Xbox’s upcoming ‘Towerborne’ exclusive had me mildly addicted this week — But as early access draws closer, I have questions

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I was given early access by the team at Stoic and Xbox to try out the newest edition of Towerborne before it becomes widely available for early access on Xbox consoles on April 29, 2025.

Towerborne is similar to classic side-scrolling brawlers like Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, but with a contemporary feel. Unlike its predecessors, it’s fully three-dimensional, offering a fresh take on combat mechanics that cater to modern gaming preferences. It includes features like invincibility frames for dodge rolls, complete control over character builds, loot grinding, and more, all aimed at delivering an engaging and immersive experience.

When I saw the early versions of Towerborne last year, the first thought that popped into my head was, “Wow, this reminds me of Golden Axe mixed with Diablo.

For me, the launch date of Towerborne on Xbox Game Preview in April 2025 is quite intriguing since it coincides with the release of another Microsoft game – Diablo 4. Both games share similarities in their focus on loot collection, intense combat, and limitless customization options in terms of build design, which are central to their gameplay mechanics.

It might not be too far-fetched to suggest that Towerborne could be considered the underdog in this situation, but perhaps there’s more to it than meets the eye.

As the analyst examining Towerborne, a game developed by Stoic, creators of The Banner Saga, I’m excited to share that

Operating in a genre that’s typically overlooked by service-type games, Towerborne presents an intriguing approach in a market dominated by such titles. It’s daring to venture into this space without relying on the conventional subscription or pay-to-win models prevalent in many modern games.

Despite the promising previews of Towerborne during events like Gamescom, I found its Early Access debut on Steam underwhelming initially.

Last time I played Towerborne over Christmas last year, it seemed like not much had changed since then, causing me to wonder if it would become a success. But, a significant update suggests that Towerborne has now taken a significant turn for the better as well.

During the last seven days, I’ve stumbled upon an unexpected obsession with the game Towerborne. The battle system is remarkably refined and evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for someone like me who grew up playing Streets of Rage. To be clear, I’m a confessed fanatic when it comes to service games.

Towerborne might strike a successful chord, especially appealing to gamers who juggle multiple responsibilities. However, there are some points I’d like to address and offer constructive feedback on.

Let me explain.

Tight beat ’em up gameplay that feels as fresh as it does nostalgic

As an analyst, I must acknowledge that one aspect of Towerborne that truly impresses me is its exceptional combat system. Being developed by a team that includes Killer Instinct combat designers, it’s evident that every action I take within the game is meticulously designed with thoughtfulness and style in mind.

As a tech enthusiast, I’d say: In the world of Towerborne, my character’s class is shaped by the weapons I choose to wield. At the moment, there are four distinct options: one is a pair of colossal boxing gloves that can send the ground trembling, another is a staff-mounted shotgun for long-range firepower, there are agile daggers designed for quick, deadly strikes in a rogue’s style, and lastly, a classic sword-and-shield combo reminiscent of Souls games.

Every weapon in this game offers an exceptionally snug, accurate, and diverse experience, boasting sharp sound effects and stunning visuals. The vast array of combos, special moves, and basic attacks that can intertwine and link in surprising patterns demonstrates the care and attention to detail poured into Towerborne’s combat system, a testament to its meticulous crafting.

In the game Towerborne, as you progress and level up, you receive skill points that can be assigned to cards, granting access to fresh moves and skills. One of my abilities enabled me to execute an uppercut, which proved handy for starting to knock airborne enemies off balance.

Permission was given for me to rectify my mid-air mistakes if I were accidentally propelled. Furthermore, there exist supportive passive abilities that amplify the efficacy of your self-healing elixirs, and even aid in defending allies by increasing their protective shields.

As an analyst, I found the signature abilities to be particularly intriguing. Each weapon in the game comes equipped with unique skills by default. For instance, the Boomstick flamethrower staff offered me an array of skills that could ignite enemies, causing continuous damage within a broad area.

Although it doesn’t provide opportunities for parrying or shielding, this weapon offers a dodge roll as an alternative, which is fortunate. Skilled players can evade enemy attacks effectively by taking advantage of the dodge maneuver’s invulnerability periods.

