The first title from developer Dreamlit Games,Towers of Aghasba, soars onto PC and PS5 in November and looks to make its mark on the survival/crafting genre. With an open world to fully explore and customizable settlements to craft, the game should appeal to a fairly wide demographic.Towers of Aghasba’sgameplay is fusing elements ofZelda: Breath of the Wild,Minecraft, andAnimal Crossingin order to create a memorable experience for players of all ages.
Towers of Aghasbadirector Khang Le recently talked about some of the game’s mechanics during a media Q&A. He discussed how his love ofgames based on historyand the past influenced the game, and that he leaned into its exploration elements, ensuring there are plenty of trinkets for players to find out in the world. He also touched on how the game’s lore plays a part and how the best stories are often the ones that players create in their imagination.
Towers of Aghasba’s World is Ripe for Exploration
Noopen-world game would be complete without a world full of things to see and do, andTowers of Aghasbawill be no different in this regard. Players will be tasked with exploring to their heart’s content, collecting resources and trinkets, and interacting with a cast of unusual NPCs and animals. Animals can be both friend and foe, with the player able to hunt some and heal others, depending on the circumstances. The game’s sandbox style means that players can take things in at a leisurely pace while exploring, with the world of Aghasba taking cultural inspiration from several historical sources. Khang explained:
‘‘A lot of the games that I like that tell good stories are usually about the past. With this in mind, I’ve really leaned into the idea of the player discovering relics as they play, going around the world almost like an archaeologist and discovering little trinkets, collecting sets that you actually unlock in a physical museum. This museum is like a journal, but a real place the player can visit. This helps the player to piece together what happened in the world.’’
The concept of a player’s collectibles journal being a real place that they can visit within the game, rather than just a menu screen, is certainly an interesting one. This will allow them to view relics they’ve collected while interactively learning about the game’s lore. In terms of how this lore fits into the world andwhat exactlyTowers of Aghasba’s story entails, Le remained tight-lipped:
‘‘The story is a bit vague and mysterious because all the best stories are in the player’s imagination. That space in-between what you tell them is the most interesting part, not what you actually tell them.’’
Le’s reliance on player imagination seems a smart move for a game like this. His viewpoint that the best story beats are usually ones left untold is shared by some of the industry’s brightest minds, including the likes of FromSoftware becausetheDark Soulsseries leaves much to the player’s imaginationin terms of its narrative. With so many other components and variables toTowers of Aghasba’s gameplay, the game should offer hours upon hours of content for fans to enjoy.
Towers of Aghasbawill be released in early access for PC and PS5 on November 19.
