Chumps Preview is a special kind of post where we unofficially preview games in Early Access, Beta, or are otherwise “unfinished.” This kind of preview is meant to be a first impression rather than a definitive review where we provide a rating to determine a game’s value. As such, we fully expect a game covered in a Chumps Preview to have room for improvement, some bugginess/incompleteness, and other features associated with similar games in the category.
This past week, we have the opportunity to get an early peek at Yummy Games’ Project Tower – a new third-person shooter meets bullet hell that’s also powered by Unreal Engine 5. During our thirty-minute preview, we got a taste of what Yummy Games has been cooking, spanning some combat, my character’s morphing ability, an intense boss fight, and a teaser of what’s to come as to the game’s sci-fi story. Despite spending so little time in-game, I’m very excited to see what comes out of Yummy Games in the next few months.
Yummy Games describes as Project Tower as melding “intense bullet hell combat with a unique morphing mechanic, enabling players to transform into diverse forms and experience varied perspectives as they navigate through the game. In a universe threatened by the Hiks, survivors of humanity are prisoners forced to fight in towers as part of Project Tower.” I wasn’t able to surmise much of the game’s sci-fi story beyond one cutscene that acted as the demo’s finale, but it seems to involve my character being used as a way to test the limits of the tower’s AI.
Other than that, Project Tower looks and feels quite similar to Housemarque’s RETURNAL – which was my personal game of the year back in 2021. Grotesque structures constructed out of tentacles and alien phenomena acted as a backdrop for desert and tropical biomes. The combat felt eerily similar, but had me roll to safety rather than dash. Otherwise, otherworldly guns with endless ammunition were my weapons to use against alien creatures. Most of the demo involved me using a pistol. At the end, I unlocked an automatic rifle but wasn’t able to use it against enemies. My guns shot bullets of light with a delayed reload animation.
The end of the demo showcased a single boss battle that felt eerily similar to RETURNAL’s battles (NIER: Automata’s, too). A gigantic alien dinosaur slammed the ground, sending beams of light toward me. It also spewed gigantic fireballs that converged at my position. I loved how RETURNAL utilized large spaces for me to use to dodge gigantic bullets and complex bullet patterns – Project Tower is already on that path of difficult but grandiose battles. I cannot wait to see what other forms of bullet hell combat emerge!
Before I wrap this review, I want to comment on Project Tower’s morphing ability. During my demo, I had a chance to morph into a few things, such as a slug and a totem/tower. Morphing into a slug allowed me to slip past other slug enemies without engaging in battle while also getting through crawlspaces. Turning into a totem let me solve some puzzles involving movable blocks. It seemed like an interesting proof of concept, but I’m not yet sold on its potential as a gameplay mechanic in a third-person bullet hell shooter. It sort of connects to an undercover/sneaky fantasy, and it also has some potential in puzzles (such as the case in this demo). However, both of those elements I don’t often see in a bullet hell game, or even anything action-focused aside from Metal Gear Solid.
I’m still intrigued as to how Yummy Games refines and evolves Project Tower, though. That’s what matters for a demo like this. If it successfully got me interested in the lightest of its content, then its implementation is worthy of players’ attentions.
The fact that Yummy Games’ team of four developers put something so intriguingly beautiful and smooth is a testament to their potential in shaping the future of Project Tower. The morphing ability is strange, and I can’t yet put my finger on how it will be useful or innovative beyond mild puzzle solving, but I’m open to see how it gets refined in future updates. Aside from that, the gunplay and enemy bullet patterns mirror recent titles’ implementation of impressive boss fights. This game is gorgeous, too. Check out Project Tower’s demo when it releases later this month. You’re in for a treat.
