Towerborne

I jumped into Towerborne hoping for a satisfying mash-up of beat 'em up immediacy and RPG depth — and, for the most part, Stoic delivers. The combat hits hard and feels rewarding, with weapon combos and classes that actually matter. The game’s mix of randomized encounters, a campaign with lore, and couch co-op make it stand out among other indie action titles. Still, there are rough edges: frayed crossplay promises and leftover live-service UI choices that sometimes clash with the premium purchase model. If you love tight combat and loot chasing, Towerborne will likely stick to your ribs — even when it annoys you.

Wading into the Belfry Brawls

Combat is the heart of Towerborne. Expect tight, combo-based beat 'em up action where timing, spacing and weapon choice matter more than just button-mashing. Each class has distinct rhythms — heavy-handed greatswords feel weighty and deliberate, while faster weapons let you weave through crowds and chain skills for flashy finishers. I found myself alternating between cautious defense and glorious face-planting into enemy groups depending on which build I was testing. Progression leans on gear, Aspects and crafting; every new piece can change the way a run plays out. The randomized level layout keeps encounters feeling fresh because the objectives and enemy mixes shift often, so runs rarely feel copy-paste.

When Your Loadout Becomes a Strategy

What separates Towerborne from being 'just another brawler' is how it layers RPG systems on top of arcade combat. Gear and Aspects give tangible gameplay-altering effects rather than only stat bumps — legendaries and sets can flip your role from bruiser to crowd-controller in a few drops. Crafting reduces the sting of RNG by letting you invest materials into the weapons you actually want, which is a huge quality-of-life win. Co-op (local and online, with caveats) multiplies the chaos: I’ve had matches where synergy between an Umbra-support and a damage-focused Ace turned messy waves into clean, satisfying clears. The game still carries hints of its live-service past — hub areas, shops and cosmetic flows — but the move toward a premium, purchase-once experience has shrunken the predatory bits and given the systems a better home.

The Look, Sound and Smoothness of a Modern Side-Scroller

Visually, Towerborne blends painterly backgrounds with readable character sprites — it’s gorgeous when the camera pans across a ruined skyline or a sunlit field. The sound design punctuates hits with satisfying thuds and the soundtrack oscillates neatly between chill exploration tracks and punchy combat beats. Performance felt solid on my PC: smooth framerates and quick input responsiveness are essential for this type of brawler and Stoic nails it most of the time. Accessibility options exist but could be more prominent — difficulty toggles are there, and the game supports multiple save slots which is thoughtful. There are still some rough corners: occasional matchmaking hiccups, a few loading stalls reported by players, and the odd UI vestige that betrays the game's early-access evolution.

Towerborne is a hungry little brawler with surprisingly deep RPG bones — I had a blast testing builds, co-op runs and the loot loop. However, the removal of crossplay and some lingering live-service artifacts make it a more polarizing release than it needed to be. If you value excellent combat, crafting and local couch fun, pick it up; if cross-platform multiplayer is a must, hold off until connectivity choices are clarified.