Astellia
- January 30, 2020
- Studio 8
- 9h median play time
Astellia is a fantasy massively multiplayer role-playing game with excellent gameplay, good story, and impressive visuals/music. Game packages vary from Standard, Value , to Deluxe . However, the game can be very grinding and may lack optimization. Overall, it offers a good co-op and PvP experience for 2 players and up.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and a charming art style, making the world visually appealing.
- The Astel system, which allows players to summon companions, adds a unique twist to the gameplay and enhances the overall experience.
- The game offers a nostalgic MMORPG experience with a classic questing system, making it enjoyable for fans of traditional MMOs.
- The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent frame rate drops and performance issues even on high-end hardware.
- There are significant translation and voice acting issues, which detract from the overall immersion and storytelling.
- The player base is low, making it difficult to find groups for dungeons and resulting in a less engaging multiplayer experience.
- story159 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally viewed as generic and predictable, often following typical MMORPG tropes like the "chosen one" narrative. While some players find it engaging and appreciate the inclusion of side quests and character interactions, many criticize it for being poorly executed, with issues such as bad translations, lack of depth, and repetitive quest structures. Overall, the storyline is considered decent enough to maintain interest, but it does not stand out in a crowded genre.
“The storyline lets you travel fairly continuously, with plenty of side quests to earn levels and money.”
“The story line is engaging and interesting and can suck you in, at least the first time around so far.”
“The story is pretty entertaining, and you can complete subzones fairly quickly-- before you get tired of them.”
“The story is painfully boring, poorly dubbed, and just pure fanservice.”
“The story line feels boring, and dialogue between your character and other NPCs seems dated and cheaply made.”
“This was the main reason why I'm attempting to have this refunded and why I wouldn't recommend this game, along with the occasional wonky translations, bland storyline and much more that I won't bother to list.”
- graphics108 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the beautiful art style and impressive visuals, particularly in landscapes and character designs. However, some users report performance issues, such as stuttering and low frame rates even on high-end systems, and criticize the graphics for being grainy or poorly optimized. Overall, while the graphics are often described as nice or stunning, they are not universally acclaimed, with some players finding them average or lacking compared to other titles in the genre.
“The graphics are amazing, the storyline is interesting to keep playing, and the battle system from other games I've tried too.”
“The graphics are beautiful and the colors really make the world come alive.”
“Im glad I didn't listen to the bad reviews, I have no FPS problems and this is such an aesthetically pleasing game at least for me, gorgeous graphics for an MMO, everything looks full if that makes sense, a bunch of trees, lights, and other effects in the air, I love it until now!”
“Grainy graphics on all maxed out settings.”
“The graphics are not good; look closely at the landscape, this game was made as cheaply as possible with as many reused assets as the developers could get away with.”
“It runs super poorly, the graphics are horrible; god-like PC and it runs at 30fps with horrible graphics like WoW.”
- optimization70 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, including lag and stuttering, even on high-end systems. Many users express frustration over the game's inability to run smoothly in populated areas or during intense gameplay, leading to a generally poor experience. Despite some players finding ways to improve performance through settings adjustments, the consensus is that the game is in dire need of optimization improvements.
“Performance-wise, I only experienced momentary lag when switching to specific zones; combat was fluid and easy.”
“I have a pretty good setup, and the optimization just isn't there.”
“However, as I got further in leveling, the game started running a bit better, but for being out as long as it has, the optimization should be better.”
“It's poorly optimized and lags in major cities even when there are barely any players around.”
“The game looks okay, but the optimization isn't good. I'm running an RTX 2060 Super and 32GB of RAM, and it still has some slowdown on the higher settings.”
“The game is horribly unoptimized; the first boss bugged out, leaving me with the choice of either closing the game in Task Manager or waiting several hours for an NPC to solo it.”
- gameplay69 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this MMORPG has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it to be generic and lacking depth, despite some unique mechanics like the astel system. While some appreciate the classic tab-targeting mechanics and the aesthetic appeal, others criticize the grindy nature and pay-to-win elements that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a familiar but unremarkable gameplay experience that may appeal to fans of traditional MMORPGs but leaves others wanting more innovation.
“I love the character designs, the world, and the gameplay is pretty fun as well.”
