TowerFall Ascension

TowerFall Ascension is a running, jumping and archery game where each player selects a pixelated knight and fights to eliminate opponents by shooting them with arrows or jumping on their heads. Play is about quick reactions and second-guessing what your human or computer opponents will do. It stands out for the multiplayer mode where up to six players battle it out with limited resources of arrows and all manner of customisable powerups each round.

CONTENT RATING

Violence

PLATFORMS

Xbox One

Nintendo Switch

PlayStation 4

Mac

POSITIVE GAMEPLAY

Ambitious

Competition

Quick Reactions

Arcade Retro

1-3 min Rounds

PLAY STYLE

Competitive Local

Party Game

Co-Op Local

Co-Op Story

In the battle mode players each start with a limited supply of arrows. The aim is to find the right trajectory and momentum to hit the other fast-moving players. However, if you don't hit your target the arrow sticks in the wall and can be collected by your opponents. What starts as mild chaos soon becomes a cat-and-mouse game of offence and defence.

Because the levels are only one screen you can see where your opponents are at all times. There are powerups you can collect from chests that adjust the rules of the game, give you a shield or offer abilities like being invisible if you don't move.

What makes it so competitive is the limited resource of arrows and the ability to dodge and catch them if you get the timing right. It’s frantic and requires a lot of shouting and screaming from participants. It’s a great family battle because of the simple action, short rounds and ability to extensively customise power-ups, teams, weapons and ways to claim victory.

GAMEPLAY TRAILER

Good to know

Insights to ensure your child's gaming experience remains safe and enjoyable

Online Interactions

Some contact risks exist with multiplayer games such as bullying and online hate. Talk to your child about online etiquette, the importance of reporting any inappropriate behaviour and how to report or block an unkind player if they need to.

Violent content

Some video games include violent content, but how it's portrayed may vary from cartoon violence to that which is more realistic. Review the game's rating to ensure what your child sees is suitable for their development, use parental controls to set content age limits and talk regularly about how the violence they see in-game makes them feel.

Real vs. Fantasy

Some shooting games may show cartoon-style violence with silly reactions that would not be realistic outside of the game. Talk to your child about what the result of the same action might be outside of the game and why it's important to keep in the game.

Skill level age

Suggested by Family Gaming Database

School-aged children love the retro graphics and the idea of a limited number of arrows. Competing with six friends has been a popular activity for Birthday parties. As they get older, the extra skill of dodging and different modes keep this popular.

Content rating

Rated PEGI 7 for Violence. The game has a fantasy feel to it which shapes the levels and enemies. The violence in the game is aimed at pixelated human-like characters and monsters. These monsters can consist of blobs, flying eyeballs, skeleton warriors etc. You can defeat enemies by jumping on their heads or by shooting them with your bow and arrow. When an enemy is hit by an arrow, they get knocked back and grind to a halt or are stopped by a wall. Since the game is pixelated, there isn’t much detail in the violence. The fantasy monster theme isn’t enough to warrant a PEGI Fear pictogram. However, the setting could be disturbing to younger children.

PEGI rating explained?