A Look Back At • Shadow Tower Abyss (Analysis) • The History of From Software.
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- Опубликовано: 23 сен 2021
- LORE! ANALYSIS! From Software?
Did you know Shadow Tower Abyss used to be a thing?
It's true and in this video we talk about that secret story.
If you've ever wondered what the game's Lore was, what the experience meant and how the first game played this is your video.
Everything Shadow Tower Abyss! (also some King's Field)
Special Thanks to:
*From Software.
*Casitive / Theomeny
*Lokey
*AllisonByProxy
*World of Longplays + Deskawa
*meauxdal
*Look Back Gaming
BlueLizardJello
*Naotoshi Jin.
*MatthewMatosis.
*Noah Caldwell-Gervais
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Casitive: / @casitive
Lokey: lokeysouls.com/
AllisonByProxy: / allisonbyproxy
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Footage from:
*Look Back Gaming
/ lookbackgaming
*meauxdal:
/ composerzane
*WorldofLongplays (Deskawa):
/ cubex55
*BlueLizardJello:
/ itsbluelizardjello
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Patreon: / medievalmegaman
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/aesiraesthetics
Essays&Espresso:
/ @essaysespresso8637
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A Look Back At Shadow Tower: • A Look Back At • Shado...
A Look Back At King's Field 1: • A Look Back At • King'...
A Look Back At King's Field 2: • A Look Back At • King'...
A Look Back At King's Field 3: • A Look Back At • King'...
A Look Back At King's Field 4: • A Look Back At • King'... 
Игры
I'm sorry about the sloppy narration this time around.
My throat has not recovered from the infection I had yet and I decided I'd waited to make the video as long as I could.
No worries! I just sat through it during my lunch break and it didn’t bother me! Great video!
@@casitive THANK YOU!
Where is it explained in the game that the tower is a spaceship?
@@KingFossilFER Artbooks (there's 2, though one is more a Databook than Artbook).
@@casitive OH I see, interesting. Shame its not explained ingame.
29:15 There's actually a control option that uses the shoulder buttons for attacks and right stick for the camera.
From the Japanese instruction manual, here are the meanings of all the stats:
>Stamina, governs total HP.
>Vitality, affects slash resistance and weapon gauge count.
>Strength, affects break resistance.
>Dexterity, affects pierce resistance and weapon gauge speed.
>Magic, governs total MP.
>Concentration, affects element resistance and magic gauge speed.
>Mentality, affects solvent resistance and debuff chance(?)
>Mind, affects spirit resistance, magic gauge count, and debuff duration(?)
>Slash, governs slashing damage.
>Break, governs break damage.
>Pierce, governs piercing damage.
>Element, governs fire & ice magic damage.
>Solvent, governs poison & acid magic damage.
>Spirit, governs light & dark magic damage.
thank you :)
Man i want to learn jap to understand the game truly😆
I did some research and testing on the stats during my LP. Here's what I found out.
Stamina is just HP boost. Vitality, Strength, and Dexterity increase the 3 damage types(slash/break/pierce) by varying amounts and also give a small HP boost. All 4 of these stats slightly increase maximum carry weight. Magic is a large MP boost. Concentration, Mentality, and Mind affect the other 3 stats(element/solvent?/spirit) while also slightly increasing MP. The boosts seem very minimal though. Here are the results of some of the tests I ran by pumping 20 points into each stat.
Stamina +20
-HP +80
Vitality +20
-Slash - 229->230
-Break - 154->155
-Pierce - 376->377
-HP +40
Strength +20
-Slash - 229->230
-Break - 154->157
-Pierce - 376->376
-HP +40
Dexterity +20
-Slash - 229->231
-Break - 154->154
-Pierce - 376->379
-HP +40
Magic +20
-MP +80
Concentration +20
-Element - 244->245
-Solvent - 309->309
-Spirit - 314->317
-MP +40
Mentality +20
-Element - 244->244
-Solvent - 309->311
-Spirit - 314->314
-MP +40
Mind +20
-Element - 244->244
-Solvent - 309->309
-Spirit - 314->315
-MP +40
😍😍😍
This would've been so much help!
