Ascendance

About

"Ascendance" ipse est calme et relaxans primam personam 3D Platformer, in quo solo luditur. Opiate mundum et incantatum ascende per canales venti et explore Differentiae saeculorum mundi, quae te circumstant. Suavis sonus musicae ac brevis ludendi tempus tibi permittent rapidum et placidum ludendi experientiam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

53%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

music8 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a pleasant atmosphere, making it enjoyable to explore.
The soundtrack is calming and fits well with the game's aesthetic, enhancing the overall experience.
The level design includes cleverly placed collectibles that encourage exploration and puzzle-solving.

The lack of a save feature is frustrating, requiring players to complete levels in one sitting and risking loss of progress.
Controls can feel unresponsive and floaty, leading to inconsistent jumping and movement, which detracts from the gameplay experience.
The game suffers from optimization issues, causing lag and performance drops, especially on lower-end systems.

music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The music in the game is generally described as calming and relaxing, with some users appreciating its ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. While there are positive remarks about certain tracks being enjoyable, others found the soundtrack to be repetitive and lacking in variety. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's experience, despite some criticisms regarding transitions and a few less engaging songs.
- “The music is perfectly relaxing and occasionally branches out into a bit of a beat but it stayed calm overall.”
- “The music and story in the game are super calming and relaxing.”
- “And it's filled with this bright and cheerful lighting and atmosphere, music is perfect and many motivational and philosophical quotes are just balm for your soul.”
- “The soundtrack was mediocre and repetitive.”
- “It has a nice feel in visuals and music, but a major issue for me is that the sprint jump doesn't time well at all, and sometimes the jump doesn't work at all when you're on moving platforms.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Gameplay is described as having floaty mechanics that can make players feel less in control, with jump pads offering unpredictable power boosts. While new mechanics are infrequent and somewhat predictable, the game still provides a decent experience for fans of similar titles, especially if players adjust settings for optimal performance. Overall, it offers around two hours of gameplay on a first run, making it a worthwhile option for its low price.
- “It implies new mechanics like a fan that throws you in the air, and for the 1-2 dollars it is being sold for at the moment, I would certainly recommend it for anyone who enjoyed Refunct or any similar game.”
- “I feel like a mechanic like that really promotes speed, movement, and platforming within a game.”
- “- At least 2 hours of gameplay on your first run if you don't rush.”
- “Continuing on to the mechanics, I felt like they were really floaty and not letting you feel in control.”
- “As a last thing about the mechanics, the jump pads felt random in what power they gave you, so I ended up bouncing straight up first and then to my target all the time.”
- “Instead of being able to run and platform, it was a constant arduous struggle against the game mechanics.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The graphics of the game are described as beautiful and minimalistic, with enjoyable visuals and music; however, they suffer from significant optimization issues, including flickering and poor framerate. Players have noted that lighting effects can be overly harsh or too dim, impacting visibility during gameplay. Overall, while the aesthetic is appreciated, technical flaws detract from the experience.
- “The aesthetic is minimalistic but quite enjoyable, especially the lighting effects.”
- “Overall, I enjoyed the soundtrack and visuals.”
- “Beautiful graphics.”
- “The other issue is the lack of optimization for the game's graphics and framerate, but I don't really have a problem on my potato computer if I lower the aspect ratio a couple notches.”
- “- Not optimized at all and very limited graphic settings.”
- “It starts okay, but after a few minutes, graphics flicker and polygons stop being visible. The game slows down as if it is overloading the system, and the controls don't respond like they should.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
29%
57%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant issues such as limited graphic settings, performance drops on lower-spec systems, and occasional menu bugs. While some players have found ways to improve performance by adjusting settings, the general consensus is that the game requires better optimization to run smoothly, especially on decent hardware. Developers are reportedly addressing these issues, but players are currently facing challenges with framerate and control responsiveness.
- “Especially on the last level, it requires a level of movement memory and skill to fly through the checkpoints, which adds a lot of room for player optimization.”
- “The other issue is the lack of optimization for the game's graphics and framerate, but I don't really have a problem on my potato computer if I lower the aspect ratio down a couple notches.”
- “Not optimized at all and very limited graphic settings.”
- “There is an obvious optimization problem (I had to put the game in 640x400p to get 30fps) even though my config is quite decent.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, leading to frequent freezes, particularly on Mac systems. While there are some technical issues, especially on lower-spec devices, the developers are actively addressing these problems and continue to add content.
- “But there are so many little bugs, glitches, and whatsoever that it irritates just a little too much.”
- “The game freezes within seconds of starting.”
- “It does not work on Mac; it freezes up at the very first gem.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a bright and cheerful ambiance, enhanced by perfect music and uplifting philosophical quotes that contribute to a feel-good experience. Overall, it creates a positive and motivational mood that resonates with players.
- “The mechanics out of the way, that leaves us with the overarching atmosphere and mood.”
- “It has a bright and cheerful lighting and atmosphere; the music is perfect, and the many motivational and philosophical quotes are just balm for your soul.”
- “The atmosphere feels good.”
- “The mechanics are out of the way, leaving us with the overarching atmosphere and mood.”
- “The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, making it hard to immerse myself in the experience.”
- “Despite the visuals, the atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of tension or engagement.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The story in the game is generally perceived as lazy and lacking depth, contributing to a sense of emptiness. While the calming music enhances the experience, many players feel that the absence of a compelling narrative diminishes the overall impact, emphasizing the need for engaging gameplay to compensate.
- “The music and story in the game are super calming and relaxing.”
- “The story is lazy and empty.”
- “The game really lacks a sense of story or plot.”
- “I believe that making the platforming as fun and satisfying as possible is very important.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a strong emotional connection to games like Refunct, which evoke deep feelings and even tears, contrasting with their initial frustration over controls in other games. However, with time, they often adapt and come to appreciate those controls, indicating a complex emotional journey throughout their gaming experience.
- “I hated the controls at first, having just come from Refunct (which is so emotionally impactful I want to cry thinking about it), but after a while I got used to them and liked them.”