History YMMV / PandorasTower

* NightmareFuel:
** Elena's transformations into a "beast". As the timer runs lower, the transformations get more and more horrific, and her mental state deteriorates. By the time the meter hits the final threshold before her complete transformation, she's ravenously ripping into the disgusting beast flesh.
** Let the timer to complete transformation get too low and Aeron will [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ky_zByRIM4 come across Elena, horrendously mutated and gorging on a bird she caught.]]
** The music in the home area isn't NightmareFuel on its own ([[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel quite the opposite, in fact]]), and the first change in theme that marks Elena's condition growing worse is more sorrowful than scary. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bMcIQJibX0 following mix]], however, is an unsettling dirge-like DarkReprise of the previously-tranquil theme, which [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5cZCUKjd78 starts playing]] [[OminousPipeOrgan ominous organs]] when Elena hits the final threshold before full transformation. And when Elena fully transforms (leading to a NonstandardGameOver), [[NothingIsScarier the music completely stops.]]
** When Elena is [[spoiler: slowly being taken over by Zeron, as a side effect of eating the meat of the 12 Masters, she becomes more and more unhinged and almost feral.]]
** [[spoiler:Zeron's final form in the best ending.]]
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmM3V7uuj84 The]] NonstandardGameOver you get by having the time gauge run out. In between the horror-movie style reveal of the transformation, the smears of purple blood all over the clean room, and the look of despair on Aeron's face right before the now-monstrous Elena kills him, the effect is disturbing.

Back to ''VideoGame/PandorasTower''.
----

* ToughActToFollow: Compared to its fellow Operation Rainfall games ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' and ''VideoGame/TheLastStory''. ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' is from Creator/MonolithSoft, the same minds behind cult classic ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' and the acclaimed ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' trilogy. The box art for ''The Last Story'' proudly declares that it was directed by ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and composed by Music/NobuoUematsu. Meanwhile, ''Pandora's Tower'' was created by some developer that until that point made nothing but action games based on Magazine/ShonenJump properties (and return to doing so afterwards). While not a bad game by any means, with many critics enjoying its story and gameplay, it came out so late after the other two (its North American release being months after the launch of the UsefulNotes/WiiU) and lacked their similar pedigrees that it ultimately became the most forgotten of the trio, despite even seeing a Wii U re-release when ''The Last Story'' didn't.

* ToughActToFollow: Compared to its fellow Operation Rainfall games ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' and ''VideoGame/TheLastStory''. ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' is from Creator/MonolithSoft, the same minds behind cult classic ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' and the acclaimed ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' trilogy. The box art for ''The Last Story'' proudly box art proudly declares that it was directed by ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and composed by Music/NobuoUematsu. Meanwhile, ''Pandora's Tower'' was created by some developer that until that point made nothing but action games based on Magazine/ShonenJump properties (and return to doing so afterwards). While not a bad game by any means, with many critics enjoying its story and gameplay, it came out so late after the other two (its North American release being months after the launch of the UsefulNotes/WiiU) and lacked their similar pedigrees that it ultimately became the most forgotten of the trio, despite even seeing a Wii U re-release when ''The Last Story'' didn't.

* ToughActToFollow: Compared to its fellow Operation Rainfall games ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' and ''VideoGame/TheLastStory''. ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' is from Creator/MonolithSoft, the same minds behind cult classic ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' and the acclaimed ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' trilogy. The box art for ''The Last Story'' proudly box art proudly declares that it was directed by ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and composed by Music/NobuoUematsu. Meanwhile, ''Pandora's Tower'' was created by some developer that until that point made nothing but action games based on Magazine/ShonenJump properties (and return to doing so afterwards). While not a bad game by any means, with many critics enjoying its story and gameplay, it came out so late after the other two and lacked their similar pedigrees that it ultimately became the most forgotten of the trio, despite even seeing a UsefulNotes/WiiU re-release when ''The Last Story'' didn't.

* ToughActToFollow: Compared to fellow Operation Rainfall games ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' and ''VideoGame/TheLastStory''. ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' is from the same developers behind the acclaimed ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}''. ''The Last Story'''s box art proudly declares that it was directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series) and composed by Music/NobuoUematsu. Meanwhile, ''Pandora's Tower'' was created by some developer that until that point made nothing but action games based on Magazine/ShonenJump properties (mostly ''Manga/OnePiece''). While not a bad game by any means, with many critics enjoying its story and gameplay, it came out so late after the other two and lacked their similar pedigrees that it ultimately became the most forgotten of the trio, despite even seeing a UsefulNotes/WiiU re-release when ''The Last Story'' didn't.