For me, it was during boss fights when the combat truly started to impress. The thrill of crushing waves of goblins, minotaurs, mushrooms, and frogmen felt incredibly rewarding. As the battles escalated, players were challenged to become more strategic and cautious, adding a layer of depth to the gameplay.

Encountering boss opponents will demand greater accuracy in evading, recognizing attack sequences, and actively timing your cooldowns. When the enemy’s stun gauge is emptied, unleashing your strongest abilities at that moment can lead to significant damage.

For two energy bars, I have the option to transform my Boomstick temporarily into a massive flamethrower blast or empower all my attacks with fiery damage for a short duration.

It seems that, during the approximately 6 hours I’ve played Towerborne, I found that the intense, gripping moments didn’t occur as frequently as I had hoped.

A question of variety and longevity

On Towerborne’s map, the areas are partitioned into a hexagonal grid, much like in Civilization. You’re free to traverse any of these grid squares using your personalized character model, which comes in various body types for greater diversity.

As a dedicated player, I find that most of the levels in this game are exploration missions, where new areas are discovered randomly. These locales resemble Nightmare Dungeons from Diablo 4, offering familiar layouts with unexpected changes such as randomized enemy encounters and events. However, just like Diablo 4, I’ve noticed that these areas can start to feel repetitive after extended playtime.

At present, it appears that Towerborne may be facing an issue with diversity – however, bear in mind that it’s still in its early access phase, so keep that in mind while reading this review.

Towerborne’s art style is captivating, bearing similarities to Ori and the Blind Forest, with its “living painting” parallax backgrounds. Initially, these visuals are delightful, but after multiple repetitions in the same biome (5-10 times), a sense of familiarity can lead to slight weariness setting in.

In all service-oriented games, repetition is commonplace. It’s my belief that Towerborne might reduce the monotony of grinding if the loot were made more intriguing instead.

In Towerborne, the loot you’ve acquired (up until now) hasn’t been exceptionally enticing to balance out the feeling of repetition. However, in Diablo 4, there’s a chance you could discover a uniquely powerful artifact or an exceptionally superior item that makes the 1000th journey through Diablo 4’s Dark Burrows somewhat rewarding.

In Towerborne, it appears that items don’t randomly acquire stats but are categorized into standard tiers such as Tier 1, 2, 3, etc. Once I obtained a complete three-piece set of Tier 3 equipment, I no longer felt the urge to examine any new gear or items that were dropping.

From where I stand, it’s evident that Diablo 4 boasts an elite AAA development team, backed by a substantial budget for its captivating narrative, grandiose set pieces, and lifelike graphics. However, Towerborne doesn’t rely on such resources to add worthwhile value to your current gaming catalog.

In Towerborne, each stage lasts between 5 to 10 minutes, making it convenient for brief play sessions with an addictive “let me try one more level” appeal. However, this strategy worked fine for a while until I noticed that the loot dropping felt somewhat random, and it seemed unlikely that there would be well-defined story events or grand moments in the game – at least not immediately.

Currently, Towerborne is deeply immersed in its early access phase. It seems to embody the foundations of what could potentially become an impressive endgame experience. The game offers a laid-back, easy-to-play vibe that makes it perfect for devices like your Steam Deck, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or even the upcoming Xbox handheld.

Towering ambition, and it’s still early (access) days

Towerborne represents a monumental endeavor given its scope. Facing off against established PvE free-to-play giants with a less sizable workforce and funds, while simultaneously expanding upon a genre often linked to classic gaming, presents a colossal challenge indeed.

Eagerly, I strive to bring out the best in Towerborne, as it seems to hold a unique recipe for success that, given the right nurturing, could blossom into an extraordinary achievement.

In smaller-scale games like Towerborne, it’s crucial to focus on delivering a diverse experience with engaging item customization, progression, and variety – I believe they are making progress but not quite at the mark yet. Fortunately, the gameplay combat is exceptionally well-designed, and its core idea holds great promise in my opinion.

I can’t wait to discover how Towerborne evolves under Stoic’s guidance, especially as we progress deeper into early access and Xbox Game Preview phases, allowing a growing number of players to share their valuable feedback with the developers.

Right now, you can get Towerborne from Steam’s Early Access, and it will be released for Xbox Game Preview and Xbox Game Pass on April 29th, 2025, with the Founder’s Pack available.

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2025-04-14 15:13