avid Civilization fans. Like the games that came before, the core of Civilization: Eras & Allies lies in the management and evolution of an empire, with players choosing from a wide variety of civilizations like Greece, Egypt, Japan or France, each offering unique advantages tailored to a specific playstyle. Gameplay will instantly feel familiar to any series veteran, centred on exploration to uncover the world map, capturing cities and harvesting resources to research new technologies to build up their nation. What makes the game stand out is its updated leader system, with a player's civilization now consisting of multiple leaders, each in charge of one of their armies and functioning like a commander, possessing their own stats, special abilities and preferred troop line-ups. Players can send their leaders on missions to collect resources, and with over 120 iconic historical figures to unlock, like Cleopatra, El Cid, Oda Nobunaga and Sun Tzu, each with their own traits and skills, with some also able to form hero bonds with other characters, the build possibilities are virtually endless. Once an army is built, players can venture forth into the world, discovering Natural Wonders across the map or even building Ancient Wonders like the Great Pyramids, the Roman Colosseum or Stonehenge through alliances with up to 200 players, harnessing unique powers for their empire, or participate in thrilling turn-based battles against other players as a true test of strategy and wit, reshaping history itself with the ability to engage in epic cross-era battles. Whether it's the armies of Ancient Egypt versus Feudal Japan, or King Richard's forces against Arthur Wellesley's, Civilization: Eras & Allies offers battles that transcend time itself. As a persistent multiplayer title, Civilization: Eras & Allies takes the MMO experience to the next level, with a vast game map shared by thousands of players at once, each undergoing their own quest for expansion. Flanked by others on all sides who might be friend or foe, it's up to the player to decide their path to victory and choose who to build alliances with, forging diplomatic ties and negotiating trades as they navigate the ever-changing landscape of shifting alliances and rivalries. As the cornerstone of the Civilization franchise and what makes it stand out from other 4X titles, eras make a bold return in a fresh new light. In Civilization: Eras & Allies , each era not only brings additional units and upgrades but also new challenges in time-limited seasons. Within each season, players will encounter new adversaries to face and opportunities to refine their tactics, giving them a chance to unlock exclusive rewards and bonuses tailored to their chosen civilization. Once a season ends, each player's civilization then begins anew, opening room for further experimentation with fresh tactics and opportunities to compete for unique rewards. Best of all, players can hop in to experience the journey for themselves, as Civilization: Eras & Allies is out now on the App Store and Google Play. To learn more, visit the official website, and join the conversation on the official community channels: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube & Discord. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
