TowerFall: Ascension

Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (10 out of 10)

I’m loath to christen a new classic before the sheen has worn off, but TowerFall seems for all the world to be headed toward that hallowed ground. It may be straightforward, yes, but it’s also aggressively focused, humbly spectacular, and nearly unimpeachable in its design. To use that most dangerous, most reductive of words, it’s fun. Maybe, even in this modern age, that’s gimmick enough.

VentureBeat / Gamesbeat (95 out of 100)

You’re going to get a lot of play out of TowerFall: Ascension, which is likely going to be the best version of this deep, clever, and wildly fun game. I loved what I got, and I wanted more. If you thought local multiplayer was dead, you might want to give Ascension a try.

Polygon (9.5 out of 10)

It's incredibly hard to make a game as great as TowerFall Ascension is in its finest moments. But that's not what sets the game apart as the new gold standard in the local multiplayer renaissance — it's the fact that no matter how you play it, TowerFall Ascension is never not fun.

GamingIllustrated.com (93 out of 100)

TowerFall: Ascension is an amazing game that offers exciting multiplayer action and co-op missions. Gameplay is extremely satisfying to learn and master. MiniBoss’ art and Alec Holowka’s score are the perfect complement for the game. It is fantastic that TowerFall: Ascension is now available on platforms people actually own instead of languishing on the Ouya. In a game landscape where online multiplayer is the norm, it is thrilling to see a local multiplayer game that is so good it demands you gather three other buddies to enjoy to some archery havoc. TowerFall: Ascension is a must-buy game for PS4 owners.

Gamegravy (9.25 out of 10)

If you do not own this game, BUY IT NOW! I would say that the two reason’s that I own a PS4 would be SteamWorld Dig and now Towerfall Ascension. Indies are the ones with the third-party must own master pieces so far this gen and it’s only just getting started. This is a must own for any gamer or any age. Please enjoy your new addiction.

GameTrailers (9.1 out of 10)

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.

Gaming Age (A-)

This feels like an NES game, but a really great NES game. The combat — jumping around a dungeon, shooting arrows at enemies and stomping on their heads — is addictively simple, unburdened by hard-to-learn mechanics. What's more, even if the game is insanely hard, it's got the same feeling of being difficult-but-relatively-fair that a lot of the best games from the late '80s had. Still, I'd only recommend buying it if you happen to have a second PS4 controller lying around — it's just that designed for local multiplayer. Then again, if you're looking for a game that single-handedly justifies the purchase of a second controller, Towerfall: Ascension is probably it.

GamesRadar ( )

TowerFall Ascension is one of those games that rewards you for sharing it with your friends. But instead of group hugs and chummy laughter, everyone will experience moments of intense panic, satisfying victory, and shots to the head that can be as competitive or as lighthearted as you want. Its single-player modes are limiting, but they’re great ways to kill time until your friends drag themselves over to your place. They’ll soon find out it was well worth the trip.

Eurogamer.pl (9 out of 10)

Z powodu prostej mechaniki i minimalistycznej oprawy graficznej, ten niewielki i sympatyczny projekt praktycznie nie posiada błędów. Być może pojedynczy gracze uznają tytuł za stosunkowo zbyt trudny; doskwierać może brak rozgrywki przez sieć, ponieważ multiplayer bazuje tylko na zabawie ze znajomymi na kanapie. Kolorowy świat TowerFall Ascension to jednak świetne miejsce, by pogrzebać czyjeś marzenia o byciu wielkim bohaterem i poczęstować go strzałą w kolano!

Metro.co.uk (9 out of 10)

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. Instantly accessible gameplay and controls, and yet with plenty of nuance and tactics to learn and master. Superb four-player mode, with well-designed maps and interesting gameplay variants. 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.

Gameblog.fr ( )

TowerFall se voue résolument au multijoueur local, une pratique aujourd'hui marginalisée. Alors qu'on aurait pu penser que tout avait déjà été imaginé dans la discipline, Matt Thorson s'est inspiré de Super Smash Bros. Melee pour construire un gameplay à fois simple d'accès et terriblement pointu à maîtriser. Ces combats en arènes aux commandes d'archers reposent sur une incroyable mécanique de précision, garante d'un certain équilibre dans ce chaos entretenu en permanence par la variété des power-ups et l'architecture des niveaux. Et cette version Ascension rehausse encore TowerFall d'un mode quête solo, ou coopératif, qui constitue, avec les défis du mode Trial, une excellente préparation à la frénésie du mode versus. Grâce aux nombreuses options de customisation, les parties ne sont jamais les mêmes et l'intérêt se renouvelle sans cesse, au point de ne plus pouvoir s'arrêter.

