Summary<\/h3>\n

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• We speak to Arnie Jorgensen, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Stoic, about Towerborne<\/em>, and players getting to experience the game in person for the first time.<\/li>\n
• Towerborne<\/em> is a brawler-style action role playing game (ARPG) that\u2019s easy to learn, fun to master, and supports a single player and up to 4-player co-op experience.<\/li>\n
• Coming to PC (Windows and Steam) and Xbox Series X|S in 20024, plus it will be available with Game Pass on day one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

  For the first time since hearing the iconic \u201cWorld Premiere\u201d catchphrase at the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year, thousands of fans attending this year\u2019s gamescom will have a unique opportunity to experience Towerborne<\/em> <\/strong>firsthand. Even though I won\u2019t be attending the show in person, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a build like what fans will be playing, and then chat with Arnie Jorgensen, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Stoic, about the game\u2019s development and what players can expect.<\/p>\n

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  \u201cGamescom is giving us creative energy and we\u2019re psyched for people to see what we\u2019ve been working on. Players will be battling through a tight experience focused on defeating a titanic enemy who resides deep in the heart of an ancient mycelium forest. Weapon combos and abilities will be honed on the way to this boss by brawling with lesser denizens\u2019 intent on defending their master,\u201d Jorgensen says. \u201cI hope players come away from this experience with a thrilling glimpse into the exciting combat and stunning world that Towerborne<\/em> has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  I hope players come away from this experience with a thrilling glimpse into the exciting combat and stunning world that Towerborne<\/em> has to offer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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  Beacon of Hope<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  If you read a description of Towerborne<\/em>, you will discover that, \u201cThe Belfry stands as a beacon of hope and safety amongst the ruins of humanity and the City of Numbers\u2026\u201d<\/em> Ruins of humanity? That sounds a bit dark and foreboding, but the first thing I noticed about Towerborne<\/em> is how beautiful the game is. Even with homes burning in the background and death lingering in the air, it\u2019s bright and cheery atmosphere coupled with a delightful and uplifting music score that shifts in tempo depending on whether you\u2019re in the safety of the Belfry or on the battlefield surrounded by enemies truly embodies this message of a beacon of hope. Instead of seeing a world in ruins, the audio and visual design of the game left me feeling optimistic for the City of Numbers.<\/p>\n

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  I asked Jorgensen about Towerborne\u2019s<\/em> creative style. \u201cWe began the art direction by leaning into what we\u2019ve done previously on Banner Saga, meaning that Towerborne<\/em> should look like you\u2019re playing in a beautifully animated feature film,\u201d explains Jorgensen. \u201cUsing Unreal Engine on this title has enabled us to go further and lean into a more updated and modern look, which suits the Towerborne<\/em> worldbuilding perfectly. It\u2019s simply better than anything I had hoped for in my mind at the start.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  Mash Buttons, Get Loot<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  Admittedly, I am terrible at games that force me to remember complicated combat maneuvers to chain combos together or pull off a flashy finishing move. But the joy of Towerborne\u2019s<\/em> combat design is you don\u2019t have to be a pro to feel like one. I can button mash and still have fun, or I can be a bit more tactical with my attacks and dodges and be strategic when deciding to use my special attacks. Either play style you choose \u2013 the game is just fun. I asked Jorgensen how they created a game with a combat mechanic that is completely different than all their previous games and made it so enjoyable. <\/p>\n

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  The game is easy to pick up and dive into, and even better with friends\u2026it\u2019s just a good time.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

  \u201cThe game is simply easy to pick up and dive into, and even better with friends. Anyone can grab a controller and have fun mashing buttons and getting loot to improve your character with. The combat is bouncy, and accessible to a wide range of people,\u201d he says. \u201cAs you play more and go deeper with the weapon specific combos and abilities, you realize the combat is far deeper than you first thought. You see a boss enemy\u2019s head sticking out of the clouds up ahead on the world map and have a new goal to shoot for, but to defeat it may require reforging your Warclub and leveling up some gear\u2026 the game just pulls you in and it\u2019s not a stress simulator, it\u2019s just a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  A Focus on Fun<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  To gain further understanding of how the game delivers on being one that is easy to learn, fun to master, Jorgensen taps Isaac Torres, the senior combat designer, to dive deeper into the core combat mechanics. \u201cA good portion of the combat team is composed of designers and animators that have worked on action games, beat \u2018em ups, and fighting games where this sort of feel is a top priority,\u201d states Torres. \u201cWe also have designers that have worked on a large variety of other genres, too, like RPGs and MMOs. It is this sort of team diversity that has allowed us to take inspiration from tons of games while also creating our own identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  He continues, \u201cFrom a gameplay perspective, we made sure that Light Attacks and Heavy Attacks can be used interchangeably no matter which button you use first. If you hit a button, you\u2019re going to do something cool no matter your skill level. Once you find button combinations or moves that you like doing, you will naturally start forming strategies around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

