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Category: Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree

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  • 6 under the radar games for the second half of 2025

    Believe it or not, but we’ve already crossed into the second half of 2025. Depending on how you look at it, this year might feel like it has only just started or has been the longest six months of your life. In terms of games, though, we’ve already had a bounty of amazing games this year, with standouts being Monster Hunter Wilds, The Alters, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Death Stranding 2, just to name a few. Looking ahead, we have a fairly clear roadmap for what the big upcoming games of 2025 will be, such as Ghost of Yotei, Borderlands 4, and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. This felt like the perfect time to highlight some of the smaller games that you might not have heard of or maybe forgot were coming out in all the excitement. These are my 6 most anticipated games that might be flying under your radar.

    Shadow Labyrinth – July 17

    Starting off in July, we have the strange reimagining of the classic arcade game as a dark Metroidvania. Shadow Labyrinth pulls out the horror elements that were always present in Pac-Man and fully embraces them. You will take control of a character known as Swordsman No. 8 who teams up with an orb called Puck, which is a direct reference to Pac-Man‘s original name. Besides standard action and exploration, alongside your usual progression systems of unlocking new moves, you will also be able to fuse with Puck to traverse the map as if it were a classic Pac-Man maze. While I was originally skeptical this game wouldn’t stand up beyond its shock value, everything I’ve seen since its reveal has me convinced it will be a great new Metroidvania.

    Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound – July 31

    We’re seeing a major resurgence in old ninja and samurai games between the new Onimusha and Ninja Gaiden 4 on the way, but we’re also being treated to retro-style entries that call back to the series’ origins. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound might be more exciting than the next big entry. Coming from the amazingly talented team at The Game Kitchen and Dotemu, it only takes one look at the pixel art to know this game will be something special. Just like the original NES games, Ragebound looks like a brutal but fair 2D action platformer that will bring modern sensibilities to a classic genre.

    Sword of the Sea – August 19

    One of the newer games I added to my list is Sword of the Sea. This is the next game from developer Giant Squid, who you would know as the team that made Abzu and The Pathless. This next game looks like it is combining the vibes and tone of the former with the more advanced and satisfying movement of the latter. The footage shows off a mysterious character surfing through a dead world on a floating sword, bringing life back wherever they go. As water and life return, more areas to explore and restore open up. This game will be all about the world, vibes, and satisfaction you get from the movement.

    Shinobi: Art of Vengeance – August 28

    Remember how I mentioned how many classic ninja games were coming back? Well, here’s another one for you to check out in August. Shinobi was a cult classic title compared to its contemporaries, which makes the existence of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance all the more exciting. Like Ragebound, this game is sticking to the classic 2D action style, but with a smoother and hand-drawn art style. If I had to guess from the footage, I’d say this one will be a bit more forgiving than Ragebound, but we will have to see. While there is some clear overlap between the two games, I think there’s more than enough room for two excellent 2D action games.

    Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree – September 18

    The only roguelite to make my list is the charming Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree. The hook this game promises that is somewhat unique for the genre is the fact that choice and bonds will impact the game. That hasn’t been detailed much yet, but the gameplay already has my attention. Action looks slick with tons of characters, plus the inclusion of co-op, but different quests will take you to different timelines. As time advances, the hub village and characters will change. Again, we need to see just how deep these systems go, but it sounds interesting enough right now for me to want to check it out.

    Digimon Story Time Stranger – October 2

    The Digimon Story games have been underrated ever since the first Cyber Sleuth. While some still pass this entire franchise off as a Pokémon clone, the games at least have forged their own path as amazing RPGs. Sure, you will tame and battle with your digital monsters, but the battle system is leagues ahead of Pokémon, and the story and world are a clear step up. This entry will have over 450 Digimon to find and collect, but it is the plot featuring time travel, parallel worlds, and secret organizations that has my inner anime fan fully onboard. If you’re not sure Pokémon Legends: Z-A will shake off the poor reputation the series has had as of late, you can always jump ship to Digimon Story Time Stranger.

  • Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is very much Bandai Namco’s Hades

    If this year’s Summer Game Fest taught me anything, it’s that Hades is all the rage right now. We saw multiple game last week that took clear inspiration from Supergiant’s hit roguelike with fast-based top-down action. The appeal is so undeniable that even Bandai Namco is jumping on the trend with Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree. Set to launch on September 19, the game puts its own spin on a popular formula with its ink painting-inspired art and colorful cast of characters.

    Is that enough to set itself apart in what’s becoming a crowded field? I went hands-on with it at Summer Game Fest to find out, trying out my first 15 minute run (and a second one after an initial defeat). While it won’t fully be able to separate itself from the inevitable Hades comparisons, Towa does include some bright ideas in its two-character combat that makes battles even faster.

    Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree stars Towa, a child of the Gods who is tasked with saving a village from a miasma plague. They aren’t alone in that task. They enlist the help of eight heroes that range from a little kid to a giant fish man – the clear standout of the bunch. That cast is where Towa really stakes its claim on the genre with a unique twist. I don’t just choose one character when I set out on a roguelike run; I pick two. One is my Tsurugi, a primary character that I hack and slash with, and the other is my Kagura, more of a support hero with powerful skills I can trigger.

    That little formula shakeup is crucial, because Towa would be a little run-of-the-mill without it. The runs follow the Hades formula to a T, even more so than recent games like Warriors: Abyss. I go from arena to arena, clearing out the few waves of enemies that spawn in as quickly as possible. When they’re all cleared, I gain a reward that helps shape my build. From there, I’m given a choice of a few doors and can see what kind of upgrade each will yield. Those arenas are punctuated by sub bosses, more specialized encounters, rest rooms, and a biome-ending final boss. It’s not as imaginative as its lovely hand-painted art style, but that formula is so often borrowed for good reasons.

    The dual character action goes a long way towards filling that premise out. While the slashing is straightforward, the ability to mix and match characters gives players the chance to find synergies that fit their play style. Even just in two rounds of experimenting, I found success by mixing a close-ranged Tsurugi with a Kagura who could perform massive area of effect attacks. It looks as though other characters can be used more in a support role rather than an offensive one, which unlocks a lot of potential.

    Heroes slash enemies in Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree.
    Bandai Namco

    Beyond that, there’s a smart layer of gear management. Each character gets two weapons to work with and their energy runs out with each hit. To avoid temporarily exhausting one in a room, players need to use a quick switch attack to keep their blades sharp. That means that arenas aren’t just about mindless button mashing tol victory. They’re a careful balancing act that push players to cycle between every tool at their disposal. Rooms can be cleared incredibly fast with this system too; I was cleaning up enemies in under a minute once I got the hang of it.

    I only got a quick taste of the depth here, but there’s more to see. I’m especially curious about how Towa’s meta progression system works, as it looks like there will be a way to grow each hero’s power in some way. Considering how many characters there are, that means that Towa has the potential to be a fairly long-tailed game for completionists. But for now, my focus is on just surviving that first biome, because its boss wiped the floor with my pals. That’s how you win a run; one battle at a time.

    Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree launches on September 18 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.