Gamereactor International (9 out of 10)

Overall TowerFall Ascension is very easy to recommend. This new version includes new content, a co-op campaign, unlockable characters and new arenas to play in. There's single player distractions if you need them, but at the heart of it sits a fantastic local multiplayer shooter. While it's true that there's no online component, it doesn't matter as it's an experience best served locally, with combatants sat together in the same room. There's no way of knowing for sure, but we reckon the experience wouldn't translate as well to the online space, and as such we didn't mind its omission.

InsideGamer (9 out of 10)

TowerFall Ascension is een game in de puurste vorm. Easy to learn, hard to master. Iedereen kan meedoen en er is voor iedereen wel iets te vinden in de game. Plezier staat voorop en dat is iets wat je met TowerFall zeker gaat hebben. Deze game mogen jij en je vrienden eigenlijk niet missen.

Everyeye.it (9 out of 10)

Towerfall Ascension è un distillato di agonismo e adrenalina, un brawler game preciso, divertente, capace di acchiappare chiunque voglia avvicinarvisi. Ps4 la presenta in un'edizione più ricca e densa di quella originale. Nonostante la presenza di una “Quest Mode” per singolo giocatore, Towerfall resta però un titolo che vive solo grazie al multiplayer locale. E fidatevi: è una buona ragione per acquistare un altro paio di controller (o convincere i vostri amici a portare i loro). Al di là delle aggiunte contenutistiche (in Ascension ci sono più arene e nuove “varianti” con cui modificare le regole del match), la fortuna del titolo di Matt Thorson sta nelle sue dinamiche di gioco: immediate, rapide, tecniche e profonde quanto basta, ma mai al punto di escludere qualcuno dalla partita. Gli incontri saranno una collezione di momenti epici, ribaltoni, grida sdegnate e rimonte sconvolgenti: basta avere qualcuno con cui condividerlo, e Towerfall monopolizzerà e vostre serate.

Gamer.nl (9 out of 10)

Door het hoge tempo vormt Towerfall Ascension een ware aanslag op je gemoedstoestand. De game gebruikt een hoop bekende gameformules en kneedt daar een hectische en vermakelijk geheel van. Het is alleen eeuwig zonde dat je al dat spelplezier alleen offline kan delen met je vrienden.

God is a Geek (9 out of 10)

Towerfall knows exactly what it is, and though some may bemoan the lack of online play, it just wouldn’t be the same with it. If you’re buying it to play alone, you’re not going to get the benefit of the full experience, but if you have friends and a few controllers, you’ll be hard pushed to find a better multiplayer experience around at the moment.

Indie Game Reviewer ( )

Towerfall Ascension is the type of game that shines should you manage to get 4 players together. A lot of fun can be had even with 2 players dueling to the death, but it can’t hold a candle to having a full roster of competitors. Unfortunately, it’s a strictly local affair, and unless something changes in a future patch, there are no non-player bots to be found. It’s a drawback that is barely worth mentioning though, as Towerfall Ascension is meant to be played by a bunch of buds, all delighting in bringing about one another’s demise. It’s co-op multiplayer that requires lightning fast reflexes if you hope to emerge as the winner. Aim true, and let loose!

IGN (8.9 out of 10)

TowerFall Ascension is a fun and approachable battle royale that makes excellent use of its deceptively simple retro looks and classic arcade platforming style. Every second is a mad scramble for ammo, powerups, and survival that, while sadly limited to local play only, kept my group of four players glued to their controllers with its highly competitive action. Even the single-player and co-op Quest mode is worth playing to practice your skills before going into battle.

Vandal Online (8.7 out of 10)

Para resumir, TowerFall Ascension es un juego de la vieja escuela en todos los aspectos. Diversión, adictividad y jugabilidad a prueba de bombas, pero su excelencia pasa por el multijugador, y sin modos online que suplan poder jugar con amigos en la distancia, preferimos recomendarlo principalmente a quienes se vean capaces de reunirse regularmente para jugar en una habitación, tal y como hacíamos hace unos años.

MAN!AC (85 out of 100)

Launiger Mehrspieler-Knaller rund um Retro-Bogenschützen-Duelle.

Lazygamer (8.5 out of 10)

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.