  Torres closes with, \u201cIt\u2019s important to reward you through exploration and discovery, and the combat system is designed with that in mind. Umbra, for example, provides abilities that amplify your combat to do things that aren\u2019t normally possible. Maybe it\u2019s something that holds an enemy in place, something that makes juggling easier, or maybe it\u2019s an Umbra that fires a long-range projectile. Figuring out what each ability does is part of the fun and makes combat feel unique and expansive.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  Adventure Together<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  I know I just said combat was fun, but don\u2019t be fooled into thinking fun means easy, or that the game\u2019s cute little enemy soldiers aren\u2019t dangerous. Oh sure, you can power through one or two of them at a time, but when you\u2019re trying to defend an objective, like a wagon, and there is half a dozen or more enemies on the battlefield, it can get overwhelming. The big boss battles, even more so. That\u2019s where having a trusty companion comes in handy, and Towerborne<\/em> achieves this in the form of Umbra. I asked Jorgensen about them since they feel like such an important part of the game. \u201cThe Umbra are small spirit beings, each with their own motivations and personalities. In battle they provide you aid by adding stats and abilities to your combat kit,\u201d Jorgensen states. \u201cOne may call down spirit energy to smash the ground in front of you with area damage and another may project blistering damage across the screen. You need to seek them out by exploring the world map and in doing so, you will assemble several of them, then choose which will make the best addition to your loadout for the coming battle.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  Home Sweet Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  The Belfry is a hub where you will link up with friends and companions to plan your next adventure, but it\u2019s also home to several interesting non-player characters. I met several of them in my limited playtime but didn\u2019t have the opportunity to learn much about them. I asked Jorgensen if he could share any details about a few of the more popular ones you\u2019ll interact with regularly. \u201cThe characters of Towerborne<\/em> are intended to be exclusive to this particular unfolding storyline and will help give you focus, motivation, and context in the world,\u201d he mentions. \u201cThe stalwart Paloma who pulls you back from the Ebb into new life again; Krafft, the no-nonsense military commander; Courage, an Umbra spirit, who will teach you how to use your own fighting spirit. Bumble and Blundt build masterpiece weapons and gear, and Ryx, an Ace who\u2019s died one too many times, intimately understands the spirits of the Ebb, just to name a few.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  Cartography \u2013 the Art of Making and Using Maps<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  I love maps and charts in general, so map functionality is something I always notice in games I play. Towerborne\u2019s<\/em> map is not only functional and easy to use, but it\u2019s also just as beautiful as the game and an important element of the adventure. I express my adoration on the brilliant map design with Jorgensen.<\/p>\n

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  The map is designed to be a candy shop full of tasty treats for you to enjoy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

  \u201cThe map is your way of exploring the world of Towerborne<\/em>. You will battle out from the safety of the Belfry, hex by hex into the wilds to encounter discovery, story, enemy cluster, boss missions and more,\u201d he states. \u201cYou will find chests of precious items, seek out Umbra spirits, and unlock pathways to more dangerous areas through Danger License missions. The map is designed to be a candy shop full of tasty treats for you to enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  From the Makers of Banner Saga<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  Towerborne<\/em> is being developed by Stoic, the studio best known for their award-winning tactical role-playing game series, Banner Saga. Towerborne<\/em> plays completely differently yet shares some subtle parallels. \u201cThe largest similarity is the base visual target both share, which is the look of an animated feature film. In the early days of development, the game also was much more of a left to right layout for combat, like Banner Saga travel scenes, but now it\u2019s got a lot more movement and directions to engage with. It also used to be completely 2D, like Banner Saga, but we quickly pivoted to lean into what the Unreal Engine does well, which is 3D,\u201d Jorgensen describes. \u201cSo now we get a similar look with a cel shader on the characters and hand painted environments for them to exist on. It has wonderfully designed worldbuilding and characters and is far more optimistic and uplifting than Banner Saga.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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  Towerborne<\/em> reminds me of a few games I\u2019ve played recently, including Tunic<\/em>, Planet of Lana<\/em>, Ori and the Will of the Wisps<\/em>, and Immortals Fenyx Rising<\/em> \u2013 NOT because they are necessarily similar in gameplay, rather, because they are just beautiful, and fun, and everything you want in a great game. Towerborne<\/em> is all of these things!<\/p>\n

  \u201cWith Towerborne<\/em> we really wanted to lean more into a fast-paced combat-based game that was accessible enough to play with your kids but didn\u2019t talk down to adults either. We felt that a brawler style battle system was a great fit as a base that we could then twist into something larger and more modern to excite the current gaming community,\u201d Jorgensen says. \u201cWe coupled this base with deep ARPG mechanics, a cool loot system, Stoic worldbuilding, and all wrapped up in a persistent world. We\u2019re adding a lot of new to the genre, but the secret sauce is the world map which is also something players will find new and refreshing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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  Before letting Jorgensen go, so he could focus on gamescom and sharing Towerborne<\/em> with the fans, I had one personal parting question about games he\u2019s currently playing, which I always find interesting to hear what game developers are playing. \u201cWhen I have time to actually play a game these days it\u2019s Pillars of Eternity<\/em> or Songs of Conquest<\/em> on the PC,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd the last two I played and finished are the Untitled Goose Game<\/em> and It Takes Two<\/em> with my son. Oh, and Clash Royale<\/em> on the phone of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

  Towerborne<\/em> is coming in 2024 to PC and Xbox Series X|S, plus it will be available day one on Game Pass. For more information about Towerborne<\/strong><\/em>, check out the official website and follow @Towerborne<\/a> on Twitter, and check out our exclusive interview with the team from the Xbox Games Showcase.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n