Save the Bride at the Cost of Sanity: Twisted Tower Review

Twisted Tower has a unique and distinct visual style. Its mechanics and environmental elements are reminiscent of the BioShock series, while the "weirdness" in the plot brings to mind the cult 1995 TV series "Goosebumps". What happens if you mix them? Find out in this review.

Visiting a Madman

An ordinary guy named Vincent had a great evening. He invited a girl named Charlotte to watch her favorite movie, Twisted Tower. There, he proposed to her, and she said, "Yes!"

The next day, Charlotte was kidnapped. The kidnapper was Mr. Twister, an eccentric director who made Twisted Tower. With the money he earned, Mr. Twister founded a local version of Disneyland, also called "Twisted Tower," after his movie.

Mr. Twister's subsequent career did not go well. His new films were not liked by critics and audiences, and the Twisted Tower fell into disrepair. Madness or the director's artistic vision prompted him to repeat the success of his first film. For this, he kidnapped Charlotte.

Now Vincent must navigate the Tower's confusing layout and climb to the top, where his beloved awaits him. His path is blocked by an army of armed amusement park workers who also possess supernatural abilities.

Twisted Tower

The amusement park fully lives up to its name: the Twisted Tower defies all laws of physics and moves with the hero. It is divided into levels: a hotel, a water park, a casino, a carnival, and a space station. Each section looks dilapidated and abandoned, which enhances the fear and tension experienced.

The space in the rooms can be changed. Various buttons open doors, move stairs, and rotate the rooms themselves. Some levels are traversed by running on the floor, while others are on the ceiling. At the end of the levels, you can find convenient shortcuts, and in hidden corners, secrets with resources.

Ammunition and tickets, the local currency, are scattered throughout the levels. It's eerie and strange that you can find Vincent's letters and recordings of his conversations with Charlotte, as the text of the letters is voiced by the characters who wrote them. As if this has happened before. Alas, Vincent does not comment on what he reads or the madness happening around him.

For completing levels, Mr. Twister rewards new movement abilities: a grappling hook, an air dash, and a double jump. But even without them, Vincent is fast and agile. He can climb into the most unexpected places and get stuck there – which is exactly what happened to me once.

After completing the game, "New Game+" unlocks. You have to start the game without abilities, but with all collected weapons and upgrades. The Tower's layout changes slightly, but the order of appearance and strength of enemies remain the same – with the full arsenal at the beginning, the terrifying horror turns into a fun shooter.

Armed with Toys

Visually and in feel, the weapons resemble the arsenal from BioShock, but with the Twisted Tower twist. Enemies are eliminated with a wooden hammer, toy pistol, assault rifle, and shotgun. There are more exotic weapons: a blaster or a sniper slingshot.

Upgrades can be purchased with tickets: power, rate of fire, and ammunition capacity are increased. You can buy an alternative fire mode – a triple shot from a pistol or homing projectiles for a cannon. The most fun way to earn tickets is by headshots with a revolver. Alas, the appearance of weapons does not change with upgrades, as it did in BioShock 1 or 2.

The hero is opposed by mascots in animal masks. They are not very smart, but they run fast, jump high, and shoot accurately. There are ordinary enemies and their comrades with superpowers who can teleport or protect comrades with shields. The only drawback during battles: in arenas, you have to wait until new batches of enemies appear out of thin air.

For the review, I played the game on medium difficulty, which is perfectly balanced: enemies die quickly, but they also hit hard. Global battles consume almost all ammunition and first aid kits in the form of food, making you nervous until you find new ones. But on a replay, tickets can be safely spent on ammunition, and you can feel comfortable.

Verdict

Twisted Tower perfectly creates the illusion of unreality. The changing environment, creepy enemies, and strange weapons make you feel like you're in a delusional dream. The ability to interact with the environment complements the amusement park atmosphere: playing arcade games, using the toilet, sink, and shower, throwing feces. Alas, you can't kill with objects – I checked.

The game is well optimized, and the only drawbacks are rare crooked textures. Otherwise, the playthrough leaves only positive emotions: it's easy and convenient to navigate the terrain, each weapon is pleasant to use, enemies make you sweat, and they are easy to distinguish against the general background.

The plot and characters are interesting, but the game itself is very cruel. The main character is shown as a kind, though not very clever, person. And it breaks your heart how terribly his family and friends treat him.