So basically the only stats worth pumping are stamina and magic? Seems like getting one point extra in a damage type or derived stat for twenty points of attribute investment is basically a noob trap, unless it really ramps up the scaling with more than 20 points in an attribute
This video series is so fantastic, genuinely some of my favourite gaming content. Time to watch all 6 videos in order... again.
:)
Aesir has effectively ousted VaatiVidya as my go to relaxation content. So. Good.
Another game worth checking out that is clearly inspired by King's Field/Shadow Tower is Hungry Ghosts, it's not made by Fromsoft but feels like it could have been. There's currently no translation, but I was able to make progress without one.
Really, really wish there was an English patch, because it looks so incredible.
Its got the craziest controls I've ever used though lol.
Also that game is honestly one of the most impressive on the ps2 graphically
Yeah, Hungry Ghosts is one of those games that I think could find a pretty good English speaking audience now. I could be misremembering, but I thought work on a translation had begun but was abandoned. Hopefully one day it gets one because it's a game that deserves more attention.
@@jmsebastianhasvideogametho6063 because of translator "culture" almost all games are "claimed" and if you try and work on a claimed game they and their friends will go so far as to destroy the progress you make if they gain access to it or outright doxx you.
Letting nerds get a big head online was a mistake.
It's fockin here!!!
:)
This game's aesthetic is amazing I def have to play it as someone who bought demon's souls day 1
highly recommend!
This was worth the wait, seeing how From Soft experiments led to their current success is inspiring
Watching this made me think about some great ideas for future videos: Eternal Ring, Evergrace series, and Echo Night series.
You provide quality writing and analysis. It's been an amazing series and I appreciate your work.
Your videos are legendary.
aw shucks.
thank you :)
Damn I've been waiting so long for this one. Thanks for your work!
Hope you enjoy :D
Absolutely blessed game. Glad it was translated.
After playing KF4 and Shadow Tower Abyss, I find it hard to play the PS1 games which preceded. The technical issues are even more noticeable and even in terms of design and aesthetic, they merely feel like stepping stones which would eventually lead to these two games.
This is going to be good!!
Edit: Great video, this has become one of my favourite series of videos recently.
:D
Such a great game! Still the only PS2 game I've ever emulated, huge thanks to the fan translator/s! Really wish From woud make another Shadow Tower or King's Field game. But since their current Souls genre is doing so well, and I'm glad since I love them as well, I don't see it happening.
Yeah, it's a bit sad that they are as successful as they are because they used to make so many different kinds of games.
They said they'd consider bringing back kingsfield if the original creator was interested in working on the project.
Aersick Illsthetic
🤧
I subscribed to you just so I could be notified when this exact video came out. I love this game.
please don't leave me now that it's here
♥♥
@@AesirAesthetics Wouldn't dream of it. Especially after you mentioned a possible Drakengard video.
Amazing, ty for the upload!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Any chance for you going back to what inspired King's Field the same way you went to KF to see what inspired Demon's Souls? I'm of course talking about Ultima Underworld. You can then take on the Looking Glass Studios journey the same way you did for FROM and go on to System Shock, Terra Nova and Thief. These games are right up the channels alley (as I'm sure you yourself already know considering the Deus Ex video you did), I think your subscribers would love such a series.
Would love if FROMSOFT next game is an open world Kingsfield reboot
Agree!
100% they could do it. The sheer scale of the world and interconnectivity would be beyond, anything, we have seen in the Souls series. Also, seeing a return to the company's roots would be a nostalgic treat!
\o/
Great job on this, as always! I owe you my thanks for getting me into the Shadow Tower games specifically, but also deepening my appreciation for KF, too. I wish I could like this multiple times. Guess I'll just put it on repeat throughout the weekend.
:D
Great video. At the end you were speaking to me :P I really hope to experience Froms back library but no PC, only PS4, just not in the cards as it is.
