A surprise winner for me at Gamescom this year was Towerborne, the new co-op action RPG from Xbox Game Studios and Stoic, developer of The Banner Saga. A dramatic departure from that game, this colorful, loot-led romp combines satisfying combat inspired by fighting games and soulslikes with stat-rich gear reminiscent of ARPGs like Diablo. The result is a package that’s simple to get into but offers plenty of depth if you want it. Its new update ratchets up the level cap and the threat alike, so I sat down with the team to discuss the changes and what lies ahead.
Stoic’s character work is well established but, with Towerborne taking a big step away from the more strategic stylings of The Banner Saga, combat was always going to be the do-or-die aspect of this action RPG. So far, I’ve been impressed – and a big part of that comes down to lead combat designer Isaac Torres, who previously worked on Injustice, Divekick (a personal favorite of mine), Killer Instinct, and the excellent Rumbleverse. With simple inputs offering plenty of combo variety, in Towerborne you can mash your way to victory or style on your opponents with purpose.
Ahead of the co-op game’s biggest update yet, I asked both Torres and Stoic CEO Trisha Stouffer how they feel about the game’s progress since launch. Torres says “it’s actually quite hard to quantify” how much has changed since the early access launch in September, because there’s already been so many adjustments. Much of this is driven by player feedback, he notes, with the game’s Discord particularly active among its most eager players.
Stouffer, who says she tries to avoid playing any in-development content in order to get a better perspective on the game as players see it, calls herself “Towerborne’s number one fan,” but adds that one particularly hardcore member of the community has topped even her own total hour count. One of the most important focus points early on, she explains, is prioritizing issues that prohibit people from playing the game – especially those who’ve already made an investment of time or money.
As such, a key feature of update two is the first iteration of a group finder. This lets you look for like-minded players by setting the locations and goals of your current play session, along with the Danger Level ranges you want to work at. Whether you’re trying to get past a tough boss or just want to farm some gear, you should be able to quickly find others who are up for the job at hand. It’ll continue to be developed over time, but it’s a very handy feature to have even in this early state, and reminds me a little of setting up a Monster Hunter lobby.
There’s a lot more to update two, of course. Once you’ve reached the top of the existing gear tree, another Danger License Trial will put your upgrades and your skills to the test. Pass, and you’ll unlock the new Danger Level 5, which raises the level cap to 50 along with a new legendary tier of gear. Currently there are four legendary weapons, one per class, and 12 legendary gear items – although you can only equip two armor pieces of this rarity at once.
That increased Danger Level also means your access to the world map will expand, letting you head out in search of previously unseen foes and, of course, the delicious new loot they’re hoarding. There are four more Ventures to take on, and you’ll need to work through those to unlock a particularly dangerous boss fight. The Triumvirate Showdown will put your skills to the test against three strong foes in a battle that Torres calls “a bit of a spectacle.”
To help you prepare, there are more gear sets and Venture weapons up for grabs, along with four new Aspects to enhance them that you’ll find in tier five. The dodge roll should feel smoother post-update, and you can now cancel its recovery frames into attacks. Ground recovery techniques have been made more responsive, and all the classes have been given some additional upgrades. Following the improvements to Sentinel last time, update two focuses most prominently on the Rockbreaker.
Rounding things out is one of the most exciting additions – a pair of new Umbra. The adorable companions act rather like assists in Marvel vs Capcom or Zenless Zone Zero, hopping in briefly to contribute damage or support. Torres says this was actually part of the initial pitch for their design, and here we get two more. Picus deals a screen-wide AoE shockwave that leaves enemies burning, while Grimel fires a projectile that stuns whoever it hits, sending them flying through the air towards you. I’m particularly eager to test the combo potential of that second one.
With the new update out in the world, Stouffer says the team has been encouraged to take some time off in December following the busy run-up to launch and the aftermath thereof. This means there will be slightly fewer updates during the holiday season. Stoic isn’t quite ready to commit to a more structured roadmap yet, she explains, although it’s likely that it will look to put one together early in 2025 as plans get more concrete.
Stouffer is very excited to see how quickly the game’s most dedicated players can clear Danger Level 5, but also stresses that the team will continue to work on honing and improving the existing content in Danger Levels one through four alongside adding more at the top-end. “It won’t matter that we have the endgame if nobody gets there,” she remarks.
Towerborne update 2 rolls out Tuesday November 12. It will be free-to-play when the full launch arrives, which is currently scheduled for 2025, but you can join the game’s early access journey by buying one of the two founder’s packs on Steam, priced at $24.99 / £21.99 or $44.99 / £39.99. It will also be arriving on Game Pass in 2025. Head here to take a look.
Want to smash some more monsters to pieces? You can’t go far wrong with any of the best action games on PC. If you simply need more loot at all times, here are the best games like Diablo.
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