Towerborne Review

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Towerborne is a game with a unique blend of storytelling and action, but it doesn’t always quite feel cohesive. Like Stoic Studio’s previous work, The Banner Saga, it boasts a detailed world and compelling characters. However, its gameplay focuses on repetitive, cooperative combat, which can clash with the narrative depth. Sometimes, the game didn’t deliver the experience I was hoping for, creating a disconnect. Thankfully, the 1.0 release significantly improves the gameplay and progression, allowing the game’s strengths to truly shine. Despite its flaws, Towerborne is surprisingly addictive.

Towerborne is a cooperative, side-scrolling action RPG where you fight your way through levels. The core gameplay involves completing stages, gaining experience to improve your character, unlocking new abilities and finding better gear. You can then upgrade your equipment at a forge to become more powerful. Each level has a suggested power level, making it a game focused on collecting loot, but it’s not as intensely focused on gear grinding as games like Nioh or Borderlands.

The way Towerborne is structured heavily influences gameplay, which unfortunately leads to some slow moments in the story. This is a shame, because the story itself is actually quite good, with likable characters and a surprisingly detailed world.

Towerborne is set in the beautiful City of Numbers just as a devastating apocalypse begins. When dangerous rifts appear and monsters invade, the remaining citizens seek refuge in the Belfry – a huge tower with a town built into its side. You play as an Ace, a hero who can be resurrected through magic, and your mission is to explore the ruined city and search for survivors while also trying to stop the apocalypse.

Towerborne might seem like many other multiplayer games, which often don’t focus much on story. However, Towerborne is different – it’s packed with dialogue and a rich history. The game features detailed stories for both the world and its characters, explored through optional quests. It even shares themes with the game The Banner Saga, like the challenges of leading, the balance between kindness and strength, and the value of community. All of this is brought to life with beautiful, hand-painted art that really emphasizes the characters’ personalities, and has a touch of the style seen in Studio Ghibli films.

I was really drawn to how The Banner Saga wove its story and themes directly into the way you played the game, both in battles and through difficult choices. Towerborne, though, feels like it separates the story from the gameplay. While I understand this game is designed for cooperative play and needs a different structure, it unfortunately makes the story feel less engaging. I was hoping for a more complex and deeper narrative because the storytelling itself was actually quite interesting.

Towerborne truly shines when you’re actually playing it. The complete game features significant improvements to combat, making it feel fantastic, and, crucially, offers a really rewarding sense of progress as you play.

Towerborne’s combat has significantly improved since its early access release – it now feels incredibly smooth, even with many enemies on screen. The game blends elements of beat ‘em ups and combo-focused RPGs, similar to the Tales series. There’s a good amount of complexity in the combos and abilities, allowing for impressive aerial attacks, powerful special moves, and quick dodges. Each character class has unique abilities – for example, the Sentinel can block and parry with their shield, while the Shadowstriker can quickly dash forward using smoke. However, the biggest improvement is the enhanced class system, which elevates the combat from enjoyable to truly excellent.

We’ve completely revamped the class system, including how you earn skill points and abilities. There are now abilities that work for all classes, plus unique mastery skills for each of the four classes. This means Towerborne introduces new skills and ways to customize your class at a great pace, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging.

The game lets you customize your character class in interesting ways. I started playing as the Shadowstriker, a rogue-like character, but as I gained experience, I began to prefer the Sentinel. While the Sentinel is usually a defensive tank, I discovered abilities that allowed me to turn its defenses into powerful attacks, throw a damaging shield, and inflict a lot of bleeding damage with my attacks. Eventually, I completely changed how the class played, making it effective both with teammates and on my own – it became a real powerhouse!

Beyond the core gameplay, Towerborne features Umbra – charming creatures that function as both story elements and extra tools. Each Umbra has a unique combat ability with a cooldown. For example, one releases a poisonous ring that knocks enemies back, while another summons a spectral crab arm to pull them closer. Still another creates a barrage of lightning, damaging and stunning foes. These diverse Umbra significantly expand the game’s already flexible class system, offering countless character customization options. I especially enjoyed experimenting with all these interconnected systems and discovering powerful combinations.

Towerborne is most fun when played with friends, as the fast-paced action is designed for groups. But the latest update has also improved the experience for solo players, making it easier and more enjoyable to play alone thanks to some helpful adjustments.

Towerborne has strong gameplay overall, but it falls short when it comes to the variety of regular enemies. While the boss fights are consistently good, after playing for a while, you start to see the same enemies repeatedly. I fought countless Gobos and bandits – it feels like I’ve wiped them all out! It’s disappointing because the game’s exciting classes and combat system are fantastic, and having more diverse enemies would have made it even better.

Although I have a few minor criticisms of Towerborne, the final version is a clear step up from the early access release. The developers have wisely revised what wasn’t working and polished the overall experience. While I believe some core design choices, such as better integration of the story and gameplay, could have been stronger, Towerborne remains an interesting and unique game.

Towerborne is a significant departure from Stoic’s earlier games, but still retains the studio’s distinct style and storytelling. It’s a very well-made action game, and even more fun with friends. I’m hoping the developers will expand on this world in the future, as it shows real potential to become something truly exceptional.

8

Versions tested: PC. Towerborne is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

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2026-02-26 21:27