Gear up to explore some sky whales, build a few towns when survival crafter Towers of Aghasba releases next month

YouTube

We really loved the vibrant world of Towers of Aghasba when it was revealed earlier this year: Giant flying whales, rideable mouse-horse-things, a stunning variety of strange creatures and hairy tortoise things and interesting-looking stuff wielded and worn by the characters. The list just went on and on. Now, towers of Aghasba is nearing an early access launch on Novermber 19 with six regions, three ecosystems, and three villages for your junior architect to develop.

In Towers of Aghasba, you're a descendant of the Shimu people who were driven out of Aghasba by the "cursed withered force" that kills the environment it spreads through. Now, returning to Aghasba and revitalizing the environments found there will let the Shimu people have a home again. It's a story about a fantastical world where nature and human civilization are directly linked. (Plus, you can bring along three friends in co-op.)

Towers of Aghasba is definitely taking cues from the recent Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, filled with a lot of those same ways of gliding, climbing, and riding across the world as you explore new environments and explore the ancient ruins of your people for new knowledge. There's new stuff here, too, like exploring deep underwater and soaring to flying sky whales—not to mention placing settlement buildings freeform.

"Each island will be a distinct reflection of that player's personality and playstyle," says the trailer narration. That much seems to be true, as the developers are very much emphasizing the number of interesting decorations and craftables everyone has access to and which they can use to customize their new settlements and towns.

It's also cool that the early access trailer emphasizes how Aghasba's ecosystems are going to be relatively limited resources. You can hunt animals and clear forests for short-term gains, but setting up a sustainable system of husbandry or forestry will give you better consistent results. You'll also be able to "work with the gods of Aghasba to revitalize the island" which I imagine gives a bit of a leg up on your burgeoning environmentalist fantasies.

You can find Towers of Aghasba on Steam, where it will release on November 19, 2024.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.