* SoOkayItsAverage: Compared to fellow Op. Rainfall games ''VideoGame/TheLastStory'' and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', reaction to this one has been fairly lukewarm. It doesn't help that its developer, Ganbarion, is rather obscure compared to Mistwalker and Monolith Soft, and is mostly being campaigned to be brought over to the States on principle. This may also be due to having a much further American release date compared to its companions, being released on April 16, 2013. By comparison, both ''Xenoblade'' and ''The Last Story'' were released on April 6, and August 14 in 2012, respectively. The length between this game and the other two was long enough for fans to believe it would remain a NoExportForYou title, and thus lose interest.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Albeit its sales were still modest, the reviews and fans reactions were more positive in Europe than in America, where it's considered one of the Wii's most special games (Many even consider it superior to ''VideoGame/TheLastStory''). The fact that it was released much sooner there, with the whole hype machine of the three Operation Rainfall games still in full effect, definitely helped. It also helped that the it did not suffer from [[BadExportForYou several game-breaking bugs that were introduced into the American version]], such as [[GameBreakingBug the 11th and 12th tower freeze glitches.]]

* SoOkayItsAverage: Compared to fellow Op. Rainfall games ''VideoGame/TheLastStory'' and ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'', reaction to this one has been fairly lukewarm. It doesn't help that its developer, Ganbarion, is rather obscure compared to Mistwalker and Monolith Soft, and is mostly being campaigned to be brought over to the States on principle. This may also be due to having a much further American release date compared to its companions, being released on April 16, 2013. By comparison, both ''Xenoblade'' and ''The Last Story'' were released on April 6, and August 14 in 2012, respectively. The length between this game and the other two was long enough for fans to believe it would remain a NoExportForYou title, and thus lose interest.

** The music in the home area isn't NightmareFuel on its own ([[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel quite the opposite, in fact]]), and the first change in theme that marks Elena's condition growing worse is more sorrowful than scary. The following two mixes, however, quickly grow unsettling, with the final mix being a dirge-like theme with [[OminousPipeOrgan ominous organs]]. And when Elena fully transforms (leading to a NonstandardGameOver), [[NothingIsScarier the music completely stops.]]

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmM3V7uuj84 The]] NonstandardGameOver you get by having the time gauge run out. [[spoiler: In between the horror-movie style reveal of the transformation, the smears of purple blood all over the clean room, and the look of despair on Aeron's face right before the now-monstrous Elena kills him,]] the effect is disturbing.

* NauseaFuel: In order to not turn into a monster, Elena has to eat chunks of meat hacked from the monsters in the Towers. Unfortunately, she has to eat it raw, and the flesh does not look appetizing at all: they're purple lumps with cyst-like bits inside.

** The music in the home area isn't NightmareFuel on its own ([[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel quite the opposite, in fact]]), and the first change in theme that marks Elena's condition growing worse is more sad than scary. The following two mixes, however, quickly grow unsettling, with the final mix being a dirge-like theme with [[OminousOrganMusic ominous organ backing]]. And when Elena fully transforms (leading to a NonstandardGameOver), [[NothingIsScarier the music completely stops.)

** [[spoiler: Aeron's fate in the game's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmM3V7uuj84 worst ending]] which results in a NonStandardGameOver. The look of resignation on his face right before it happens... ]] that's more unsettling than anything seen in ''Franchise/SilentHill''.

** Elena's transformations into a "beast". As the timer runs lower, the transformations get worse and worse, and her mental state deteriorates. By the time the meter hits the final threshold before the NonstandardGameOver, she's ravenously ripping into the disgusting beast flesh.

* NightmareFuel: Elena's transformations into a "beast".

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Albeit its sales were still modest, the reviews and fans reactions were more positive in Europe than in America, where it's considered one of the Wii's most special games (Many even consider it superior to ''VideoGame/TheLastStory''). The fact that it was released much sooner there, with the whole hype machine of the three Operation Rainfall games still in full effect, definitely helped.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dh3CQFoEh4 The Boss fight themes]]. Furthermore, the music that Elena sings to is ''Liebestraum'' by Franz Liszt.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dh3CQFoEh4 The Boss fight themes]]. Furthermore, the music that Elena sings to is Liebestraum by Franz Liszt.

* NightmareFuel: Elena's transformations into a 'beast'.

** [[spoiler: Aeron's fate in the game's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmM3V7uuj84 worst ending]] which results in a NonStandardGameOver. The look of resignation on his face right before it happens... ]] that's more unsettling than anything seen in ''VideoGame/SilentHill''.

* FanNickname: Creator/DavidCronenberg’s [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]

* [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Europeans Love Pandora's Tower]]: Albeit its sells were still modest, the reviews and fans reactions were more positive in Europe than in America, where it's considered one of the Wii's most special games (Many even consider it superior to ''TheLastStory''). The fact that it was released much sooner there, with the whole hype machine of the three Operation Rainfall games still in full effect, definitely helped.

* MoeMoe: Elena, at least when she's in human form.