New Tactical RPG Towerborne Brings Fighting And Looting To Multiplayer Masses
Developer Stoic has come up with a new game, Towerborne, which appears to promise an exciting new twist on their classic style. Popular tactical RPG Banner Saga was also created by this studio, and has earned countless praises for its well-developed combat system, combined with its accurate and deliberate Norse mythology storyline. Now, Stoic is again entering the tactical RPG space, but with quite a different take on the genre. Multiplayer brawler meets tactical looting in this exciting new entry.
Towerborne Brings A Completely New Spin
Where the Banner Saga Trilogy was focused on storyline and restrained combat, Towerborne focuses on nearly the exact opposite. According to developers in an interview with Game Informer magazine, Towerborne focuses on combat-heavy gameplay, with the storyline taking more of a back seat. “Towerborne, on the other hand, is driven by its gameplay mechanics and revolves around combat: the action combat skills you develop as a player, the huge amount of variety in combat tactics, the vastly flexible RPG progression system, and of course the great wealth of loot to support and fuel it.”
What storyline there is in Towerborne is far lighter, positive, and hopeful than the grim and dark aura of their previous games. The art style is built on the concept of an animated film and developed into the more charming 3D art style that exists now. One thing that Stoic did take from Banner Saga was the success of their multiplayer spinoff. The community built through that game, and feedback from players, has inspired and improved the new multiplayer gaming entry. The hope is that the community is robust and involved, as the team continues to improve based on fan engagement.
A big emphasis in the game is brawling and looting, something not seen in the Banner Saga. That said, the team still wanted to provide a different theme that resonates with players as well. “The central theme of Towerborne is ‘hope’. When we sat down and started talking about the story (humanity’s cities have been destroyed by some mysterious antagonist and now they have taken refuge in the Belfry, where our story takes place), the main thing we said was, ‘This is not a post-apocalyptic story. It’s a post-post-apocalyptic story.’ The idea has always been that this story focuses on the restoration of humanity and the reclamation of the world from those who seek to destroy it.
It is the combat, though, that truly sets Towerborne apart from the rest of the classic tactical RPG genre. The key is balancing depth with approachability. The base action style takes some inspiration from Devil May Cry and God of War, and the ability to build exciting combos. The team wants to build off the basics, though. “Then you have your more advanced tactics like dodge cancels, jump cancels, special move cancels, and even combo resets. Umbra are reminiscent of assist characters in tag fighting games, giving you an extra tool that you may not normally have. Sometimes you may want to just drop an elbow into a crowd of enemies and see the chaos unfold.”
Opening the customization so that players can build their character in countless ways was the final piece to the puzzle. Towerborne has a class skill system that allows players to take their favorite combos and strategies. The ultimate goal of it all? Make the system fun. If players are having fun and have options that fit what they want to create, the rest of the game falls perfectly into place. Yes, that includes a button-mashing strategy for those so inclined.
One other fear that comes up with multiplayer games is, how do you continue making money? And does purchasing in-game items become the only option to keep up with more experienced players? Players can breathe a sigh of relief; the answer is unequivocally no, according to the team. “So the main thing here is that none of the rewards in the Curio will impact gameplay, so no Sword of Slaying +100 Damage to Beasts, or boosters, or in-game currency, or anything like that. It’s all cosmetics, expression stickers, emotes, etc. So if a player decided they don’t want to buy a Curio, they’re not being penalized in their actual gameplay.”
The Curio is thoughtfully planned in other ways, too, including removing most timeframe barriers, staying away from a linear system, and allowing players to pick and choose the activities they want to do. “We made sure that the in-game play activities that reward Curio currency (writs) are designed around things you, as the player, want to do. This is important, because a lot of games give you a checklist of challenges to earn battlepass points, and 50% of the challenges are either lame, or they’re things you don’t want to do as a player.”
This all sounds incredibly well thought out, and players should be excited for what Stoic has in store. It is clear the team wants to make Towerborne as accessible and enjoyable an experience as possible, while introducing the masses to new blends that have not yet been seen before.
Towerborne Release Trajectory
Towerborne is already in its early access and preview phase, where fans can download the game for free on PC and Xbox Series. This will continue throughout the summer, and the official 1.0 version will be announced based on the feedback and improvements the team receives and brings to the game. The game is truly free-to-play, so fans who are intrigued by the concept should download the game and try it out for themselves.
