Towers of Aghasba review: "Exploration is a joy thanks to gorgeous visuals and a varied landscape"

2024-11-19

Early VerdictExploration is a joy thanks to gorgeous visuals and a varied landscape. So too is the eco-friendly job of returning the land to fertility, even if the incredible trailer scenes are not actually what you’ll be playing for tens of hours. The heavy emphasis on crafting and perishable tools isn’t fun, but the devs' roadmap looks promising and the rewards are certainly there if you persevere.Pros+Superb environmental visuals+Town building works well+Great initial feeling of isolation as you exploreCons-Foraging for crafting ingredients is exhausting-The first 20 hours are nothing like the trailers-Several annoying bugs in this Early Access version

Early Verdict

Exploration is a joy thanks to gorgeous visuals and a varied landscape. So too is the eco-friendly job of returning the land to fertility, even if the incredible trailer scenes are not actually what you’ll be playing for tens of hours. The heavy emphasis on crafting and perishable tools isn’t fun, but the devs' roadmap looks promising and the rewards are certainly there if you persevere.

Pros+Superb environmental visuals+Town building works well+Great initial feeling of isolation as you explore

Superb environmental visuals

Town building works well

Great initial feeling of isolation as you explore

Cons-Foraging for crafting ingredients is exhausting-The first 20 hours are nothing like the trailers-Several annoying bugs in this Early Access version

Foraging for crafting ingredients is exhausting

The first 20 hours are nothing like the trailers

Several annoying bugs in this Early Access version

Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.

However, rather than gaming’s usual solution of killing everything that moves to restore peace to the land, there’s a rather neat eco-friendly slant that sees you rebuilding damaged biomes, planting seeds, growing trees, and helping the animals that start to re-inhabit your new Eden-like gardens. Don’t worry, you still get to kill scuttling monstrosities too. Win-win.

It plays out as a third-person adventure, as you control a young, mute human, handily the only one who can use and transfer the power of “Amity”. Think of this like The Force from Star Wars, only without the levitation. Amity runs through everything, so if you kill an innocent creature – which is necessary sometimes for hunting – you lose Amity. Conversely, destroy a Withered Nest, feed animals, or heal injured ones, and you gain Amity. It’s spent on leveling up trees, shrines, and fast travel portals, so you’ll need lots of it.

Rock Aghasba

(Image credit: Dreamlit)

A grey rocky landscape in Towers of Aghasba with a creepy, tall, dark figure in the distance

To begin with, you’re not even armed, allowing you to just wander off and explore the more gentle island you start on, perhaps throwing stones at Withered spiders. Towers of Aghasba’s prologue area is still impressively large and you’ll soon discover some rather beautiful architectural elements, remnants of the lost civilisation that came before. The naturalistic graphics are particularly great when drawing stonework, which is lucky because there’s a lot of that. The dynamic lighting moves from day to night, with gorgeous shadows and some pretty phenomenal close-up detail. It’s a visual feast.

However, after the first couple of hours spent swimming in crystalline waters and climbing mountains in order to jump off and seamlessly glide down with your parachute or glider, things start to get fetch quest-y and much darker, and the experience becomes all about crafting with occasional town building as a reward. Now, it really must be stressed, the game is not really like its trailers for at least tens of hours – that’s all very late game stuff they’re showing off. The huge animals, glistening citadel, and flying beasts you can jump on are way, way into the game, and must be earned. And that really does mean hard work.

(Image credit: Dreamlit)

Bones in a jungle river in Towers of Aghasba

Fast FactsRelease date:November 19, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5Developer:Dreamlit Inc.Publisher:Dreamlit Inc.

Fast Facts

Release date:November 19, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5Developer:Dreamlit Inc.Publisher:Dreamlit Inc.

Sadly this isn’t an isolated occurrence, with some ingredients even locked away behind citadel upgrades that require yet more items you haven’t got easy access to, so it can get rather frustrating. And so you start to industrialize, which is surely counter-productive given the game’s eco stance and, either way, all takes so much time.

Teleporting over troubled water

(Image credit: Dreamlit)

Gliding from very high up in Towers of Aghasba with a massive bird creature just below

“Towers of Aghasba is an impressive and involved adventure”

There are also some bugs, which is expected given the game’s Early Access state as well as its ambitious complexity and scale, but we accidentally warped to the middle of the mainland before we’d built the bridge because we tested the “warp to Multiplayer Gate” option on the pause menu. Oops. It autosaved there too, but drowning off the broken bridge eventually fixed things. Aside from that, items falling on the floor instead of going into storage, traders not delivering gold nuggets you’ve paid for, and occasional clipping issues while climbing make for a slightly messy experience at times.

Even so, Towers of Aghasba is an impressive and involved adventure, even in this unfinished state. The ability to change and develop its vast world is enjoyable, crossplay is due to be added soon for multiplayer co-op if that’s your thing (and it doesn’t need to be), and the larger creatures and enemies you see as you progress do look superb. The magical realism of the environment and its bizarre cast of characters means you’re never quite sure what you’ll bump into next, which is great – the family “with the fingers” is a standout.

That said, considering Breath of the Wild has crafting and breakable weapons yet never feels like a chore (and arguably has more memorable sights to see too), this still has some work to do. Still, you can’t play Zelda on PS5 or PC, so that will make this attractive for many. Just clear your diary if you plan to go big with this one, it’s very long and doesn’t give you anything for free.

Disclaimer

Looking for some chiller vibes? Check out ourgames like Animal Crossinglist for something a little similar. Or want simmier? Our guide to thebest city building gameshas you covered!

CATEGORIESPC GamingPS5PlatformsPlayStation

Most Popular

Anbernic RG28XX review: “a tiny budget handheld that fits in my weird tiny jeans pocket”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Razer Kraken V4 review: “an iconic headset, all grown up”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Meta Quest 3S review: “Maybe the best entry-level VR device ever created”

Glorious Series 2 Pro review: “comfortable and nimble, but not quite punching with the flagships”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Bouiles Elite Series review: “The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became”

Azeron Cyborg II review: “One of the best gaming peripherals I’ve ever used”

Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids”

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Nicola Coughlan as Joy in Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

Early Verdict

Rock Aghasba

Teleporting over troubled water

Contents