If an arrow in flight can be likened to poetry in motion, then the four-player archery contest called Towerfall could be described as a collection of brief and hilarious poems. They might start with “I shot an arrow into the air…” but they’ll often end with a simple “Boop.” The way arrows very subtly bend toward opponents leads to some beautiful shots, but a Super Mario-style head stomp will end a duel just as quickly. Either one, though, can be just as worthy of an instant replay.
Short, one-life-per-player rounds make TowerFall less about building up momentum and more about seizing a moment. A single arrow can take someone out for the rest of the round, but a quick dodge lets players avoid projectiles completely or, better yet, cross its path to catch it and add it to their quiver. Stray arrows can also be plucked out of the ground, so your own missed shots can easily be used against you. The limited supply of ammunition creates an exciting give-and-take where your mental state rapidly switches between hunter and hunted.
While the basic mechanics of TowerFall can be stripped down to point-and-shoot or hop-and-bop, there’s plenty of room for skill and mastery. The timing for dodges requires a certain degree of anticipation, and advanced maneuvers can give you unexpectedly crazy mobility. You’ll also need to be conscious of the fact that when something crosses the edge of the screen will reappear on the opposite side… which just might win you a “Most Devious” award.
Treasure chests will also appear on the battlefield from time to time, containing wildcards that can change the dynamics of a fight in an instant. You might snag a bubble shield that lets you take an extra hit, or pick up special arrows that may be as dangerous to you as they are to your foes. The randomness factor can be adjusted by jumping into the variants menu, where you can turn particular items on or off and otherwise tweak the rules to your liking.
Being able to customize each match is great, but the default set of rules are totally solid as long as you accept that some rounds will be ruled by luck and chaos. A smart auto-balance feature does an impressive job of keeping casual matches fair and interesting by dealing out small advantages. Part of the reason it works so well is that you’re likely to be playing with people you know.
Some games have an online requirement; others have a real-life friends requirement. TowerFall is in the second category, so the only way to enjoy real competition is by being in the same room with other human beings. It’s a limitation, but the game is actually very well-suited to be played by a regular group.
Each character is functionally exactly the same — no character jumps higher or moves faster than anyone else — but you’re bound to end up picking favorites. Rather than a name or biography, each archer is identified by their color and an evocative title like “The Last of the Order” or “The Turncloak Soldier”. Players naturally seem to settle on particular characters not just out of personal preference, but so it’s always clear who exactly did what to whom. If you’re out to make a reputation for yourself, a chart in the archives tracks every match you play and illustrates which archer has carved out the the killingest, winningest slices of an archery pie. If you’re going to be playing with the same people over a period of time, you might want a piece of that.
You really need other people around to fully enjoy the game, but there’s a substantial amount of stuff to do when you’re killing time or waiting for more players to show up. You can bullseye straw dummies in Trials mode, earning medals for record times, and Quest mode lets you challenge waves of enemies from level to level and eventually battle a boss. Two players, however, makes this mode easier, and facing a common enemy could be an excellent way to maintain a friendly gaming relationship with otherwise bitter rivals.
The most surprising thing about TowerFall is that its attractive 16-bit aesthetic also hearkens back to a classic approach to unlocking hidden secrets. The way new characters and stages are uncovered by naturally playing and exploring the game is really rewarding. It’s easy to have fun with TowerFall, and there’s a lot to like on the surface, but players who put more into it will certainly get more out.
Reviewed on Sony PlayStation 4.
Written by Justin Speer.
Summary
If you remember when “multiplayer” meant friends and a multitap, Towerfall: Ascension will fill you with glee. With its healhty dose of old-school adversarial local multiplayer, fans of games like Powerstone or Super Smash Bros should already have Towerfall: Ascension in their libraries.