I do plan to fix this soon however, jntill then, I'll live through your well put together videos.
Hopefully I can become a Patreon of yours, when I sort my life out some.
May the Miyazakis bless you, your channel, and your game!
🙏
I found this video after playing through this game for the first time. Thank you for making this, its really well made. The ending of Shadow Tower Abyss left me scratching my head and itching for more. After hearing your explanation of the story i really wish there was more in the Shadow Tower series so the story could be expanded upon. After playing and finishing this game i think its one of the best games ive ever played and definitely one of my personal favorites. I wish this game had more of a following, there is almost nothing online about this game. Also, i wish i could figure out what the onyx pendant does....
Been waiting for this one for a while. Thank you for taking the time to make this as well as all the other FromSoft FP RPGs. :)
Wish more people talked about these gems. This one is probably my favorite game of theirs, Followed by the original Shadow Tower, and then I think Kings Field 3.
Sorry it took so long, hope you enjoyed :D
Amazing video, was totally worth the wait! I'm wondering if you might do a video on Eternal Ring, one of the launch titles for the ps2. Runs on the King's Field IV engine and plays like a magic focused slightly sped up Kings Field.
I'm so happy that Shadow Tower Abyss finally has a worthy review. It's one of my favorite games and yet it's so obscure and hardly anyone knows about it. Keep at it man.
Glad you liked the video.
And yes, Eternal Ring in on my to do list, every From Soft game is.
@@AesirAesthetics good luck finding copies of Fromsoft's mobile games lol. Most people look at them as not games, but promo material, but From themselves put them in "games" category on their official website. There are 2 traditional ps1-looking KF games on mobile btw, also ports of Murakumo, Armored Core mobile series, the adventures of cookie and cream golf game, several tenchu games and many more others. I'm mostly interested in Fromsoft's mobile games because there is so little footage of them and most of them are lost to time and outright unavailable today
@@user-jn8dm8yl3e I'm *super pissed* at the bad state of mobile game preservation from the aughts. Especially Japanese ones. There's always hope now since there's finally a Symbian emulator. But finding a phone in Aki-ba with a game already installed to dump... is super-duper daunting.
I just wanna play Nano-Devil :(
Good thing to see that you're still uploading mate, gonna check this one later.
-cheers!
Never gonna stop!
There's so many videos coming in the next few weeks!
@@AesirAesthetics im so glad to hear that. Keep it up ;D
I love these videos about Kingsfield and the other Fromsoft old gems.
Thank you.
More to come!
Finally got to watch this. Love it!!!
the thing saying familiarity forgot to mention eternal ring cuz that ring magic is giving me mighty callbacks.
this is a great video wish it got more attention
Excellent video!
thank you :)
SO HYPE
Oh man rare treat from you as always.
ENJOY!
I really love your Channel and your kings field and shadow tower content! Would you make a beginner tips and tricks video for shadow tower? It's super interesting and I got it on psn but man it's hard haha I'd rather listen to your tips than look up an old faq
Ascending a sentient tower that spawns hostile creatures to kill the heart on the top floor? Well, I feel like I know where Slay The Spire drew a bit of it's inspiration from now haha
Always a good day when Aesir releases a video. Good stuff man.
More to come!
I’d love to see you talk about Eternal Ring, that was my first game of this style and I really enjoyed going through it
It's on my list!
OH HELL YEAH - the final entry in the Kings Field sextilogy docuseries
enjoy!
O: Judging by how you skipped over and even showed footage of you killing several, I'm assuming you may have missed the dialogue from passive creatures, you press the action button, and there were quite a few that exposit some interesting context
I didn't record the footage.
I really liked that the passive creatures (like the eye thing in the cave) are chattier than before!
@@AesirAesthetics Oh was wondering, you mentioned them cowering from the boss's screams so was wondering if that's what you were alluding to or not.
