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[godsavant]

Alright, now that he's cleaned that mess up, I think I can finally let loose. As those of you who know me on DA are aware (you know who you are), I've spent the past year or so working on a platformer named Tower of God (Tengoku no Tou, amongst you foreign members); it's been a collaborative effort, and evolved from a self-imposed 3-day deadline game into..well, this.
   We've been a bit hesitant to release it on any prominent gaming website thus far (although the download link's been up forever on DeviantArt and, occasionally, IRC), but after our 14th playtest, we decided it was time for a bigger influx of feedback on what we've got atm:

Download Tower of Heaven

(last updated 6/04/09)

Join Eid, a tenacious silent protagonist, on his adventure within the Tower of God, a mysterious monolith that promises glory to those who scale it and death to those who cannot. Collect secrets and conquer obstacles under the jurisdiction of God, rumored to inhabit the tower, and his ever-growing list of rules, which directly govern gameplay and make progress increasingly difficult. Built from scraps of code and animated within three days, Tower of God has spawned a revamped retro graphic style (only 3 colors are ever used) and an epic soundtrack that pays homage to the classic tunes of the Game Boy era.

"I saw the traveler make his way toward the monolith,
That thin gash amidst the clouds;
An open seam between heaven and earth that eluded the Eye of God.

Or perhaps it had not; perhaps it beckoned from one realm
To the other, wedded And ruled as one;
For look how clean it splits the horizon 'twain, absorbs it,
Makes it Strange,
An indomitable beam,
A tower of heaven."

Art, Script & Animation - godsavant
Programming/Level Design/Original Concept - Aski
Music - flashygoodness

& battlerager

[ChevyRay]

Neat game

I don't like UP being jump in games, though... possible to also make a key I can jump with using my left hand? Bit easier to do the precise jumping that way.

I love the concept, and the narrator is just great. I had a good time pissing him off. You did the whole prideful god-persona really well

I'm hoping the room with just the butterfly in is is the last stage? Because if not, then I got stuck there.

[godsavant]

I don't like UP being jump in games, though... possible to also make a key I can jump with using my left hand? Bit easier to do the precise jumping that way.

Yeah, I've been talking to aski about that, he's considering adding it in with the new level, which might involve intense jumping.

I'm hoping the room with just the butterfly in is is the last stage? Because if not, then I got stuck there.

Yes, it's the last. For now.

[andy wolff]

This is super amazing. I see much improvement from an older version I remember playing on DA. Great job with this

is that one level possible where you can't walk left? I certainly couldn't get by it.

[battlerager]

This is super amazing. I see much improvement from an older version I remember playing on DA. Great job with this

is that one level possible where you can't walk left? I certainly couldn't get by it.

[godsavant]

This is super amazing. I see much improvement from an older version I remember playing on DA. Great job with this

Thanks.

is that one level possible where you can't walk left? I certainly couldn't get by it.

YOU STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT 

EDIT:

This is super amazing. I see much improvement from an older version I remember playing on DA. Great job with this

is that one level possible where you can't walk left? I certainly couldn't get by it.

GODDAMNIT BATTLERAGER, NOW EVERYONE KNOWS.

[Annabelle Kennedy]

I really like it!! is it over after you 'cannot touch living things' it seems like a dead end i tried everything..

[professor dead]

really cool game.  the art is just perfect and the premise was entertaining/interesting enough for me to want to play this.  however, what's with the cheap death spikes (the ones that come out of the floor without any hint or sign or reason)?

really awsom game 

[The-Imp]

I played the last demo when you uploaded it a few days ago, it still makes me want to stabs puppies since the last one.

[Melly]

THOUGHTS:

- Nice, cohesive style, with some few neat visuals, like the dark room with arches.
- Nice song.
- Probably better to use another key for jumping, or have both up and another key.
- Platforming is responsive, which is good.
- Cheap spikes with no way to know they're there isn't good. It forces retries and memorization of the level, and doesn't play with the rules concept at all. The player has no way to get past that the first time unless he's clairvoyant. I'd remove them, or give them some kind of telegraphing action.

Game has promise.

[godsavant]

however, what's with the cheap death spikes (the ones that come out of the floor without any hint or sign or reason)?

- Cheap spikes with no way to know they're there isn't good. It forces retries and memorization of the level, and doesn't play with the rules concept at all. The player has no way to get past that the first time unless he's clairvoyant. I'd remove them, or give them some kind of telegraphing action.

Game has promise.

I anticipated this, since we had this discussion on IRC. In fact, there is now a way to tell which blocks have hidden spikes: look at their face patterns. All the spike blocks have a particular face pattern that gives them away.

Come on, we don't want to pamper the player too much.

Oh, and thanks to everybody for the feedback; it's nothing we haven't heard before, but coming from you guys, it has a lot more meaning.

[professor dead]

look at their face patterns.

ah, must have missed that, that's enough to satisfy me 

[sereneworx]

it pisses me off that the blocks have shadows. I always try to jump when I'm not actually on the block anymore.


Good game though. Painfully difficult.

[Nitro Crate]

Really awesome game, though I have no clue how to get past the can't touch life part.

Btw i have to agree with the unfair spikes thing. Other then that it's great. (but i see why you use them at certain points)

Edit: Oh i see, special face patterns.
Edit2: Oh i see, I beat the game.

Well that was actually, really really fun. I especially liked figuring out all the rules. The can't walk left one was clever.

[godsavant]

Okay, the butterfly level is the end of the current demo, I should probably clarify that in OP.

[KniteBlargh]

I expect to be in the credits as one of the original beta testers. 

Just kidding. Just as great as it was the last time I played it buddy. You and your teammates are doing a great job on this. Keep it up!

[null & void]

I find it quite irritating that when I press up and another directional button at roughly the same time, it ignores the jump and just walks me off a cliff/into a red block/etc. otherwise great. Love the color choices.

[Inanimate]

I find it quite irritating that when I press up and another directional button at roughly the same time, it ignores the jump and just walks me off a cliff/into a red block/etc. otherwise great. Love the color choices.

Yeah, or maybe I just suck at it...  I love it, in every way. I just suck at it for some reason.

[JasonPickering]

i agree with making a separate button for jump. that's just from my initial play, I will have to give a more proper play through later.

[godsavant]

Way ahead of you. New build is up in OP, now with a separate button for jump and an 'end of demo' indicator.