'Toren' Review Roundup: Delightful Visuals Fail to Save Game From its Defects, Critics Say

In the coming-of-age game "Toren" that was released this week for the PS4 and PC, critics acknowledged the "moments of cuteness" in the first adventure game from Brazilian indie developer Swordtales but said these weren't enough to cover for its innumerable defects.

This leaves gamers with nothing memorable or interesting to remember after playing the game, they said.

In its review of "Toren," ArsTechnica said the premise of the game is simple: It involves a young girl named Moonchild who is born in a tower and has to climb it to kill a dangerous dragon. She is doomed to be reborn in the tower until she accomplishes this task.

As she ascends the tower, the reviewer said Moonchild has to hurdle several challenges including slaying of beasts, platforming and puzzle solving. Moonchild also gets a sword in the game, but bizarrely she does not get to use it often. The review said the game is littered with bad controls and puzzles that repeat. This does not encourage gamers to play the game a second time, the review added.

Nonetheless, the game also has positive points including a unique look and interesting but simple narrative, the review said.

"Toren" was described by GameSpot as "infuriating," especially when Moonchild has to trace a path with sand in a dream. This is repeated often and gamers can easily lose their way in this particular challenge as the controls are not good, the GameSpot review said. It noted a number of flaws in the game, one of which results in Moonchild disappearing through floors or her body freezing.

On the plus side however, the reviewer said the game is filled with delightful visuals and occasional "flashes of something special."

Gamerant, in its review, said "Toren" has a number of great ideas but these were not focused on, resulting in the game not being "memorable or impressive." It said one of the main faults in the game is its narrative which lacks clarity and provides little direction to the player.