Ascend: Reborn

About

Ascend: Reborn is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Outer Heaven and was released on November 30, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Ascend Reborn is an old-school, 3rd person action RPG. Wage war as a brutal Caos warrior on your journey to Ascension. The reign of the Titans has come to an end. The New Gods have risen to claim ultimate power and need a champion. Will you rise to the challenge?

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 643 reviews

gameplay26 positive mentions

grinding17 negative mentions

Nostalgic gameplay that brings back fond memories from the Xbox 360 era.
Fun hack-and-slash mechanics with a unique twist on PvP through summoning enemies into other players' worlds.
Free-to-play model that allows players to progress without spending money, with a fair in-game currency system.

Clunky combat mechanics and dated graphics that may not appeal to modern gamers.
Frequent crashes and bugs that disrupt gameplay and progress.
Some players report a pay-to-win aspect due to the option to purchase in-game currency for better gear.

gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of simplistic mechanics and unique features, such as a pseudo PvP system where players can send curses or blessings to each other. While some players appreciate the nostalgic and fun aspects of the combat and the engaging gameplay loop, many criticize the outdated mechanics, lack of polish, and repetitive nature of the tasks. Overall, the game offers a blend of enjoyable elements and frustrating limitations, making it a mixed experience for players.
- “The gameplay follows a very simplistic loop: fighting enemies, looting for items, and ascending, which plays into a niche mechanic of 'domains,' a pseudo PvP system, with the ultimate objective being to slay the titan and help your alignment grow its control.”
- “Immersive combat and magic use flows smoothly and makes for great gameplay.”
- “This is a great game with lots of fun; the gameplay and fighting feel like old-school combat, and the lore is interesting. I would recommend it if you're looking for a challenge and fun.”
- “A horrible opening experience, to gameplay that really didn't feel that good to begin with.”
- “Very outdated, very repetitive gameplay.”
- “Have no idea what this is, boring repetitive gameplay doing the same things over and over again, was bored completely in 1 hour or so.”
story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
74%
6%
The game's story is generally perceived as underwhelming, with many players noting its lack of depth and memorable elements, often describing it as bland or simplistic. While some appreciate the visual storytelling and the fun gameplay mechanics, others criticize the frequent bugs and crashes that disrupt progress, leading to frustration with the narrative experience. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the action-oriented gameplay rather than a compelling narrative driving the experience.
- “F2P, nice story to follow, with elements of a community and multiplayer.”
- “I like the visual storytelling; I'm so sick of all these games that come to a complete stop and constantly make you listen to people jabber on like idiots repeating themselves for an hour straight.”
- “Once you attune with a god, you begin a quest of conquest, cutting a bloody swathe through hordes of enemies to expand your god's dominion.”
- “I have zero recollection of the story or controls, and there's no way to start a new character other than doing something at level 60 or getting a new Steam account.”
- “The story feels bland as always, but it's got a fun gameplay cycle.”
- “This kills the game's replayability and really nags my resolve to continue the story.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
56%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reminiscent of the Xbox 360 and PS3 era, which may deter some players. Despite this, many users appreciate the unique art style and ambiance that contribute to the game's overall experience, with some even finding nostalgia in its visuals. While there are notable graphical issues and a lack of polish, the game's aesthetic and fluid gameplay help mitigate these concerns for some players.
- “Very interesting world and the art style holds up well.”
- “The artist(s) nailed the perfect balance between 'dark, gritty and realistic' combined with the 'fantasy lush just-enough' fantasy graphics.”
- “The combat is great, the graphics for what seemed to be a 360 game is still nice looking all these years later, the premise is bizarre and unique making for an odd but cool experience.”
- “Visually, this has some fairly mediocre/dated looking graphics that will understandably be a turn off for a lot of gamers, and it's a big contributor to the failure of the game to attract gamers despite having no up-front cost.”
- “The graphics definitely show their age, which isn't a bad thing, but paired with the other issues, it makes the game look completely unpolished, like it was ripped from a CD in 2001 and just thrown onto Steam.”
- “There are literally graphical errors all over the place; even if the dungeons are almost all different, somehow they have torches stuck in staircases or in-game objects placed halfway through a wall.”
grinding
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight a mixed reception regarding the grinding aspect of the game. While some players appreciate the grind for its dopamine release and the challenge it presents, others find it tedious and lacking in meaningful rewards, often feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. The game is noted for its potential enjoyment if players are willing to invest time into farming and upgrading, but many express frustration with the repetitive nature of grinding in the same areas.
- “Very cool idea but too much grinding in the same boring areas with very little to do.”
- “It is unfinished and very grindy with no payoff.”
- “Completely not worth the effort unless farming XP.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
