Towerborne is a delightful upcoming side-scrolling action adventure developed by Stoic and published by Xbox Game Studios. Thanks to Xbox for gifting MKAU the code, I was fortunate enough to receive a pre-early access version to test out. It was truly amazing and left me speechless. Towerborne is one of those games you can enjoy with friends or relax solo across all seasons, not just on a cold winter night. I am very intrigued to see what Stoic has planned for this game and look forward to sinking more hours in when the game is released.

Set in the City of Numbers, a dystopian fantasy world overrun by monsters, you are an Ace. Aces are the heroes of Towerborne who set out to protect the Belfry and its citizens and reclaim lost territories. The Belfry is home for the survivors and a social hub for Aces to gear up, here you can also find key figures who give you quests and help you through the game. These personalities all share the same goal of protecting the Belfry, with its well-written storyline, Towerborne is sure to have you hooked for hours on end running and slashing through its beautiful scenery.

The controls for Towerborne are very user-friendly. You can use the traditional movement keys along with LMB for light attacks and RMB for heavy attacks, allowing you to get into the action quickly. You can also combine light and heavy attacks for more damage. You can also dodge or roll out of danger by tapping or double-tapping the scroll wheel which is super handy when hordes of enemies rush you or certain enemies throw grenades. While it is nice being able to dodge or roll out of the way I do wish the dodge response was a little quicker.

I often found myself attacking an enemy while a grenade was thrown at my face, but even when spamming the scroll wheel my character animation was so slow that I couldn’t escape the grenade, thus losing a lot of health or dying. This minor issue didn’t bother me much since the combat in Towerborne was still very satisfying. I eventually improved in combat, and the dodging problem disappeared. The map in Towerborne is huge, venturing beyond the Belfry and exploring the map will unlock more tiles, uncover treasure, have you face increasingly difficult enemies, and unlock more of the lore behind Towerborne.

Speaking of enemies, there are multiple enemy types such as ones that can throw grenades, shield enemies, and even enemies with spears, there is no shortage of foes to defeat. There is also loot you can collect, progressing through the game you will gain loot from completing quests or missions. This loot can be used to upgrade your Ace such as powerful weapons, armour, or accessories that help you alter your character to your playstyle.

Speaking of Aces and loot there are also four different classes. You start as a Sentinel; this class is well-balanced and perfect for a fresh spawn as they wield both a sword and a shield allowing you to play both offensive and defensive. Next is the Rockbreakers; this class has immense skills and has you don a pair of gauntlets. Pyroclasts; have a warclub that you can use to smash enemies and set them alight with flame blasts.

Finally, we have the Shadowstriker; with dual daggers, this class is known for being swift and agile. Progressing through the game and levelling up your class will reward you with abilities and perks to enhance your Ace even more. There are also aspects that you can put into your weapon or armour to boost its power even more.

The otherworldly graphics vomited multitudes of bright and vibrant colours making it feel like a beautiful feature film. I often ran back and forth across the levels to take in the superb scenery, forgetting to protect the Belfry. Towerborne looks more like a film than a video game and I’m sure you will feel the same.

Sounds are also another notable mention, apart from the intense fighting and clanging from my sword hitting an enemy’s armour, there was a very nice soft tune playing as a backing track. The sound effects from the fight scenes or cutscenes keep you on the edge of your seat while the soundtrack feels as if it’s holding you in its warm arms comforting you on a cold winter night. The soundtrack alone made me fall in love with Towerborne and immensely aided me in enjoying the game.

Overall, Towerborne is a masterpiece. Other than the minor issue with dodging, I couldn’t find anything negative about the game, even in a pre-early access state. Thanks to its beautiful scenery, soothing soundtrack, intense action fights, and interesting lore and dialogue, I’m sure players will love Towerborne and appreciate the amount of love Stoic has put into it.

Written by: Larry