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About

"Ascent is a game where you crash land on a mysterious planet and discover an ancient civilization. Explore the planet, find powerful upgrades, and uncover its secrets using the controls move, jump, climb ladders, and special moves. The game was created during LowResJam 2022 by Johan Peitz and features music by Vav."

Ascent screenshot
Ascent screenshot
Ascent screenshot

100%
Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews
music16 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions

  • Ascent DX is a charming and polished Metroidvania that offers a fun and engaging experience in a short playtime of around 30-60 minutes.
  • The game features beautiful pixel art, catchy music, and smooth controls, making exploration enjoyable and rewarding.
  • As a free game, it provides a surprising amount of content, including multiple endings, upgrades, and a well-designed map.
  • Some players found the 100% ending to be less substantial compared to the 'bad' ending, which felt more fulfilling.
  • There were occasional issues with input not registering, though the game saves reliably at checkpoints.
  • The game is quite short, which may leave some players wanting more content or a longer experience.
  • music
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is consistently praised for its catchiness and quality, enhancing the overall experience with immersive soundtracks that complement the beautiful pixel art. Reviewers highlight the music as a standout feature, contributing to the game's charm and fun mechanics, making it a memorable aspect of the gameplay. Overall, the combination of well-crafted sound effects and engaging music has left a positive impression on players.

    • “Being a free game, it's short but well-made, really fun experience, great music and good enough controls.”
    • “I like the aesthetic and I love the music.”
    • “A charming short-form metroidvania, with gorgeous pixel art and a nice soundtrack.”
  • graphics
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are characterized by a charming pixelated aesthetic that is both clear and visually appealing, complemented by smooth movement and polished mechanics. Users appreciate the beautiful visuals and effective use of sound, noting that the graphics maintain a consistent quality across versions, with improvements in control responsiveness in the updated release. Overall, the art style and design contribute significantly to the game's engaging experience.

    • “Charming graphics and sound, smooth movement and polished mechanics.”
    • “Beautiful graphics, nice music, and precise control.”
    • “Surprisingly full-featured metroidvania - despite the relatively small map, it hits all the right marks, and the art style is just fantastic.”
    • “The graphics are low resolution but still clear.”
    • “While the visuals are pretty much the same across both versions, the DX version has better controls, as jumping from the tiny blue climb hooks in the original was tricky and not entirely intuitive.”
    • “First part that attracted me was the pretty visuals in a 64x64 screen.”
  • gameplay
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is praised for its charming graphics, smooth mechanics, and intuitive controls, making it an enjoyable experience for players. It features fun movement mechanics and exploration elements, with a balance of challenge that suits those short on time. Overall, the game is described as polished and visually appealing, contributing to a delightful gaming experience.

    • “Charming graphics and sound, smooth movement and polished mechanics.”
    • “Nice quick exploration platformer with some fun movement mechanics and just enough story to keep you thinking about the world.”
    • “Controls, visuals, and audio are all wonderful, and the gameplay and design are amazing!”
  • story
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a bittersweet and somewhat heartbreaking story that enhances the exploration experience, complemented by engaging movement mechanics and visual storytelling elements. While the narrative is not overly complex, it provides enough depth to keep players invested in the world. Overall, the story is described as sweet and adds a meaningful layer to the gameplay.

    • “Nice quick exploration platformer with some fun movement mechanics and just enough story to keep you thinking about the world.”
    • “Love the extra visual details, the added storytelling through the energy cells, the new songs... I will play the hell out of this one as well, thank you Johan!”
    • “The story is sweet, although somewhat heartbreaking.”
    • “Story is alright.”
    • “A roughly 30-minute, no-combat metroidvania with a little bit of story and a helpful map.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its impressive atmosphere, effectively creating a rich and immersive experience despite its small size and pixelated graphics. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of mystery and depth, making it a standout in the metroidvania genre.

    • “It has a great atmosphere and packs a lot of punch for such a small game.”
    • “Generates a lot of atmosphere with just a few pixels.”
    • “A wonderful, if brief, metroidvania full of atmosphere and mystery.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a sweet yet poignant narrative that evokes a sense of heartbreak, resonating deeply with players.

    • “The story is sweet, although somewhat heartbreaking.”

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