Twisted Tower [REVIEW] – A Twisted Spin on the Happiest Place on Earth

I absolutely adored BioShock, and when I first saw Twisted Tower – a game that I’ve been following for a long-time thanks to developer Thomas Brush’s social media presence – I was IMMEDIATELY intrigued. A BioShock-like game with a morbid, amusement park twist and plenty of old-school shooting? Yeah, count me. And now, after playing through the adventure (more than once), I’m happy to report that it delivers everything that I could have hoped for.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The setup of Twisted Tower puts players in the role of Vincent, a man whose fiancée Charlotte has been snatched away by a failed yet egotistical movie director who calls himself Mr. Twister. To get her back, you have to fight your way up a decrepit, 1950s-style amusement park tower that bases itself around the movies of the director… think Disneyland but… twisted (kind of fitting). It sounds like a simple ‘damsel in distress’ story on paper, but it makes for a highly engaging premise that manages to perfectly balance a bit of morbid horror with silly comedy, all whilst adding a layer of tension that’ll keep you uneasy at what you might uncover next. Through the likes of vintage posters, letters, audio logs, and some clever environmental storytelling, the layers of the story continually unfold to make for a tale that’ll keep you hooked from start to end. It’s all very BioShock-like in style, but it works wonderfully.

When it comes to the gameplay, Twisted Tower still embraces the aforementioned BioShock influence, but probably feels more like a homage to classic old-school shooters. There is no aiming down sights here: it is all about moving fast, firing from the hip, and managing the absolute chaos on screen, all whilst switching weapons and keeping on top of your ever-changing enemies. The pacing is fantastic, and with a variety of tools to unlock to help you along the way, you’re constantly kept on your toes. Whether sliding across the floor to escape a crowd, zipping to high spots with a grappling hook, or using a pair of wings to unleash a handy air dash, getting around the place always feels great (both IN and OUT of combat).

I think one of the biggest highlights is the wonderfully absurd arsenal you get to play with. You start off with a simple carnival mallet and a rubber band pistol, which fit the cheesy theme park setting perfectly. However, it doesn’t take long before you are wielding a magnum that fires heavy marbles, a sniper-style slingshot, a gatling gun that unleashes bubble gum balls, and a shotgun that literally blasts lethal flatulence to blow the heads off your foes (it’s called the Shart Gun which is just perfect). It sounds entirely ridiculous, and yes, that’s because it is, but these weapons are all incredibly fun to use and bring an abundance of character to Twisted Tower’s already absurd world.

“Twisted Tower is an absolute triumph, bringing together a BioShock vibe with old-school shooting to make for an experience that’ll hook you in from start to end.”

You will definitely need all the firepower you can carry too, because the game throws some completely mental enemies your way. You will be fending off teleporting fire-breathing fish men, armed mascots, killer toy phones that chase you around, and a lion with homing attacks, just to name a few. It’s a wonderful cast of foes that’ll really push your shooting skills as you play, ensuring Twisted Tower is both varied and challenging throughout. Luckily, as you explore the tower, you can collect hidden tickets which can be spent at creepy clown-themed vending machines, with these upgrades allowing you to boost your reload speeds, increase your clip sizes, or add additional fire modes to your weaponry to even the odds.

Twisted Tower’s combat really impressed me, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have some quirks. The game is guilty of sending mobs of foes your way that can become quickly overwhelming, especially later in the game, whilst the aiming system can make it difficult to nail shots on an enemy that is picking you off from afar (I’m talking about you, giraffes). It doesn’t help that the game relies on a checkpoint system that can be a little harsh, meaning a death might force you to replay a tricky wave of enemies all over again. It was never a BIG problem, but even on the normal difficulty, there were plenty of occasions where I felt like the odds were stacked a little too highly against me, making for some frustrating moments.

But hey, it doesn’t outweigh the things that Twisted Tower does well, whilst I haven’t even touched upon some of its light platforming mechanics or its puzzling. Sure, they’re simple in design, but they bring some variety to the fantastic level design to help ensure that exploring the Twisted Tower is always a treat. Plus, the game features a fantastic ‘New Adventure Plus’ mode that lets you keep your gear and opens up previously locked routes, making a second run an absolute must that really does feel different to your first.

Check out some screenshots down below:

A quick word on the presentation of Twisted Tower: I loved it. The whole tower feels like a bargain-bin Disneyland that has been left to rot, and whether you’re wandering through a haunting waterpark, a spooky clown casino (with a little rollercoaster ride to top things off), or even a haunting forest with a funfair, the environments are perfectly designed to look like a… well… knock-off Disneyland that hides some morbid oddities.

Developer: Atmos Games
Publisher: 3D Realms
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed)
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1575990/Twisted_Tower/