Sovereign Tower Review: Decisions, Decisions | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: PC (Steam)

Price: $19.99

There are games that just make me say, “How did they do that?” Sovereign Tower is one of those games. The sheer number of choices I can make and the possible outcomes are unfathomable. I would love to see their design documents.

This is probably the best visual novel I’ve ever played. From the storytelling to the art and music to the choices I can make, everything comes together to create a masterpiece.

There’s a short prologue before the game really kicks in. The prologue teaches me a bit about the mechanics, including how each choice can raise or lower my standing with the different factions of the kingdom. Missions also show which stats would be best for a knight to have in order to complete them.

I will say, I didn’t get the overall feel of the game until I was actually playing the main story. I think that was partly because everything felt so new to me, and it was a bit overwhelming at first. But once I started the actual story, everything began to make more sense.

The story revolves around a leper, my character, who is fleeing a village that has been attacked by an evil empire. After a harrowing escape, I find myself in front of a tower, one that has been locked for a very long time. Only the chosen one, the person who can ascend to the throne, can open the door. Well, as you may have guessed, that person is me. It’s an interesting way to make the game immersive. I’m learning about the politics of the land in real time alongside the protagonist.

Soon, I’m meeting with delegates from different regions, people who bring their problems to me, and knights that I can recruit. As I rebuild the kingdom, I’m also looking to rebuild my army. The knights are all unique, and their personalities are colorful, to say the least. Some are arrogant. Some are bloodthirsty. One of my favorite knights is one I recruit early on, Angelica. Perhaps it’s her innocent nature or her idealistic view of what being a knight should be, but I made sure to keep her safe and sent her on missions that I knew she would succeed at.

Well, I kept her safe as long as I could, at least.

As people and dignitaries from different states visit, they soon start giving me quests to complete. Each quest has certain stat requirements, and knights who meet those requirements are more likely to succeed. There is armor too, and I need to make sure it’s repaired before I send my knights off to battle.

If they are successful, not only do I gain money and prestige in different categories, but my knights also level up. They can also die in battle. And death is permanent…well, for the most part. There is at least one knight who has returned to me from the dead. But I’m not sure she was ever really living to begin with.

I also meet some colorful characters. There’s Alwena, the head housekeeper, who tells me secrets she learns from the knights, which helps me determine if their stats are best suited for certain missions. There’s the Lady of the Tower, a living statue; Carina, the blacksmith and sister to Angelica; the baker, who creates treats for the knights; and many others.

One character in particular, though, is the most mysterious and probably the most dangerous: the nameless demon who lives in the tower. Visiting them allows me to turn back time. I’m the only one who remembers what happened before I turned back time, which opens up new dialogue options for me. But using this power comes at a perceived price. It’s dark magic, and there’s always a price with that.

There are a lot of choices in this game. So many things can happen on the battlefield or in conversations. When my favorite knight died, I had to use that demon power. I had to. I felt like I had no choice.

And with every choice I made, the outcome was the same. Angelica dies. I kept going back and making different decisions until I finally found out what happened. The game tugged at me emotionally in a way I haven’t felt from a game in a long time.

Most of the characters I meet can also be romanced, including the Lady of the Tower. Romancing them opens up new dialogue as well. There’s also a famous bard, think Taylor Swift level, who comes to the tower and sings a new song they wrote about me. It was so good. This game is so special.

And I tried to be a good sovereign. But like I said, this game tugs at you. It pulls you into decisions you wouldn’t normally make. I kept telling myself it was for the good of the kingdom. After every major decision, the demon taunts me. I can only go back in time so far, and it reminds me of this. If I continue down the path I’ve set, eventually I won’t be able to change it.

And yes, I tried to be a good sovereign. But I was put in positions where I didn’t feel comfortable with how I achieved the outcome. Still, I let it be. I second-guessed my decisions, especially when things started to go south. I played the cards I was dealt.

At least, that’s what I kept convincing myself.

My only complaint is that, outside of the song from the bard, there is no voice acting. I would have loved to hear the characters’ voices. I think it would have added another layer to the game. The game is fantastic as it is, but voice acting would have been the icing on the proverbial cake.

Final Grade: A

Sovereign Tower is such a special game. There are so many choices and branching paths, and those choices actually matter. That’s one thing I look for in a visual novel, and Sovereign Tower does it perfectly.

Review code provided by Press Engine