Tower Behind the Moon

It's a good book clumsily forced into being an interactive novel. In contrast to the other Choice of games games I've played Tower behind the moon has a stronger, better defined narrative backed up by a fascinating setting but through playing it I found out why other games like this tend towards a weaker but more flexible narrative. In game unless you Immediately pick a lane and rigidly stick to it according to criteria you won't know until at least a couple full playthroughs, at which point you're moreso compensating for the games failings w/ Meta knowledge than organically playing it. Up until that point (or during your first run) you're supposedly an arch mage of your chosen school, possibly the last guy in history with the opportunity, power, and drive to ascend, with all the pomp and circumstance that brings. But in practice you're routinely an unqualified ♥♥♥♥ up because you chose the wrong option for the lane you didn't know you were in from the vague options you were presented. Don't get me wrong, I don't like power fantasies as much as the next guy and it could serve the narrative that everyone else is fed up with these "maggot gods" and that you're in a brutal strugg…

This has to be Kyle Marquis' weakest story so far. If you haven't read his Empyrean or Silverworld, I would recommend them, because they are so good compared to ---this. After several playthroughs, Tower Behind Moon still left a bad taste in me. The story can be great, but it feels rushed and incomplete. Characters are the worst. Most of them are so one-dimensional that are not unlike those housecarl NPCs in Skyrim. Also as a supposed archmage, you don't feel powerful and in charge at all. You have to especially pay attention to stats building before Chapter 2 in order to achieve any desired effect in the later chapters. Sometimes it's very confusing which stat will be used for certain choices, which can be very immersion-breaking. But I still would recommend this game because of author's decent writing and remarkable world-building ability. The game also has great replayable value because of many different paths and endings. It still stands out among so many mediocre stories nowadays.

I should have listened to the critical reviews... The game starts well, with an interesting world and characters. But roughly in the last third of the game, everything felt disconnected, stats changed randomly and the descriptions of progress and relationships did not reflect what was actually happening in the story. Supposedly important achievements on the way to ascension, such as special items and revealed mysteries etc. neve have any relevance and can´t be used at the critical moments you'd think they should. In essence, the last third felt random and railroaded at the same time, to a point that made me give the game a thumbs down in frustration.

For all its faults, I ultimately recommend this game. As many other reviews point out, the path of choices, and therefore ending, can feel a bit disappointing - for example [spoiler] I don't see how one can get the 'best' ending for your character (aka Ascension) while also preserving all your relationships.[/spoiler] That said, the concept is so unique, and the world so well-built, it's worth experiencing. Many games allow you to play a mage. But an archmage attempting ascension to Godhood? In a world shaped by those in various stages of success and failure? So for all the legitimate reservations, I think it's worth it. Fwiw, my ending was [spoiler] a partially successfully ascension, being offered to become an angel, whilst accepting being a weaker living continent. I could have tried for a full ascension (having been impeded), but suspected it would have failed, and been a step too ruthless and thus out of character. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯[/spoiler] Results may vary.

You can't save the Dragon. L

Intriguing, mysterious, and great to replay. Lets you get deep into the roleplay of ascending from mortality to godhood. Would recommend for anyone who loves this genre and loves Choice of Games. This is an excellent example.