Pandora's Tower scores 7/10 in the verdict of The Games Market editorial team.
Once Upon a Time
Fight for Your Love! Pandora's Tower Limited Edition (Wii)
by Simon Larocca·December 19, 2023
Fin from its first appearance, the Nintendo Wii has shown that it can keep up with rivals with clearly superior graphics power, sublimating what is perhaps one of the greatest talents of the Kyoto-based company: the ability to make any kind of video game player passionate about its titles, even the most eccentric ones or those with a distinctly Eastern style.
When it comes to RPGs, the people of the Land of the Rising Sun have always shown themselves to be rather strict when it comes to atmospheres, gameplay mechanics, and the tone of storylines: Pandora's Tower, one of the last major role-playing games released for the Switch's grandmother, is at the same time both confirmation and exception to this golden rule.
Someone has called it the swan song of the Wii, and perhaps they are not entirely wrong: the game was released in 2012 and, as all video game enthusiasts know, that was also the year in which Nintendo’s new console, the Wii U, saw the light of day, destined to divide public opinion and which in effect retired its predecessor.
Pandora's Tower however managed to motivate Wii users not to abandon the "old" console altogether: a fast-paced gameplay and perfectly rendered combat thanks to the graphics engine squeezed like a juicy fruit, now ripe but still capable of giving a lot, as it proved.
The Limited Edition, moreover, presented itself to the world adorned with an elegant case that can only tempt any collector worthy of the name.
The plot is centered almost exclusively on the relationship that develops between Aeron, the hero we will play as, and Elena, a female character crafted with a certain care, much like the protagonist, plagued by a curse that will turn her into a monster for eternity, in a land torn apart by wars, millennia-old rivalries, and armies armed to the teeth.
Il focus of the story, as I was telling you, places its attentive eye on the two young lovers: in order to save her from the sad fate that awaits her, Aeron chooses to embark on a desperate mission, entering a tower dotted with enemies and rather labyrinthine dungeons, to be honest, in order to defeat creatures called Magister and whose flesh (and here comes the cannibalistic part!) can cure the curse that is poisoning poor Elena’s body and soul.
Together, the two will have to make their way through a very particular setting, the levels are structured excellently and the combat, in its openly Action-oriented form, will satisfy even the most discerning tastes.
The game also makes use of a whole series of multiple endings, unlockable depending on the behavior you maintain in the game, and I won't reveal anything else so as not to spoil the experience of your personalized adventure: I managed to see only a couple of them, unfortunately, so it will be up to you to do better than me!
I absolutely loved the hybridization between "role-playing game" and "action adventure" in Pandora's Tower, I have to admit it. Getting lost in the labyrinth of tunnels, corridors, and gigantic rooms in the game left me speechless, literally, giving me definitive confirmation of just how much Pandora's Tower Limited Edition is a truly outsized title, absolutely essential for anyone who devours role-playing and fantasy games for breakfast.
7
Pro
A rather original concept, for the genre itself
Curious hybrid between RPG and action game, the result is a fun milestone for the Wii
Graphically good, considering the power of the reference machine
Contro
A story centered on only two characters, somewhat limiting in terms of narrative development
Perhaps too hardcore for classic role-playing gamers, and too role-playing for strongly hardcore gamers
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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