Dystopian action shooters are a dime a dozen, and it can be difficult to find that unique gameplay feature, story element or design choice to stand out from the crowd. Can Project Tower, by newcomer Yummy Games, pull it off and offer something new to the gaming ecosystem or will it be doomed to stay in the tower?

Within these walls

The worst has already happened: Earth has been conquered by the Hiks, a malevolent alien race. It feels like we’re just a bump in the road for these physically-imbued invaders. However, they are kind enough to inform us that there is a way to escape our imprisonment. The remaining survivors are in Project Tower, a training facility where prisoners trek and fight through environment-altering and creature-invested floors. All for the purpose of providing the Hiks’s army with data and a proper challenge. If a prisoner can make it to the top of the tower, they can earn their freedom. Though with Earth already conquered, it’s hard to imagine a clear light at the end of the tunnel.

Become the monster

You play as the ever-silent Prisoner 9220, who’s next in line to brave the tower. I would say that the blue motocross outfit with LED helmet would grow on me as the demo went on, but sadly it stays as a blaring eyesore. I believe the dev’s intent was to put the character in a sleek space suit but I can’t help but imagine that you are an abducted rider from the Trails game.

Looks aside, your character will soon be jumping, sprinting, dodging, and shooting their way across each level and besides some floatiness when it comes to platforming, Project Tower handles just fine. It never felt like I was fighting with the character or camera, which led to a very fluid experience. This is especially helpful when it comes to Project Tower’s boss battles which emulate bullet hell games, though I’m sure the comparison to Returnal is unavoidable.

To separate Project Tower from the rest, Yummy Games has included a morphing mechanic where you can take on the form and abilities of a select enemies or objects. Apparently, the Hiks are generous enough to grant their prisoners with this transformation ability as the demo allows us to become a large slug, a fireball spewing raptor-like creature called a Krynnor, and a moving pillar with a tractor beam. Each one has their own uses so it’s hard to argue that you’ll have more fun with the Krynnor than with the other two. This isn’t too worrisome as trailers have shown a full array of creatures with unique abilities that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into.

Simple yet effective

Project Tower is a decent looking game with beautiful lighting and vibrant projectiles. The level design is both solid yet basic. You can find your way through a level without the aid of a map but most rooms felt barren as walls and structures repeated themselves enough where it was noticeable. The game’s sound designs also hit-or-miss. Weapons didn’t feel like they had enough impact yet transformation and creature sounds popped and growled in a delightful fashion.

More time in the tower

Project Tower has a lot to prove, and while personally I felt like the story and mechanics didn’t fully bring something new to the table, it was enjoyable. It also didn’t help that 2 out of the 3 provided transformations housed less than exciting abilities. But with trailers showing projectile-filled boss battles and new creatures to become, I’m hopeful that Yummy Games can deliver and stand apart from the rest.

It’s important to note that Yummy Games is composed of only 4 people. Even though I wasn’t fully blown away with the demo, I’m flabbergasted that such a small team can create a solid mish-mash of ideas. This is Yummy Games first dip into non-mobile releases, so show them some love, download Project Tower’s demo, and keep a close eye on this promising dev team.

Project Tower’s demo is available on PC through Steam. NeverMore Niche received a free demo key generously provided by Yummy Games.