And yeah, quite a way to mess with you a lil too and make you feel some level of empathy towards the enemies, and make you second guess which ones are hostile, at least I fell into the trap of attempting to talk to dormant enemies from then on, often to my own detriment haha
odd as it is to say, playing this I was reminded of the Metroid Prime games. Similar feeling alien levels with creatures that inhabit them, and the doors acting as the stream loading trigger.
Hell yes
This is what I've been waiting for
enjoy!
30:00 Speaking of, those particular enemies do not regenerate if you hit the part of their body which has the growth on it. They all have growths at different spots of their body, so you can strategically remove it to kill them more efficiently
After finishing KF4 I gave this a shot and was interested, but stopped playing after a few areas. Maybe I should pick it back up and run through the rest of it.
There is a modern kings field/Shadow Tower inspired game Northern Journey, great stuff
The video turned out pretty good, man. I'm glad that rough unplanned recording that I did 4 years ago on largely a whim was useful. It is a good game and I echo the recommendation of playing it, if you can find it.
Good luck with Drakengard. I considered recording it at some point but, well, Good Lord.
Thank you so much for letting me use it!
♥♥♥
46:55 - Im Still here Aesir, good shit !
It's so funny just watching this guy pull out a shotgun on like a gargoyle or something similar. Like the gun thing works in Bloodborne because it was somewhat period-correct, but seeing gun mechanics in this game just feels so strange lol regardless, I appreciate this video and the time you put into it. I'm in this rabbit-hole of learning about old From Soft games and your series on them is excellent.
#justacommentofappreciation
❤❤❤
I really love this game, though I find it very frustrating early on because you can lose a lot of progress quickly with just one false move. Great video on it and I appreciate its release being put in context with the previous game. Ultimately, I think the original Shadow Tower is the more interesting game because it tells you almost nothing about what's going, the enemy designs are From Software at their weirdest and it has some of the best level design out of any From game, but Abyss was a fantastic follow-up. I think its use of the right analog stick for combat was brilliant and I wish the King's Field games had used it as well.
Hopefully one day From Software will revisit the first-person dungeon crawler. While I really like their modern RPGs, no current games scratch the same itch as these ones do.
Wonderful insights! This game is beautiful in that it is essentially a bridge between the old and the new, for lack of a better framework. I like how it shows how FromSoft kept iterating to get to where they are too, while also being very representative of the times. For me, it captures the magic of all-time favorites like the original Alone In The Dark and Eternal Darkness.
If Sony had really pushed this game, who knows where FromSoft would be today. I'd imagine they would at least have another thriving franchise to work with. One could argue these are relics of the past but I think the formula works. Hell, there's a whole anime dedicated to the notion of conquering a great big hole: Made In Abyss. With the verticality hardware is capable of now, it would be pretty amazing!
Good job
Thank you :D
Your perspective on From Soft games is so uniquely deep and intimate. You seem to genuinely love and understand their work on a level most creators don't. Ask anyone else about FromSofts design philosophy and they start with demons souls, but you start with armored core and kingsfield even when talking about their modern titles. It's almost scary how well you understand their design choices.
thank you :)
Man if i were to watch all the previous videos about kings field and shadow tower i would need a kitchen and a home theatre system
4:00 dark souls warrior set helm
Time for another thoroughly-researched, thoughtful review. Just found you recently and have been binge watching everything you've made.
I've been playing FromSoft games since Armored Core but somehow skipped the King's Field and Shadow Tower series. However, one that stuck with me was Evergrace. Such a bizarre game when I was a teen, but now it makes a bit more sense given the context of other FromSoft titles.
I know you likely already have plans for future videos already but I have to know: is Evergrace on that list any time soon?
Every From Software game is on my list.
@@AesirAesthetics uh oh, AC Last Raven video in the future i got to see this
here i am enjoying shadow tower not knowing theres a shadow tower ABYSS!??! i didnt even know its a from software game!!! sick, it totally felt like a fromsoftware game.
I would say that the game has a bit more of an Ashton Clark Smith vibe, than Lovecraft. However, those authors were friends and their subject matters would cross over. So you're on to something.
The echo night games are 10/10 breddy guud. Clunky and have that awful shoulder button aiming things but they're fun and the second one has been translated into english.
