In a far-off mystical realm, ancient forces are at work, spreading destruction and corruption in their wake. A brave and willing band of heroes is what the world needs, and in Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, by Brownies Inc., published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, that’s the heroes you’ll become. Mostly, their journey is an epic one.

Towa, the priestess of Shinju Village, works tirelessly to ward off the evil seeking to destroy the village with the spread of miasma by the evil god, Magatsu, and their Magaori demons. To do so, she enlists the help of courageous warriors, and thus, the Guardians of the Sacred Tree were formed to protect it. The “Prayer Children”, as they’re called, are in for a tough fight but an interesting, time-warping one in this hacking and slashing rougelite, all while collecting mana to perform the ultimate ritual.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree plays in a similar style to similar roguelite trends, defeating all enemies within a small area to advance through gates, obtaining various benefits, and facing varying challenges along the way. The hack-and-slash combat is fast-paced and satisfying, but what sets Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree apart is the duo system. Each journey involves heading out with two of the eight Prayer Children. One acts as a “Tsurugi”, the sword, and the “Kagura”, the staff.

Choosing the attacker and the support character is a task within itself, as it involves leveraging each character’s unique combat styles to find the perfect synergy. Having a solid pairing was often the difference between making it through a run and a swift death for my party members. Still, the potential for so many unique combinations of abilities can be a game-changer. If you’re up for a challenging roguelite, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree has that covered.

The game does not hold back in hammering home the importance of a strong team composition, skill allocation, and Graces in achieving success. Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree demand patience, experimentation, and repeated attempts. It’s not just an exercise in skill; it’s a test of endurance.

Progression can be quite slow, and early on in the game, it felt unsatisfying due to this. While there’s a story difficulty as well as a normal mode, both still put up a hefty fight, all the more reason to build up a strong team that can take down the tanky bosses and the smaller riff-raff with massive sweeping fatal blows, which are incredibly satisfying when landing with a stronger set-up.

After a few runs, Towa’s interactions with the villagers open up new ways to upgrade the gang, including gaining abilities at the Dojo, forging weapons, and purchasing resources to improve the next run. The sheer number of ways to buff and boost characters can be overwhelming, but ultimately pays off in the long run and makes the journeys more compelling. If you’re lucky during runs, you can stumble upon stalls to purchase foods for buffs or resources, and rest at the Shinju Springs to boost your attributes.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree feature gorgeous cutscenes with a painterly art style, reminiscent of being read from a scroll. Areas range from the calm, meditative Shinju Village to the vibrant green forests, littered with shrines, shimmering coasts, and more, all presented in an isometric view. Characters are cute and quirky, from the anthropomorphic koi-fish fighter to the short but sassy mages and suave spellcasters.

Enemies’ designs are edgy and engaging, featuring varied attack patterns that reflect quintessential Japanese mythological creatures, especially in the case of bosses, such as a floating snake-esque dragon and a giant octopus. Though visuals are great, audio is just the perfect way to tie the world-building together.

Traditional Japanese instrumentals play during cutscenes and gameplay by composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, known for games like Final Fantasy XII. It’s definitely a recognisable style here; it was the perfect fusion of traditional and epic fantasy vibes needed for Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, especially when transitioning from the serene sounds of the village to the more intense music during boss fights.

The dialogue between characters was surprisingly engaging, with Towa and all the Prayer Children having fully voiced conversations. With eight characters to mix and match, interesting dynamics emerge. Between the pre-journey prep and fireside chats during quiet moments, I was forging the relationships of the characters and making them quite endearing. When Towa converses in the village after each run, numerous dialogue-heavy explanations for mechanics and lore could become tiresome. The quality of the voice acting added a massive amount of charm to both heroes and villagers alike, in a way that I wasn’t expecting but very much appreciated.

Performance was excellent throughout, with no drops and quick load times. The game is best played with a controller and feels significantly better than playing on a mouse and keyboard. Combat inputs are responsive, but hack-and-slashing tactics tend to veer toward button-mashing after a while. Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree offers options for both network play and local co-op. Although I haven’t tested it yet, I can see how having one player focus on attack and another on defence could be more enjoyable than playing as the duo characters, who are effectively tied to each other.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree takes the modern rougelite formula and adds in some traditional Japanese-inspired style. While the mechanics can feel overly complex, progression can feel slow. Still, the game offers sufficient content and an intriguing world that may capture the attention of some roguelite fans seeking a more involved and challenging approach to the genre.

Written by: Yasmin Noble