Towerborne was a title I had not seen much coverage for in my doom-scrolling of social media. Then, on one of my regular checks to titles coming to the Xbox Game Pass, I discovered a title that visually grabbed my attention and appealed to my old-school side-scrolling gaming days. Initially released on PC Steam Early Access on 10th September 2024, it now finds its way to Xbox and, as stated, on the Xbox Game Pass.

It also features Xbox Play Anywhere, and you can sync all progress across Steam and Xbox with crossplay and progression to boot. As a side note to this review, it is based on its current state as it will, for now, remain in Early Access/Game Preview.

From Developer Stoic, behind the games The Banner Saga and now published by Xbox Studios, Towerborne is a side-scrolling loot brawler with plenty to offer. Visually stunning, with detailed backdrops from Grasslands to Dark Forests, I couldn’t help but be taken in by its beauty.

You are an Ace, brought back from the dead to protect mankind. You will meet many colourful characters throughout your journey while you aim to be the strongest and most feared Ace. You can be one of four classes: Sentinel, Rockbreaker, Pyroclast, and Shadowstriker. Each with their own abilities and weapons. These can be switched throughout your gameplay, and you can level each class.

You have an overall player level, but as stated, there are four classes that can be levelled individually. You will be able to customise your appearance and gear to benefit each playstyle as you see fit.

The Belfry is the home for the Aces, where you will take on a variety of mission styles and bounties. You can socialise and communicate with other players, upgrade your gear, customise, and get to know a little more about the NPC. The story is quite linear and requires more lore, but it offers enough to give everyone a general idea of the world. The game will have a long life with plenty more updates and expansions. So maybe the story will expand, offering more knowledge of the world.

You have companions called Umbra that will accompany you. These have their own abilities, Customisations and other extra support when you start to feel overwhelmed by the bombardment at times in the world. The enemies are varied, with close attacks and ranges, with a colour scheme representing their difficulty: Green is easy, Purple medium, and hard Red.

When you leave to explore, you are faced with a large map broken into grids. You need to complete each section to progress. Some will permanently be clear, while others offer

replay value to collect more loot and level yourself in preparation for harder levels to come. There are also danger levels, in which you can increase your challenge with recommended gear levels to consider before taking on that challenge. You will see other players on their journey, as it is multiplayer and you can party with up to three other people online or locally.

There are in-game purchases available. These are cosmetic, and you can purchase many with in-game currency.

The controls are simple to begin with, as it is a side-scrolling game, but as you level, more controls are enabled to access extra skills and abilities. I found no issues picking these up quite quickly, making the game accessible to all.

The soundtrack is beautiful and fitting for the style of this game. It is owned by Microsoft, and for all your content creators out there, there should not be any DMCA boundaries.

Towerborne is enriched with plenty of Accessibility Options, from Visual Enhancements and Adjustments to Audio Cues and Customisations.

Overall, Towerborne is pleasing to the eye and has a beautiful soundtrack to add to its artistic style. With plenty of customisations, visually and physically, you will find no end of ways to stand out from the other players. It is quite the grind, but it can feel rewarding and satisfying at the same time.

Playing alone or with others adds even more to the playability. I would recommend this game to anyone who wants to try something new, and with the plus of being on Game Pass, for many, there is no reason not to try.

Written by: Kevin Lal