Towerborne Early Access Review – Gorgeous goblin grappling

thesixthaxis.com:

Humanity’s last bastion, The City of Numbers, has been destroyed. Not just a little bit destroyed either, we’re talking overrun by evil creatures and corrupted by decay. Without a home, the human race sought sanctuary in the Belfry, an immense tower, but the spread of evil attempted to follow them. Humanity needs protectors – known as Aces – warriors tasked with protecting the last inhabitants. This is where you come in.

Towerborne is a scrolling beat em’up – or is that sword ‘em up? – where you and your friends can come together and face off against the denizens of the wilderness who seem set on getting rid of every last human. While it’s a complete change of pace from their The Banner Saga trilogy, Stoic’s pedigree is clear and it’s a gorgeous-looking game. It might also only just be entering into Early Access, but there’s already a lot for budding Aces to get their sword into.

Towerborne’s character creation tool is excellent, which is all the more impressive when you’re likely to have a helmet on that stops you seeing your character’s face most of the time. The Facial Features setting is particularly expansive, offering a batch of freckles, birthmarks, pigmentations and other details, just about stopping short of being able to place specific moles. There’s a vast array of hairstyles, noses and ears too, meaning you’ll be able to make a character that’s absolutely your own.

Combat starts out as you’d expect, with light and heavy attacks, launchers, and then special skills called Focus Attacks. However, each class has its own Class Mechanic that uses your Weapon Meter. You build Weapon Meter by dishing out damage or taking it. In the case of the shield-toting Sentinel, your Class Mechanic allows you to block and parry enemy attacks.

Once through the tutorial you encounter the other available classes, from the explosive Warclub-wielding Pyroclast to the dual-blade toting Shadowstriker. You can change your class at any time, with each levelling up individually alongside