[h1] Ivory Tower [/h1]
Osur’s [i] Tower of Kalemonvo [/i] (2025) is a dark-fantasy ARPG, but more specifically it’s a pastiche of Blizzard North’s [i] Diablo [/i] (1997), and an excellent pastiche it is. [i] Tower of Kalemonvo, [/i] however, also dares to be different and that ambition results in gameplay that will both sate and surprise its target audience. Said audience will also find a well-considered narrative, macabre sights and morose sounds, and a wizard* with a particularly ponderous orb in this bouquet of interactive art that is more than worth its price.
[h2] Where in the World is the Wizard Kalemonvo? [/h2]
In the early years of another history not unlike ours there stood the Tower of Kalemonvo. It was a rotunda of thick-cut stones risen several storeys, and it was as enigmatic as the wizard who shared its name and called it home. Few had ever seen inside, but many had seen it looming and many had seen the magick barrier that encased its whole. Gossip and hearsay abounded in the public forum until one day everyone seemed to agree on the same rumour: the barrier was gone and so was Kalemonvo. As word of Kalemonvo’s absence spread throughout the realm, the Tower was beset by a menagerie of would-be pillagers, curious adventurers, petty thieves, violent bandits, greedy nobles, covetous intellectuals, zealous cultists and more. All were in-search of the treasures and power ostensibly housed within.
You are a young mercenary sent to reinforce a party of holy militants, themselves dispatched to secure the Tower against evil forces. You arrive late. The paladins have already begun their ascent, so you alone will have to deal with whatever lurks in the dim, blood-sodden halls and steep stairways that separate you from your rendezvous. As you enter the Tower you hesitate— you swear you just heard a woman [i] laugh. [/i] You clutch your weapon a bit tighter, and you carry on into the darkness...
[h2] Stairway to (Gameplay) Heaven [/h2]
[i] Tower of Kalemonvo [/i] has simple and addictive ARPG gameplay. Start on the ground floor and fight your way to the apex of the (randomly generated per-playthrough) Tower. The player-character is viewed from an isometric perspective, and is directed with the mouse. Want to go somewhere? Click there. Want to kill something? Click it. Despite the simple controls there is plenty of depth to the gameplay. Combat consists of using melee weapons that run the gamut of Medieval classics like hatchets, swords, flails, maces, polearms, shields, etc; ranged weapons like (cross)bows, wands and more; Magic spells from projectiles to summons and a variety of skills and abilities to be learned as you slay enemies, gain experience and level up. There are many ways to play and [i] Tower of Kalemonvo [/i] accommodates player agency by allowing you to develop your character and invest skill points as you please. You will find no class-based restrictions here, rather your choices will dictate how you play and if you’re not careful with finite resources such as healing and mana potions you may find yourself railroaded into defeat. Fear not for you can save and load your game as you please, unless of course you’ve chosen to play with permanent death.
On the technical side, there is a rare issue in which the game may sometimes take three minutes or so to load a level. It is worth noting that load times never exceeded thirty seconds otherwise. Beyond that single issue the game ran well on aged hardware.
[h2] Ascended Aesthetic [/h2]
The [i] Tower of Kalemonvo [/i] is as much a character as it is a setting. The halls are cold, smeared with graphic misery, and full of grotesque creatures waiting to strike out at you. The ambiance is so unrelenting that moments of relief after surviving an ambush of ghouls can be stripped in an instant with a distant bang or cackle. Light, shadow, colour, and sound come together perfectly to create an atmosphere that will have players anticipating what, if anything, is around each corner, through each doorway, down each hall, or atop each stairway. The simple act of navigation can be as intense as combat, and players will come to covet their lives in the face of this genius loci’s biblical severity.
The gameplay feels as good as it looks with smooth animations, clear audio indicating hits, misses, blocks, etc, a clean UI that is easy to read and use, and a metal soundtrack that produces riffs as intense as the rest of the presentation.
[h2] A Towering Achievement [/h2]
Osur’s [i] Tower of Kalemonvo [/i] is a masterclass in execution and presentation that does not disappoint. Players will find their first victory takes them six to ten hours, but multiple playthroughs are required to experience all of the content on offer. There is plenty of variety in the gameplay, challenge and level design that players can expect to spend tens of hours climbing the Tower over and over again. Whether you’re looking for intense action or wanting to get lost in an interesting narrative you will not be disappointed with [i] Tower of Kalemonvo. [/i]
[i] *This statement does not constitute a promise that a wizard appears in Osur’s Tower of Kalemonvo (2025). Neither this review nor its author wish to convey that such an entity is present within the game. [/i]