PlaySense / PSX-Sense (8.5 out of 10)

TowerFall: Ascension is een game waarvan ik vooraf eerlijk gezegd niet had verwacht dat die mij zo aan het spelen zou houden. De game ziet er weliswaar retro uit, maar dat maakt de speelervaring er eigenlijk alleen maar unieker op. Eenvoud is hier het toverwoord en het blijkt maar weer dat er zich tussen alle triple-A titels zeker een aantal pareltjes aan indie-games bevinden. Daar is TowerFall: Ascension er absoluut één van waarbij de scheidslijn tussen frustratie plezier soms wel wat dun is. De beste modus is zonder twijfel het offline coöp gedeelte waarin je het tegen maximaal drie vrienden naast je op de bank kan opnemen.

Push Square (8 out of 10)

TowerFall Ascension is a game that relies heavily on your social life. The mechanics are entertaining, the presentation is charming, and the whole affair is top fun – assuming that you have some friends to play with. The lack of an online option is a great shame, but don’t let that deter you from the Quest mode, which is still good fun played solo. You’ll need pals to get the most out of this package, though, as multiplayer is where the release really shines.

NZGamer (8 out of 10)

Towerfall: Ascension is a multiplayer game through and through, and while it sports the ability to go at it solo, it’s best to only boot this game up when you have gamer friends around. Every minute inside the multiplayer walls of Towerfall had everyone in the room smiling, cheering, jeering, and laughing. It was a great time that just couldn’t be captured in the same way online. There aren’t a lot of same couch multiplayer games these days because there just isn’t as much same couch multiplayer happening. It can make reviewing these types of games hard, but it also brings back a yearning for some more social gaming nights.

PlayStation Universe (8 out of 10)

TowerFall Ascension is a great example of how far originality can carry a game that is so simple to instant classic status. There are things that could be done to drastically improve the overall package, but the sum of its parts are overwhelmingly enjoyable. Matt doesn't just make games, Matt makes great games.

Eurogamer.it (8 out of 10)

Partita dopo partita si sviluppano strategie sempre più complesse che favoriscono l'interazione dei giocatori. Lanciare una freccia sul muro vicino al compagno rimasto a secco di munizioni per permettergli di raccoglierla ed eliminare un nemico incombente, per esempio, vi farà esaltare come non mai, spingendovi a urlare come bambini eccitati di fronte al televisore. Per quanto ci riguarda, ogni titolo in grado di far provare tali sensazioni meriterebbe di essere acquistato a occhi chiusi, motivo per cui vi consigliamo caldamente di dare fiducia a TowerFall: Ascension.

3D Juegos (8 out of 10)

Muy divertido en solitario, pero creado por y para ser disfrutado en compañía de otros jugadores, TowerFall Ascension presenta una experiencia multijugador tremendamente alocada y adictiva, a la que lo único que se le echa en falta es el juego online. Muy recomendable si pensáis disfrutarlo en compañía de amigos.

Level 7 (8 out of 10)

För ensamma spelare är Towerfall Ascension ett smart, underhållande och utmanande pusselactionspel som dessvärre inte räcker särskilt länge. Tillsammans med tre vänner blir det däremot en smått magisk partyupplevelse. När det kommer till lättspelade men ändå djupa partyspel finns det inte mycket som klår Towerfall.

GameSpot (8 out of 10)

Whether you’re playing with or without variants, Towerfall is a blast to play with your friends. Scoring a kill takes work since the arrows don’t move much faster than the characters, and can be snatched out of the air by alert players. Instead of fighting head-on, you are constantly thinking of new ways to outsmart the other players--either by tricking them with some new tactic or catching them with a surprise attack. You need a plan of attack, and when that plan comes together it feels very rewarding. If you don’t have any friends on hand, Towerfall’s appeal drops significantly. Quest mode is a fun distraction, but pales against the fierce competition of Versus, which requires at least two local players to use. Online play is completely absent as well, which further compounds this issue. With a few friends, Towerfall Ascension is a fantastic multiplayer game that offers a ton of variations on its enjoyable archery combat. Just make sure those friends can join you on the couch.

GameZone (8 out of 10)

The competitive game at the heart of Towerfall Ascension is still the main event, so if you don’t have extra controllers and friends you’ll probably want to pass. That said, it’s nice that there’s something fun to do with the game even when you're on your own. It's not enough to recommend the game entirely as a solo experience, but I still had a ton of fun with it and see myself going back for more, even if no one is around.

