REVIEW: TowerFall Ascension

REVIEW: TowerFall Ascension

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I first played TowerFall Ascension a few months ago on PlayStation 4 and absolutely loved the game. Not only did it remind me of #IDARB, it also offered the same competitive atmosphere which I enjoy about such co-op titles. TowerFall Ascension is a simple experience which provides players with surprisingly thrilling and tense matches. The main mechanic revolves around archery linked with platforming elements.

Many games like #IDARB and Knight Squad successfully capture the thrill of close quarters battles but what they lack is replayability. Well, maybe replayability isn’t the right word. Those games lack addictiveness because your desire to keep on coming back, even months later, isn’t there. TowerFall Ascension is different because it offers more layers of strategy. For example, in #IDARB you simply go around trying to steal the ball and time your shots into goals. Knight Squad is all about who can hit the other opponent first. TowerFall Ascension involves clambering, power-ups, collecting limited arrows and much more. The complexity of the experience, despite its deceptive pixelated nature, is what keeps you coming back for more. Every match feels like a learning opportunity even if you lose.

It’s hard to explain the appeal of TowerFall Ascension without giving a gameplay example. During Super Bowl weekend I hosted a few friends at my apartment and many of them were casual gamers. Over the course of many years I’ve accumulated multiple Xbox One accessories of which there are four controllers. Before the football match began, we played some TowerFall Ascension and it was electrifying. More than any other game, TowerFall Ascension requires you to stay calm. The more frustrated you get, the more mistakes you make. For example, randomly jumping around and spamming arrows isn’t going to help if you’re angry. So many of my friends succumbed to this fate and it was priceless to watch. Let’s just say many expletives were involved. When they finally managed to get close enough for a kill shot, they had no arrows and were defenseless. The race to the nearest arrow began after that and most of the time the hunter prevailed. The race to the nearest power-up was even more entertaining. I might’ve inadvertently started some feuds! I’ve never see so many people from different walks of life come together and exhibit this level of engagement with any game before.

Let’s say that you don’t have friends who can come over and play with you. Well, TowerFall Ascension has you covered. There are a few single-player modes which either involve taking on waves of monsters or destroying dummy targets. Even though the modes sound lonely, they’re a lot of fun. If you enjoy games like Extreme Exorcism or Super Mutant Assault, you’ll love TowerFall Ascension’s single-player offerings. While they definitely aren’t the best out there, they do add value to the game.

One of the best aspects of TowerFall Ascension has to be its soundtrack. Not only does it go great with the pixelated graphics and takes you back to a simpler time in gaming, it’ll get stuck in your head. I challenge you not to hum it long after you’ve stopped playing the game.

Everything isn’t great though. I have some issues with pricing. Xbox One owners have waited a year for this game and even then the Dark World expansion is a separate $10. The Dark World expansion adds so much more to the game and I feel that it should’ve been part of the package. Many other ID@Xbox games offer expansions for free with the initial purchase so seeing the prompt to buy what feels like half the game was disheartening.

Summary

Overall, TowerFall Ascension is a fantastic game which is easy to pick up and play. While I would’ve liked to see an online component, the couch co-op experience is still rewarding. Anyone looking for a competitive title to play with friends and get non-gamers hooked on should look no further.

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