Four brave heroes, a feat full of treasures and a touch of fantasy. Towerborne is the latest from the creators of the acclaimed The Banner Saga and the latest addition to the Xbox Game Studios licensing portfolio. It has arrived on Steam in Early Access relatively quietly, but between one thing and another it has already taken me 15 hours. Knowing me, I’ll probably end up spending twice as much time on it. Or more.
The formula of Towerborne is not exactly new. The development of its games draws on classics like Golden Axe, Konami’s arcade legacy of Ninja Turtles and even indie gems like Castle Crashers; borrowing from here and there to revalidate a classic, simple and tremendously entertaining game proposal: fight your way through thugs until you come across the final boss. The same old thing with a different name? Yes and no.
Unlike other hack’n slash games born in arcades and those blatant clones of Double Dragon’s “Me Against the Neighborhood” formula, in Towerborne There are no stages or phases arranged in order, but rather our progress is through a huge world map divided into hexagons. Although there is a background, the premise is to conquer each piece of the map and if you are knocked down in one of them, when you return you will see that the biome is the same, but its layout is different and you may have to overcome other types of challenges. Of course, they all end the same: with a huge treasure chest.
Of course, these kinds of adventures can be enjoyed both alone and on our own, or together with other players, but it’s in the shared experience where Xbox Game Studios’ game really shines: joining other adventurers to swing clubs, chain punches and even aerial combos is chaotic, but also a genuinely fun spectacle. Which doesn’t mean that, as you’ll see, there’s still a long way to go before it’s final version. Or, at least, before it’s released from Early Access.
Stoic and Xbox Game Studios offered us the chance to play both the pre-release version of Towerborne as well as its Early Access currently available on Steam. Something truly unique, in fact, given that its release is scheduled for 2025 on PC and Xbox consoles. From here, two key questions arise: what does it offer me? Towerborne today and what will happen When switching to the Free-To-Play model. A planned leap that is part of the roadmap of its creators.
Towerborne, the reconquest of Hack and Slash born in the arcades
Towerborne It’s more than just sword-slashing and punching your way to the right side of each stage, though that’s a quick way to summarise what the games are all about. As a game, Stoic sticks to the essence of classic Hack and Slash games born in the arcades. as referred to Golden Axe from SEGA or the Knights of the Round from Capcom; but unlike them it has not been designed to be completed in an hour at most, but to grow progressively and over seasons. The starting point, in fact, is the vicinity of the gigantic Belfry tower, the last bastion of civilization.
Simplifying the plot as much as possible Towerbornemonsters have invaded and sacked entire cities, forcing the inhabitants of the cities and countryside to take refuge in a high tower. Faced with this desperate situation, brave heroes have begun to be recruited, capable of liberating and reconquering the fields, meadows and forests. Warriors of great power when fighting alone and practically invincible when they join forces.
Our hero of Towerborne it’s a As We can make it to our liking, being able to define its appearance a little. There are several facial configurations, but don’t expect much. In fact, I can tell you in advance that the editor doesn’t include strength, resistance or intelligence points, but the latter ends up being a success.
Although in Towerborne There is some RPG element here and there, leveling up and upgrading are usually tied to your class and the equipment you wear. You can choose between both of these things whenever you want before setting foot on solid ground and starting to deal out blows and slashes at will. So instead of having the archetypes of the warrior, the dwarf or the amazon, your hero can alternate between four very defined play styles:
- He Sentinel It is the perfect class to start with and the only one that offers a balance between attack and defense. In addition to using a sword, we will have a shield to block enemy attacks and take advantage of that moment to take the initiative.
- He Pyroclast He has slow but powerful and overwhelming attacks. He uses a huge staff capable of projecting flames that will neutralize enemies in groups and that can also be charged between combo chains to gain extra power.
- He Rockbreaker He uses two enormous gloves that make him extremely dangerous at short distances: his reach is limited, but in addition to being really strong, he can deliver brutal bursts and blows against enemies of any size and, in addition, get ahead of their initiatives with counterattacks.
- He Shadowstriker He is extremely fast and extremely agile. He may not have the ability to knock down in a single blow like other classes, but with his dual daggers he can take out multiple targets before they even hit the ground.
Although each class has its own weapons, one of the successes of Towerborne The thing is that, beyond the combos, the special attacks depend on what we have equipped. In other words: depending on which gloves we use as Rockbreaker, we will have access to a powerful finisher or a flurry of blows. And that’s where the treasures, rarities and the game’s forge come into play.
Towerborne is a game as a service. But an interesting one
In Towerborne We will have to reconquer a huge map hexagon by hexagon, starting from the tower and making our way alone or with other players. Logically, it is possible to return to those areas where there are still enemies, but the interesting thing is that when we do so we will see the same biome again, but the layout of the stage or the missions can vary: sometimes it will be enough to cross a field or a forest from one end to the other, other times it will be necessary to escort a cart, in certain cases it will be necessary to pass a test of ingenuity and they have even asked me to destroy a huge amount of barrels that were in front of me.
By defeating certain enemies and at the end of each stage we will receive treasures that, in essence, can be equipment or weapons. We will also have experience for the weapons we carry and the class we have used. Logically, there are weapons of different levels and rarities, so we may have to use and level up as Sentinel to make use of that flashy sword and shield we just got. Promoting long-term replayability, despite its initial stages being somewhat routine. Necessarily slow? Partly yes.
Towerborne It works at two speeds: it caters to those looking for a game with classic mechanics, born in the arcades, but it also opens the door to those players who simply want to deal out slashes and punches with friends (online) while clearing stages and obtaining increasingly powerful armor, helmets and weapons. Giving both exactly what they come looking for.
Social features will, in fact, need to be better implemented during this Early Access phase: matchmaking is only before entering each phase and unless you have friends on Steam and the game you will have to keep an eye on who is wandering around the map if you want to share the game and the achievements. And while many of the missions (especially escort and protection) are better suited to playing multiplayer, you can enjoy Towerborne alone.