Eurogamer.pt (8 out of 10)

TowerFall Ascension é um caso de fascínio. Irritante ao início, curioso após alguns minutos e objeto de devoção no restante tempo. Existe uma clara sensação de abandono no jogador a solo e um claro premiar para quem tem mais três comandos com três pessoas ao seu lado. O visual encaixa que nem uma luva e todo o conceito de Super Mario ao encontro de Super Smash Bros. com arco e flecha é do mais original que já vi. Atualmente poderá tornar-se limitado para uma grande maioria mas uma pequena minoria saberá eleva-lo ao patamar de diversão que permite.

NowGamer (8 out of 10)

If you have people ready to play local multiplayer, then absolutely buy TowerFall: Ascension. If not, avoid. It's as easy as that.

Digitally Downloaded ( )

I cannot help but feel that Game Arts achieved exactly what it was hoping to here. It wanted to create a vibrant, colourful game that was more about fostering a sense of competition between friends than dealing with completely strangers who call each other names, have questionable Internet connections, try to scam leaderboards using shady methods and all of the other vices that come with the convenience of online play today. TowerFall harkens back to the day when you could play a game like GoldenEye 007, when the person next to you got punched in the shoulder for besting you. This is a game with plenty of laughing and pointing at the screen. TowerFall is not deep in options or features, but the frentic gameplay makes for a surprisingly fun time with your friends and family.

4Players.de (76 out of 100)

Towerfall Ascension ist zwar nur ein kleiner aber leckerer Mehrspieler-Snack. Schnelle Ausweichmanöver und geschicktes Bogenschießen machen die verbissenen Duelle für bis zu vier Krieger richtig spannend. Auch Experimente mit den zahlreichen Extras und Umgebungsvariablen bringen Pfeffer in die Auseinandersetzung. Die einfache Pixelgrafik wirkt im Gegensatz zum wahnsinnigen Design von BattleBlock Theater aber reichlich schlicht. Auch in puncto Umfang ist der Xbox-Live-Klassiker eine Klasse besser: In TowerFall Ascension gibt es schließlich weder einen Online-Modus noch einen mächtigen Level-Editor. Trotz fehlender Langzeitmotivation bekommen PSN-Nutzer aber spaßige Pfeil-und-Bogen-Duelle im Retro-Design.

XGN (7.5 out of 10)

Als je zin hebt om die oergamer in je naar boven te halen, dan is Towerfall Ascension de download voor jou. Het is wel aan te raden om ook vast bij wat vrienden te polsen of die het zien zitten (en vertel ze dan ook voorzichtig dat die trophies er niet inzitten), want in je eentje is Towerfall toch wat minder leuk. Het is dat samenspel waarbij je elkaar soms per ongeluk een pijl door het lijf jaagt, of juist het versusspel waarbij je juist bewust elkaar het leven zuur maakt, dat ervoor zorgt dat dit spel zo aantrekkelijk is. Ook de moeilijkheidsgraad is een fijne en is op te schroeven naar hardcoreniveau mocht je in zijn voor nog meer uitdaging. Als deze game net zo onverwacht je hart weet te stelen als hij bij menig andere gamer heeft gedaan, dan zal je het hem al gauw vergeven dat hij voor de ietwat onoriginele insteek is gegaan met de feel van een retrogame.

LaPS4 (71 out of 100)

Por mucho que TowerFall Ascension sea un buen juego -que lo es-, hay que recalcar que si solo contamos con un mando o no disponemos a mano de hermanos o amigos, el juego verá mermado un 90% de su potencial. Se trata pues de un título totalmente enfocado al multijugador y para colmo, en modo local sin opción a realizar partidas a través de internet. Un modo campaña más largo, más modos de juego, juego online o diversas características para un jugador hubieran hecho a TowerFall Ascension un juego mucho mejor.

Gamereactor (Norway) (7 out of 10)

Alt i alt gjør TowerFall Ascension for pil og bue det Bomberman har gjort for sprengstoff. Det er et lett tilgjengelig spill der alle kan være med på leken fra første stund, samtidig som det har nok dybde for de som skulle ønske å gjøre lek til alvor. I fraværet av en online-del sliter det nok allikevel litt med å rettferdiggjøre en såpass stiv prislapp. Dette er 2014: Selv partyspill som Buzz! og Singstar har hatt online-deler i mange år, og selv om også disse er klart best egnet til sofaspilling, kunne et spill som TowerFall Ascension ha vært gøy også for en ensom ulv. Har du imidlertid tid, venner og penger så har du - foruten å ha lykkes i livet - potensielt mange morsomme timer foran deg i TowerFall Ascension.