Overview: ......Towers II is the first genuine RPG for the Jag. I love RPG's, so when I first heard about this game, I was very pleased. The screenshots that I saw looked very good as well. Well, the game's finally been released, and I'm happy to say that this game is excellent.

The graphics are great. The textures on the wall, floors, and ceilings are done well. They do get a bit grainy when you're up-close, but just take a look at Doom....The game has blocky walls, and everyone loves it (well, most people). The res on the textures is right in-between AVP and Doom. The framerate of the game is very good indeed. When I first started to run around, I said to myself "Whoa!..This is pretty fast!"....and it's not choppy, which is extremely important.

The screen bobs up and down like you're really running (i.e. Doom)...and you can see the weapon that you're carrying moving in and out of the screen to add some realism. The enemies are rendered up nicely. They have a smooth and shiny look from a distance, but the enemies get a bit pixellized when up-close too. Nothing like the pixelization ya get on AVP, but there is some. There is some noticable texture warp...but it's nothing compared to the junk you'll see on the PSX...in fact, it's barely noticeable.

The animation of the enemies left me wanting a bit more, but at least there are more than 15 enemies....more than AVP or Doom's put together.

As for special effects, there aren't many. The light textures are animated, but that's almost a must have. The draw in is a little closer than what I would have liked, but it works out just fine. When stuff starts to pop into view, it starts the depth cue, which shades the object until you get closer. This kinda creates a light sourced look.

The music is done well. There is an into track, an in-game track, and an ending track. They all sound pretty good. The in-game tune is the one that really counts, and it doesn't get annoying or repetitive. The track is really long, and it really counts when you play for long periods of time (which you will).

The sound effects aren't bad at all either. The slashing of a weapon on a foe creates a cool cutting sound (sounds like it hurts...hehe). Your footsteps go left, right, left, right...on the speakers (if ya got stereo sound), and all the effects are in stereo too. There are a few digitized effects too...for getting hit, and killed. There are sounds when an enemy greets you ...and you can hear their footsteps when they approach unless they fly. I didn't feel that this area was lacking.

The gameplay is excellent...and one of the games strongest points. The control is a bit hard to grasp onto in the beginning, but like most games, you'll get the hang of things. You start out with your bare hands, then work your way up to crossbows, swords, spells, etc. You can equip your character with boots, armor, helmets, rings, necklaces and weapons.

You've got a magic bar and a life bar. When these are low, you can goto sleep and regain mana and energy...that's if your character isn't hungry. You can be attacked while you sleep, so be sure to clear the area.

Character interaction is very good. You'll be able to talk to people in the tower, and you'll often have to go get something and bring it back to the being in exchange for an important item. When you kill someone, you'll be able to search-over his/her/it's body for good stuff.

The puzzles in the game are very intricate and well thought-out. You must pull levers, navigate through series of teleporters, walk on sensors, solve riddles and even resurrect people! This game has to be played to be believed.

There is also something unique about this game. On Doom, if you find a secret door, you'll simply be treated to extra ammo etc....but on this game, it's essential for making progress, and that definitely keeps you on your toes.

This game is deep, and will appeal to action gamers and RPG lovers alike!

Graphics-8 1/2

• Nice textures go with the fast and smooth framerate. Everything looks very nice. pixellization, on the downside, is noticeable.

Sound/Music-8

• There is a sound for most actions, and some good digitized sfx. The music isn't repetitive, but isn't of the high quality we've come to expect from T2K and such.

Control-9

• Basic things like running around are easily accomplished. Finding spells is sometimes a difficult task in the midst of a fight though. Prepare yourself.

Power-9

• The game looks very good, and moves swiftly with only a few areas with minor slowdown.

Fun Factor-9 1/2

• This game is deep, and that's something that you don't find in a lot of today's games. The replay value is very good too...with the 4 characters and all.

--Wes Powell (Jagu-Dome)

• <powell@easilink.com>