Praise the sun, for it’s the only thing to keep back Metnal and his goons in Towaga: Among Shadows on the Switch. That’s right: I called them goons, and I ain’t afraid – light will prevail, and with Chimù at the helm, there’s nothing to worry about.
As touched upon before, the graphical approach is on par with animation classics such as Samurai Jack. If you’re from that era, the initial appearance might have you shedding a tear or joy or awe that anyone could make such a gorgeous-looking game.
The controls in the game are as tight as a tiger, and it could be said that Towaga: Among Shadows, from Sunnyside Games (Nocturnal 2) and Noodlecake Studios (Sacre Bleu), has all the traits of an arcade classic. Simplicity is the order of the day, as that is often the appeal of these games. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a mobile port – to some degree, it is, but it belongs on the Switch like gin is to juice.
The entire backstory and premise make Towaga: Among Shadows feel like a companion piece to a popular TV series. In fact, pulling my best constipated Columbo face, I did some extensive research (Google searched a couple of pages) to see if this was a show I missed. Nope; pure unadulterated IP. That means intellectual property, I saw it on Law & Order.
Primarily, their attacks will come from the ground where Chimù is fixed to the ground and has to hold them off. Then, getting to the penultimate phase of each area, the battle takes to the skies, giving a bit more free rein, and you can fly about in the air, zapping baddies.
While you can’t move from your position, there’s a 360º area to form your offensive, that is, wiggling the right stick. This offers pinpoint accuracy, and a continuous light beam will leave your palms, wiping out the lesser minions. There are also six spells, which provide breathing space to take out a smaller wave of shadows – using the ZL button.
For the sky sections, you use the same beam, but no magic (unless doing the survival sections). Instead, the left stick is used to move around, but it’s purely for evasion, not sightseeing, as nothing exciting is going on in the background.
Towaga: Among Shadows is a bit stingy with shards, so the best way to power up is through the additional modes available, but if you’re having difficulty, there’s an assist mode that makes the story part of the game a breeze.
Survival mode is good. There are two variants: one section for fighting atop one of the pyramids on the ground, the second in the air. The latter is perhaps the easier of the two, and for the die-hards, The Void Realm is a nightmare mode. There are only 20 phases, but your power is significantly reduced, so this is perhaps best left until you’re getting some respectable scores in the survival sections.
When I first started playing it, I was pleased to be climbing the ranks quite quickly, but as the game got more popular, so came the better scores, and it wasn’t long before I dropped into the pool of mediocrity.
That said, it didn’t remotely deter my experience as there’s something addictive and competitive about Towaga: Among Shadows that guarantees another attempt to better your score.
While the story isn’t the driving force, the additional dialogue pieces and the wealth of characters that you can go back and examine in the codex add to the package. This is a game that I foresee will be a go-to whenever I want something quick and measurable when it comes to getting better scores.
