Towaga: Among Shadows is a 2D shoot 'em up game that blends dual/single stick shooting and tower defense elements. It was previously released for Switch, PC, Playstation, Apple Arcade, and has since made its way to mobile platforms (iOS, Android) with a recent release last June 15, 2023.
The gameplay in Towaga: Among Shadows offers a fresh take on the shoot 'em up genre. As Chimu, players must defend the Temple of Towaga by using their supernatural powers to shoot beams of light at shadow creatures, one phase at a time. It’s literally like pointing a strong flashlight towards enemies, and it’s visually satisfying to do.
The controls are simple and intuitive, with players rotating Chimu’s 360 degree aim around the temple using a circular touchpad and tapping the screen to unleash powerful attacks. Precise aiming and timing are crucial to success, as enemies become increasingly challenging with each level. It’s hard to control the accuracy of the beam at first, due to the nature of using touch controls, however in time, players will get used to it. Physical controllers like the Xbox or Playstation gamepads are supported however, which makes aiming a bit easier with the use of physical sticks.
Towaga: Among Shadows offers other game modes from progressing in the main story of over 70 levels. The main story is quite short, only around under four hours of play, but the game features endless game modes such as survival mode featuring both temple and aerial mods, and a player vs player multiplayer mode where you and up to three friends can battle it out in aerial mode, although it only supports gamepads.