TowerFall Ascension (XO) – couch-based carnage

One of the best offline multiplayer games of recent years finally appears on Xbox One, along with its expansion Dark World.

After reviewing Candleman we had a root around on the Xbox One store to see what other gems might lay hidden, at which point we came across TowerFall Ascension. Despite having been released on PlayStation 4 and PC way back in 2014 it’s only now that the game has appeared on Xbox. That in itself is notable, but it’s also brought with it an expansion called Dark World – which we’ve never played before. But thank goodness we’ve now rectified that oversight.



In fact, TowerFall was first released in 2013 on the Ouya microconsole, and if you don’t know what that is then we can assure you you’re missing nothing. As you’d expect of a multiplayer-focused indie game the premise is extremely simple to describe. It also involves what has long since become our favourite video game weapon: the bow and arrow. Fresh from enlivening the armoury of many a first person shooter, the medieval era’s answer to a sniper rifle is here the weapon of choice in a series of single screen multiplayer face-offs against four human foes.

There’s no online option though, which we’d like to think is a purposeful rather than technical decision. Online gaming has its place of course, but where the action allows it having everyone sat screaming round the same TV screen is always far more entertaining. We certainly can’t imagine the triumph of catching an arrow in mid-air and firing it back at your opponent being quiet as sweet when all you can hear is mumbled tuts and curses from the other end of a microphone.


The arrow-catching trick is one of the game’s signature moves but its tactics are far more varied and nuanced than you at first realise. Although you’re perfectly able to take potshots from a distance the bow can also be used at close range. And so you have to master aiming in all positions, since staying in one place is the most reliable way to ensure failure.

There’s also the not inconsiderable problem of running out of arrows. You only start with three and how many you have is always obvious to everyone, thanks to the little icon above your head. More can be picked up from around the arena or you can pluck your opponent’s out of the air and add it to your quiver. If neither option is available you can also jump on an opponent’s head, but this rarely seems to work out as well as it does for Mario.

More reliable are the various trick arrows, including bomb and drill attachments. Picking one of these up can instantly turn a match around, but there are other ways to change the status quo before you even start the game. A number of optional features, from exploding corpses to dying if you use the bow when you have no arrow, are reminiscent of the endless variations encouraged by split-screen classic GoldenEye 007.



The more obvious comparisons though are classic 2D games, with the game most resembling a cross between the single-screen platforming of Bubble Bobble and the intense four-player rivalry of Bomberman. Super Smash Bros. also offers a more modern comparison and really, praise doesn’t come much higher than that when you’re talking about offline multiplayer games.

TowerFall Ascension (XO) – finally on Xbox

The only real flaw is that the single-player modes are really not that interesting. Trials and Quest mode are useful for practising the basic skills but they’re not very engaging in themselves. Even with the addition of various kinds of monsters in Quest mode the appeal is lost when there’s no human around to taunt with every victory. And even the two-player option is far less interesting than just straight deathmatch. But then none of the other games we’ve just namechecked have a decent story mode either.

The expansion Dark World adds a much more involved campaign mode than Quest, but it’s still not much fun on your own. As a four-player co-op campaign though it’s fantastic. There are multiple boss battles and new arrow types to take advantage of, one of which traps anyone that tries to catch it and another that allows for remote-detonations – making the comparisons to Bomberman all the plainer. New stages can also be played in deathmatch mode, there are 10 new characters, and the option for an infinite array of procedurally-generated levels.

At £8 it’s a little pricey, and we’re surprised there isn’t some kind of all-in-one compendium to celebrate coming to the Xbox One, but the campaign is definitely worth it if you can get some friends together. Obviously though the sensible thing to do is just start off with the base game, and what even on its own is one of the best local multiplayer games of the generation.

TowerFall Ascension In Short: One of the best offline multiplayer games for years and yet more proof that the bow and arrow is gaming’s most entertaining weapon of choice. Pros: Instantly accessible gameplay and controls, and yet with plenty of nuance and tactics to learn and master. Superb four-player action, including in the expansion’s Dark World mode. Cons: The single-player modes do their best but the package as a whole is pointless if you’re always going to play on your own. Dark World is quite expensive. Score: 9/10

Formats: Xbox One (reviewed), PlayStation 4, and PC

Price: £11.99 (Dark World – £7.99)

Publisher: Matt Makes Games

Developer: Matt Thorson

Release Date: 25th January 2017

Age Rating: 7


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