One of the more pleasant surprises from the May 24 PlayStation Showcase was the reveal of several indie titles currently in development for the platform, including the debut titleTowers of Aghasbafrom new developer Dreamlit inc.Towers of Aghasbais described as an open-world fantasy game where players must balance survival elements (including building villages and restoring ecosystems) with an engaging, narrative-driven adventure. Based on this description along with what was revealed in the game’s trailer, fans can expect a mix of the farming and life-sim elements ofStardew Valleyalongside a sprawling open-world adventure the likes ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
For a debut game from a fledgling studio,Towers of Aghasbais nothing if not ambitious. Footage shown from the PlayStation Showcase trailer included elements of city and town building as well as manipulation of local flora and fauna. In the same trailer, the protagonist of the game was shown to be using a paraglider that looked very familiar to the oneused by Link inZelda:Breath of the WildandZelda:Tears of the Kingdom. The game’s genre influences are worn proudly on its sleeve, and it’s also refreshing to see new studios attempt something lofty for their first release.
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WhileTowers of Aghasbais far from the first title to attempt blending action-adventure gameplay with elements of survival and city-building, it is one of the first to do so since survival games have escalated in popularity andlife-sims likeStardew Valleyhave become massive juggernauts. There’s even an argument to be made thatZelda:Tears of the Kingdomsuccessfully borrows survival elements and aspects of immersive sims. If Dreamlit is intending for players to become hooked on its ambitious debut title, all the right pieces are in place.
BothStardew ValleyandZelda:Tears of the Kingdomprovide what are seemingly endless gameplay loops for players to get lost in. Even thoughZelda:Tears of the Kingdomhas not yet hit one month since its release, many players have sailed past the 100-hour mark in attempts to scour every inch of the open-world sandbox that the game offers.
GivenZelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s impressive sales figures, that’s an immense amount of time collectively spent in Hyrule. Similarly, sinceStardew Valley’s launch in 2016 players have spent hundreds of thousands of hours in its addictive world. To date, some players have surpassed the 50,000-hour mark in terms of time spent on the game.
To craft a game that (based on appearances) attempts to combine some of the best aspects of both of these titles is what looks to be a recipe for success on paper. Hopefully, Dreamlit can incorporate the charm and sense of discovery that are present in both of the titles it clearly draws inspiration from to bring a compelling experience to players. BothStardew ValleyandZelda: Tears of the Kingdomcould easily be classifiedas “games of a generation”, meaning the studio behindTowers of Aghasbahas set quite a perilous bar to clear if the game will truly draw from its apparent inspirations.
Truthfully, there is a distinct lack of games that combine a narrative-driven action-adventure storyline with slower-paced moments of city building and crafting. One of the earlier success stories of this kind of genre hybrid was Enix’sActRaiser, which would also go on to influence one of the more underratedgems from the 3DS library inEver Oasis.
Towers of Aghasbalooks to carry the spirit of both of these games and add elements that expand beyond their templates to give players a world worth getting lost in. WithTowers of Aghasbanot set to release until 2024, the game’s target audience will hopefully have at least one playthrough ofZelda:Tears of the Kingdom(or another 100 hours inStardew Valley) under their belts by launch.
Towers of Aghasbawill launch for PC and PS5 in 2024.
