Shadow Tower

Shadow Tower
Developer(s)	From Software
Publisher(s)	Agetec Inc.
Composer(s)	Kota Hoshino
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Shadow Tower (シャドウタワー, Shadou Tawā) is a first-person view action role-playing game developed by From Software and released in 1998. It shares many similarities with the King's Field series of games. The game has a sequel, Shadow Tower Abyss, released only in Japan for the PlayStation 2.

Story

• Prologue:

The continent Eclipse, here lies the Holy Land of Zepter. In this Holy Land is a sealed tower that is guarded by the kings of surrounding nations, according to the traditions passed down from their ancestors. They whisper a prayer that the disaster will not repeat itself.

It happened a long time ago. A tragedy descended upon the Kingdom of Eclipse, from which the continent drew its name.

There is a crown with a single eye. That terrible gaze, which snuffed out the Kingdom of Eclipse in one night, leaving nothing but a gargantuan hole. A fearsome power that led a prosperous king into total destruction.

Always wearing that crown, the king looked smug. "This crown is the source of our power. It is how we became the Conqueror." So the king would say.

That single eye that glowed so ominously before is now closed and quietly sealed within the tower. It was as if it had fallen into an eternal sleep.

The secrets behind the ancient tragedy will never be known. The peace in the Holy Land of Zeptar looked as through it would last forever. Like it was forgotten that this was accursed soil...

• Story:

The number of "Mercenaries" on the continent has recently increased. They claimed no nation and operated solely for their own gain, making their way by force.

One of those men, Ruus Hardy, set out on a journey in search of a new position. The town of Zeptar was the crossroad of the nations, and there lived the gentle granny who tended the inn. She cared for him back when his career was just beginning. "Guess I'll stop by Granny's for a meal, it's been a long time..." Ruus could see her stern yet kind smile in his mind. He did not know his parents. Hers was the first warmth he had experienced, and he had always drawn strength from that.

But all that greeted Ruus as he came through the woods in the dusk was a mound of rubble. There was no sign of anyone nearby. He caught his breath and looked up at the sky. The tower, always standing so proud,

Was not there. Only the base of the tower remained, looking lonely, as if the entire town had been sucked into the tower's depths.

Ruus, standing there in disbelief, sensed someone approaching and whirled around.

"Who is it!!!?"

An old man dressed in a robe was standing there.

"I am the monk called to guard the tower through the generations, judging from your Long Sword, you must be Wedin, Earl of Marves. How astute of you to discern the situation so quickly."

Ruus was about to tell him he had the wrong man, but the old man continued.

"The souls of those who lived here were consumed, consumed by those in the realm of evil beneath the tower. If their souls are brought back, they could possibly be saved, but my power is not enough to confront the Evil Ones... Several have gone down, but it unlikely that they will return alive. Man-made weapons are useless against Them..." "Time is running out. In just a few days, the door to the darkness beneath the tower will be closed, and those whose souls have been consumed will never be saved. There is no choice but o rely on you. You still have the choice to say no and walk away..."

"And how can the souls be saved?"

The old man answered Ruus' query.

"The souls that were consumed by the Dark Ones are now a part of their power. They can be released by conquering the Dark Ones who trapped the souls. The most important thing is to find the key to restore the souls to their original bodies -- the one-eyed crown. Thereafter you will be guided."

"This is a treasured sword passed down in my family through the generations. They say it is a Dark One's sword... But no one truly knows. Never less, I am certain this sword will be your only hope. Take it with you."

And with that the old man gave him an age-old sword.

"You want me to go down that hole with just this sword?"

Ruus stared down at the unlikely weapon, muttering:

"The 'Dark Ones' spoken of by this monk, so powerful they cannot be conquered by man-made weapons... If I enter this hole, will I ever come back? Wouldn't it be better to tell him he has the wrong man, and run away?"

But then in his mind he saw Granny's smile, and he could taste her good, simple cooking.

Ruus sighed softly, and descended down into the hole beneath the tower.

Gameplay

Shadow Tower uses a one player, one character RPG system. Combat is real-time. It is a dungeon crawler; dungeons are the same each time you play.

Notable features in the game:

• No music.
• Unlike other RPGs, there are no experience levels. Rather your character's stats go up as you defeat enemies. Different enemies raise different stats.
• Equipment has a durability rating and wears down over time. It can be repaired.
• No Automap.

Setting

There are multiple worlds your character visits in the game:

• Human World
• Earth World
• Fire World
• Water World
• Illusion World
• Beast World
• Death World

External links

• GameFAQs link