Stoic Studios, a developer previously known for theBanner Sagafranchise, is coming out with a very different sort of game:Towerborne. Revealed during an Xbox showcase last year,Towerbornestruck audiences as a major departurefrom Stoic’s previous work, adopting a style more in line with the likes ofCastle Crashers, leveraging real-time combat and cooperative gameplay to its advantage. The game was recently released into early access, and though it still has a ways to go, it’s a delightful, gripping, and compelling experience thus far.
Towerborneplayers assume the role of an Ace, a powerful and gifted warrior tasked with protecting the last vestiges of humanity from an encroaching horde of monsters. The society that Aces belong to resides in the Belfry, a bustling city in a massive tower that represents humanity’s final stand against the monstrous blight. There’s not a whole lot of meat to the story at this point, but most players probably won’t be playingTowerbornefor the narrative; they’ll stick around for the crunchy, satisfying combat.
Towerborne’s Gameplay Is Nigh-Impeccable
Pliable build-crafting coupled withsolid hack-and-slash fundamentals makeTowerbornetick. Players have access to four classes, which they can freely choose from between missions:
It would have been easy forTowerborneto feel messy and unfocused, stretching itself too thin by attempting to provide sufficient distinction between each class. Luckily, that’s not the case at all: I am still struggling to decide which class is my favorite—they’re all that good. Whether a player chooses to play as the sword-and-shield sentinel or the WWE-inspired Rockbreaker, the straightforward, easy-to-grasp combat fundamentals are always a joy to toy around with.
The gameplay skeleton of each class is about what you’d expect: they each have a light and heavy attack and some special moves. Something that could hold these classes back for some players is the fact that they are all locked to a specific weapon type, and therefore the same moveset. For example, Shadowstrikers can only ever dual-wield shortswords, which could make gameplay feel somewhat repetitive over time. This potential problem is remedied somewhat by the fact that different weapons will have different special attacks, adding some much-needed variety within each class, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless.
Combat is solid, but progression is what players will sink their teeth into.Towerbornedoesn’t have the most inventive leveling systemout there, but the straightforward progression of each class alongside the player’s overall Ace Rank is surprisingly satisfying on a basic, almost primal level—it feels good to watch the numbers go up, basically. It helps that each class levels independently, as this encourages players to spread their time across each class rather than being overly prejudiced in favor of one. On top of all this, the gear grind is gratifying and consistent, with each mission yielding solid material rewards like weapons and armor, which often come with unique buffs and perks that feed into the build-crafting system.
It’s impossible to discussTowerbornewithout mentioning its co-op functionality. Playing with friends (current or soon-to-be) elevatesTowerbornequite a bit, especially when embarking on some of the more challenging ventures, which can easily overwhelm a player on their own. At the end of each successful mission, both players get rewards, and a “results” screen offers a performance comparison, showing how many kills, deaths, et cetera, each player amassed. This lends itself to healthy competition, motivating you to perform better than your partners.
Towerborneoffers co-op with up to three other players.
Cooperative play, like most parts ofTowerborne, is good, simple fun. It’s not particularly complex or deep—there aren’t special team-up moves or anything like that—but generous hit boxes and pinball-like enemies make it easy to synergize combos with other players. The more hectic and involved co-op levels channel the best parts of games likeStreets of Rageand the 1992X-Menarcade game, which is no easy feat.
Towerborne: A Beautiful, Developing World
Perhaps the most pleasantly surprising thing aboutTowerborneis its lovely atmosphere. The game’s music and sound design paint a whimsical picture, making great use of classically-inspired music which offers a sense of timelessness and class through organic, elegant sounds.Towerborne’s visual design is also remarkably striking: although each level consists of moving along a preset course, the depth and vibrancy of both the background and foreground makes the game come alive, feeling bigger than it really is. Shrewdly implemented VFX, subtle animations, and lighting all aid this sense of immersion, which never gets old even after dozens of missions in the same biome. It will be exciting to see how these aspects of visual, audio, and environmental design develop over the course of early access.
AlthoughTowerborneis free from major bugs and performance issues, there are a few oddities, such as questionable UI design that can be tough to get used to, that could be polished before the game enters 1.0. More importantly,the longevity ofTowerbornecould hinge on how Stoic Studios handles new content.
Towerborneisn’t a particularly complex game—that’s a big part of its charm—but it’s not hard to see how this could come back to bite it. A dearth of interesting narrative or gameplay updates could spell trouble in the coming months or years, as the game’s simplistic structure and gameplay loop, satisfying though it may be, might not be enough to sustain some players over long periods of time. Put another way, new weapons, abilities, biomes, or narrative elements could greatly buttressTowerborne’s already-strong fundamentals.
Given Stoic Studios' plans to makeTowerbornea live-service game, further development of the aforementioned elements will be vital to its success in the long-term. ButTowerbornemight be the first live-service title in a long timethat I actually have high hopes for.Its non-stop charm, gorgeous art design, satisfying combat, and addictive gear grind make it a joy to play, and well worth the cost of early admission. Hopefully, it can maintain this momentum moving forward.
Towerborne
WHERE TO PLAY
The Belfry stands as a beacon of hope and safety amongst the ruins of humanity and the City of Numbers, with monsters lurking right outside the tower’s walls. You are an Ace, born anew from the spirit realm with the skills, the grit, and the determination to protect the people of the Belfry.Can you become the Ace humanity needs to survive? Find out in Towerborne, the newest action-adventure game created by Stoic, the studio that brought you the award-winning Banner Saga trilogy.Venture out of The Belfry solo or with up to three other Aces* to vanquish the looming terror that surrounds the tower. Either way, you won’t be alone. Aces can recruit Umbra companions to join them in battle, gaining access to enhanced skills and unique abilities tied to each spirit. After fighting your way through enemies, return to The Belfry to turn in quests, reforge gear, and more.Towerborne is designed with player choice in mind. Create your Ace with options to customize your looks, gear and weapons. Switch up your overall gameplay experience at any time by changing your danger level as you venture into the wilds. Find and wield powerful weapons with unique special moves from one of four styles: War Clubs, Gauntlets, Dual Daggers, and Swords & Shields. Mix and match to make your Ace your own!With an evolving world map and seasonal content, your Ace will never run out of areas to explore and enemies to defeat. Seasons of Towerborne continue the story of The Belfry by introducing new enemies to battle, regions to discover, abilities to master, and lore to uncover (available as released).