Cocks. This review is amazing.
If you want to check out all of From Software's ps1 and ps2 first person dungeon crawlers you missed one more great one it's on ps2 and is called Eternal Ring its like Kings Field 4 Ancient City and Shadow Tower Abyss . Theres also two Action Adventure games a first part and sequel both on ps2 but I can't remember there names there ok . The Armored Core series is ok too I guess..
This game would have been awesome to a young me,unsurprisingly it didn't release over here.
😔
@@AesirAesthetics 😔 Indeed, i hope you are feeling better man.
@@forestcampbell8962 Oh I'm recovering!!
thank you :D
@@AesirAesthetics No problem man,take care.
Are you going to do one of these on Eternal Ring?
Yes
Up for sharing the translated guide somehow?
I don't have it, I had it dictated to me
I love King's Field. I've played the entire series several times, played them since the 90s. But I have never been able to figure out how to enjoy the Souls games. I just don't like them and I can't figure out how to find them fun. It's frustrating for me because I love Kings Field so much. I keep bouncing off Dark Souls 1, getting bored just not enjoying it. And I absolutely hated Bloodborne. That was the most miserable 3 hours of my life. But I'll replay Kings Field II any day of the week.
eternal ring, evergrace 1 and 2 next plz
Question, Aesir, what is your personal favorite from software game?
Demon's Souls
@@AesirAesthetics Me too. The original for me. I think it is because it is such a raw experience.
+1
How long did it take you to beat this game?
3x 4-6 hour sittings
But I was looking around a lot and got lost a lot
wait you can drain the poison off the floor? BRO i used 2 health potions and 2 cures for poison and speed ran that shit. i have 1000hp they passed that part at 2000 some. im starting to wonder how hard this game really is, i love that shit.
shadow tower 1 ftw. until i get a ps2
>drakengard
Oh.
Oh no.
Oooooooooh no.
I do wonder how you only have this few subs, perhaps people just prefer 8-15minutes tidbits and it pleases the lord algo.
27000 is more than I think I deserve
Anyone got advice on emulating this thing?
PCSX2 will do it for you. Runs well on both Hardware and Software emulation; just slight z-fighting. Note, you'll need a PS2 bios. English Patch is all over the place. The CD itself still isn't super expensive to import from Japan. ~30 bucks maybe.
Hey, great video as always Aesir. Your videos are just as well scripted as of someone like Mandalore Gaming or Joseph Anderson.
Thank you :D
all this talk of experimentation got me thinkin... Despite building off of so much of the previous Miyazaki titles, Elden Ring is the most experimental fromsoft game since Demons Souls.
if we discount Deraciné, then yes
@@AesirAesthetics well considering I forgot Deracine existed, its seems ive more than discounted it. i straight up sold it in a fire sale.
I luv shadow tower, I wish Skyrim wuz more like this instead of the shallow mess it is 😅
lol
10:08
"Their refusal to add difficulty options"
The Armored Core games have difficulty options
Not really the same type of game though
Why does everyone say pivot these days?
It’s a nifty verb
i hate to be the one that breaks 69 likes
like they say, 69 is always better with 1 more.
Comment is dedicated to the RUclips algorithm
Thank you.
Man i wanted to learn japanese just to understand the lore, the fan made translation just does not make sense always.
If you ever read this, there's a dungeon crawler around the same era with party mechanics called "Dungeon Master: Nexus" that got a fan translation this year (2023.) Came out on the Sega Saturn in 98, and was that studios last game apparently. The party comp let's you pick who you want (and includes some hidden characters,) and you can somewhat freely level them up ala Skyrim, so if you have a character who starts as a fighter but has 3 mana you can go around casting a simple spell like torch to level them up to be a hybrid fighter/wizard. Feels very Grimrock in puzzles and the party composition, but the general gameplay is akin to King's Fields with free movement and exploration.
Also, the Sega Saturn has 3D controller support so you can actually use an emulator and a controllers joysticks for the game.