40%
40%
The monetization in the game has been widely criticized for its aggressive microtransaction model, which many players feel detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the free-to-play aspect, others express a strong desire for a one-time purchase option instead of ongoing costs for power-ups and other features. Overall, the heavy emphasis on monetization is seen as a significant downside, with players concerned about its impact on gameplay enjoyment.
- “Too bad there's not much else to buy than power; I'd like to support the game in other ways than buying into predatory microtransactions.”
- “Wow, the game brings me back to childhood! I see a lot of complaining about the microtransactions, but you don't need to engage with them at all. It's a grindfest, so get over it! It's better than paying for a AAA game that isn't finished and costs you $60-70, plus you have to pay for a battle pass every so often.”
- “As mentioned, this isn't really free as the game is infested with mobile app store-like microtransactions.”
- “I hate this system; I would rather buy the game for around $15 and have no microtransactions.”
- “The monetization is extremely aggressive, though.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is severely criticized, with numerous reports of crashes, glitches, and freezing issues that hinder gameplay. Players have experienced significant problems, such as being unable to progress past bosses and losing progress due to unexpected shutdowns. Overall, the game's poor optimization and buggy performance have led many to deem it unplayable.
- “It's an old game and there are crashes and glitches.”
- “God help you when the game suddenly freezes or closes down after looting the last dungeon chest or after a massive boss fight and it doesn't save!”
- “The game freezes every time you do anything for a second; I click escape to open my menu, and the game freezes.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
63%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting severe performance issues such as stuttering during gameplay, slow menu navigation, and overall clunky controls. Many players express frustration over the game's bugs and lack of smooth performance, suggesting that it feels outdated and poorly executed. Overall, the optimization is seen as a major drawback that detracts from the gaming experience.
- “They are going to be adding a new map for more content, but hopefully they fix performance issues and tweak the controls.”
- “Performance: this game struggles when opening the menus and when traveling/loading into new areas.”
- “I wish it was on consoles again, as I can't get it to run smoothly on my PC.”
- “Performance: this game chugs when opening the menus and when traveling/loading into new areas.”
- “There's a continuous stuttering when you hit creatures no matter what graphic settings I use.”
- “The game feels clunky and poorly optimized; not sure about the pay-to-win aspect, but I'm not going to play a game that feels and looks like it came from 2000. Nice idea but poorly executed.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game primarily through its quirky combat mechanics, amusing interactions with tiny characters, and the comedic effects of spells and weapons. While the humor adds charm, technical issues like crashes and bugs detract from the overall experience, suggesting that while the game is entertaining, it still has significant room for improvement.
- “The combat is barebones button mashing, but fighting other players or sending monsters to fight them is funny.”
- “I never played a game like this; being a god and having tiny people was just funny to me at first.”
- “Weapons and armors are pretty funny and cool, and some bugs like huge jumps or long dashes are sometimes funny.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive soundtrack and its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. The ambient sounds also contribute positively, creating a cohesive experience that complements the game's visuals and gameplay.
- “The music is amazing for the time, and the combat keeps up decently for being simple.”
- “Also, the soundtrack is fire!”
- “Incredible artwork and music, along with ambient sounds, that matches everything perfectly.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Overall, "Ascend: Reborn" is praised for its high replayability, thanks to its nostalgic elements and engaging progression RPG system, particularly the "ascendance" mechanic. However, some players feel that certain aspects detract from the overall replay value, impacting their motivation to continue the story.
- “Incredible game! If you're looking for a game that gives you nostalgic vibes you can't explain, mixed with an incredibly easily replayable progression RPG system, then Ascend: Reborn is the game for you.”
- “Fun game that has quite a bit of replayability, which used to be called 'Ascend: Hand of Kul'.”
- “Tons of repeatable replay value with the 'ascendance' mechanic.”
- “This kills the game's replayability and really nags my resolve to continue the story.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly feeling empowered and confident during intense moments, such as battling trolls. This sense of strength contributes to an overall impressive and engaging experience.
- “This is my first time seeing or touching this game, and honestly, I'm quite impressed!”
- “When I fought the trolls, it made me feel so powerful and debonair.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's atmosphere is noted for its uniqueness within its genre, contributing to a strong sense of progression that enhances the overall experience.
- “This game has a great sense of progression, and the atmosphere is unlike anything I've experienced in the same genre.”
- “The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making every moment feel impactful and engaging.”
- “The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack perfectly complements the stunning visuals, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.”