Game: Astral Ascent
Genre: Action, Adventure
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam (Windows), PS4 & PS5, and Xbox)
Developer|Publisher: Hibernian Workshop | MP2 Games
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US Everyone 10+
Price: US $24.99 | UK £20.99 | EU €24,99
Release Date: November 14th, 2023
Review code provided with many thanks to Ico Partners.
Astral Ascent
Astral Ascent is a 2D action adventure with roguelite mechanics. Though there seem to be so many releases into this genre this year alone. Astral Ascent makes its mark with stunning graphics and satisfying hack-and-slash combat with a few tricks of its own to stand out. The developers have been busy refining the game in Early Access, but it has now arrived at its full release. And with that comes a Nintendo Switch launch, which always makes me happy. This game came as quite a nice surprise to me. I didn’t really know a lot was going on, but what I found was a very beautiful and entertaining game that can be enjoyed alone or in a local co-op.
The Garden
There’s a bad guy called ‘The Master’ who is on a mission to take over the universe. If he doesn’t destroy you, he’ll lock you away in a prison planet guarded by one of 12 guardians that also resemble the 12-star signs. The game begins with Ayla, an assassin who infiltrates one of the prison plants known as ‘The Garden’ and is on a vengeful mission to take down The Master and free the galaxy. As plots go, it’s not really anything that has not been done in video games before. What brings it to life is the impressive attention to detail from the developers in terms of character and world-building.
Before long into the game, you will unlock four playable characters, each with their own personalities and personal motives, to head out on a run that will inevitably end in failure. It’s not just the lead characters. There are several quirky NPCs to chat about within the main area, and this might be the first game I’ve seen to include what looks like a Capybara Warrior, which is awesome.
Even the 12 guardians acting as the common boss fights are unique and memorable, if not overconfident and arrogant. All of these characters are fully voice-acted, and the cast does an exceptional job bringing each character to life. As is the case with games of this design, you can dig into the plot as much as you fancy, but if you’re just here to enjoy the gameplay, it doesn’t feel overbearing or intrusive.
Stunning Presentation
Graphics are stunning, captivating the player with a mesmerizing blend of precision and artistry, especially in the environments. Levels feel lush with vegetation and detail. Maybe it helps that I have been on a big mythology kick recently (check my book review for Greek Myths that inspired Final Fantasy VII here), but I felt like I was exploring mystical realms filled with unique vegetation and enemies.
The game even appears a little self-aware of how good it looks, as there are moments where you can literally sit down on a bench and just take in the view. Observing a giant mythical deer walking in the background was more relaxing than I expected in a hectic action game. Graphics feel a lot like the art style of Dead Cells, another popular roguelite game where the pixel art has this 3D feel to it, thanks to some incredibly detailed animations of the characters and enemies. To top it all off, you have an excellent soundtrack that shifts from tense to relaxing, depending on the situation you are in. Even with a lot of noise on screen, I found the game to run very well on TV and handheld.
Try and Try Again
If you know your action rogue-lite, you probably know the drill by now. Make your way through a run, beating up enemies and taking on tough-as-nails boss fights. Each run is randomly generated with a different level design, enemy placement and unlocks to buff your skills and stats. You will fail at some point, but each time you get knocked back to the main hub area, you unlock new content, which may include a new character early on, as well as a variety of vendors to increase your skills, unlock new moves and even tweak the look of your character if you’re into that sort of thing.
It’s a clever drip-feeding of content that makes it very hard not to jump back into another run. Though a very familiar feel to some of the top dogs in the genre. Astral Ascent manages to stand out thanks to some solid gameplay designs and a few unique tricks of its own.
You’re given a choice of your path towards the boss with a selection of levels each time you complete an area. Before you make a choice, hovering over each option gives you an extensive preview of what to expect, including difficulty, reward and the type of level itself. Some levels are the familiar arenas where you need to take out all the enemies in the room to proceed, but others focus on exploration. These are more long form allowing you to just take your time and pick your battles.
Every now and then, you’ll also get to visit rooms to relax and heal up or buff your stats. It’s quite a nice mixture. Choosing difficulty plays an element of risk-reward. Be daring and take on more challenging levels, and you gain more stars, which can later be exchanged at a vendor to further up your stats. The choice is yours but it does feel each run gives the player plenty of options to decide how to proceed.
Spell Yeah!
Combat is of the hack-and-slash variety and feels tight and responsive. Each of the four playable characters has their own unique feel. Examples include Ayla, who favours her two daggers and can use a special move to zip behind an enemy and do some devastating damage. Kiran is melee-focused and uses a special counter move if you can press the button quickly enough. Magic spells play a heavy role in combat. Each character can cycle through four spells lots. Each time you use a spell, it automatically cycles to the next one. Each spell can be swapped or tweaked individually to add further perks, making it more effective in combat.
A feature I really liked is that you can hover over a spell, and you can hold a button to view a video preview to how it works. What’s nice about the spells is you recharge your mana very quickly, meaning you can make use of spells frequently during combat, making it more flexible and interesting. It feels like you can have fun with the tools at your disposal rather than wait till the right moment. Even if you make a mistake, it’s never too long before your magic or signature moves recharge.
Niggles
In terms of niggles I guess it’s the same you expect for most action roguelites. Combat is very fast and often stressful, requiring fast reflexes to use dodge or counter moves. There were times when it felt to me there was just a lot of pixel noise on the screen, and I couldn’t keep track of what was going on. I didn’t notice any accessibility features, but the game would benefit from a meter to slow things down a touch like other games have used in the genre.
Enemies, and especially bosses, can come across as frustrating meat shields with silly large health bars. From my experience, it felt like I only defeated a boss with the luck of having the right spells or buffs rather than my actual skill. This, of course, does get easier, but it will take an enormous grind over time to make things more manageable. This is, of course, commonplace for this genre. The other notable barrier to entry from some players is this is yet another action roguelike game in an exceptionally bloated genre. What really helps the game stand out is the ability to play the game in co-op, which many in the genre still don’t include.
Conclusion: A Shining Star
Astral Ascent offers a compelling journey into the roguelite genre that I found worth taking. While the genre may be packed with heavy hitters, Astral Ascent hits all the marks of quality that make it easy to recommend. A unique variety of characters with their own play style, beautiful graphics and that ever-addictive gameplay loop is calling you to try again, even against impossible odds. To top it all off, you can bring a loved one along to enjoy the journey together.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