“Satisfying gameplay, and unique approaches to enhancing and buffing items, and companions.”
“Great gameplay and really enjoying my time in the game so far.”
“Otherwise, the story, combat, skills, progression, quest design, damn near everything was run-of-the-mill generic MMORPG gameplay.”
“I have got the impression that the developers didn't have enough ideas regarding this game in order to keep it truly enjoyable and entertaining, and therefore filled it out with lots of grindy mechanics to hopefully bind players to this for a very long time.”
“Another hollow MMO with auto-pathing and far too many things on screen at the same time designed to distract you from the fact there is no fun in the actual gameplay itself.”
- grinding43 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is characterized by a significant emphasis on grinding, with many players noting that it can feel excessively tedious, especially at lower levels where side quests become necessary to progress. While some enjoy the grind as part of the MMORPG experience, others find it overwhelming and repetitive, particularly in dungeons and for crafting. Overall, the game appeals to those who appreciate grinding mechanics, but it may deter players looking for a more balanced gameplay experience.
“But it's too grindy right off the bat; at around level 17, you have to start doing side quests to try and continue the main quests, and then it happens a couple more times before you even get to level 25.”
“To be able to get the loot from the highest ranked dungeons, you have to spend several hundred hours farming the same repetitive content like a brain-dead bot.”
“I heavily advise against playing this game if you dislike overly excessive grinding, and I will elaborate why this is the grindiest game I've ever played so far.”
- music16 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its solid and memorable melodies that enhance the overall experience. While some describe the music as nice and relaxing, others note that it can be repetitive at times. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, drawing comparisons to other popular MMORPGs like Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft.
“I recommend Astellia to everyone who loves MMORPG games with good graphics and beautiful music.”
“The game also has a solid soundtrack with some really memorable melodies.”
“The music is rather nice; while not extraordinary, it is nice and relaxing.”
“Music - nice but repetitive.”
“There are some decent soundtracks in the game too.”
“This game's soundtrack reminds me of WoW's.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The monetization in the game has been widely criticized, with many users feeling it resembles a rushed cash grab, cluttered with in-game purchases that detract from the overall experience. While some note that the monetization is currently fair in the western release, concerns about the game's longevity and optimization persist, leading to skepticism about its true intentions.
“Funding your in-game purchases via the Steam wallet is convenient and straightforward.”
“What is important is the western release; as far as monetization goes, it is still fair, at least currently as of this post.”
“Feels like a rushed out cash grab.”
“Monetization is getting worse in my opinion.... (sell astels, etc)”
“The game feels more like a clunky cheap free-to-play cash grab.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received largely negative feedback, with users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and freezing issues that hinder gameplay. Many players experienced significant lag and were unable to progress due to game-breaking bugs, leading some to seek refunds. Overall, while some found the game enjoyable, the stability issues have been a major point of frustration.
“It still freezes up from time to time and can have lag and jitters when you turn too quickly at times.”
“I found the game extremely buggy; I got stuck at the starting zone, which stopped me from progressing and ultimately led to my refund of the game.”
“With a 5700 XT and a Ryzen 3800X, I just didn't find it smooth and very buggy.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as hit-or-miss; while some players find it lacking and consider the game overly simplistic, others appreciate the amusing personalities of the characters and the lighthearted moments throughout the gameplay. The comedic elements, particularly involving the pets and their roles in battles, add a layer of enjoyment for some players, making the experience more endearing despite criticisms. Overall, the humor seems to resonate differently among players, with a mix of genuine amusement and frustration at common complaints.
“But the game is fun for me, it's funny enough as the game is very classic and simple mechanic but it is very fun, I don't know why but it is very fun to raise your astel (which are your typical pets) which can help you raiding, leveling, PvPing, and so on.”
“Most of them have funny and interesting personalities and really are involved in the storyline and quests.”
“The game also has funny, enjoyable moments that make it endearing.”
- character development5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a strong appreciation for the character designs, noting a wide range of customization options and appealing aesthetics that vary from adorable to stunning. While the gameplay and graphics receive positive mentions, the primary focus remains on the impressive character design elements.
“I love the character designs, the world, and the gameplay is pretty fun as well.”
“Character design is okay, with lots of options and customization.”
“Graphics are amazing, music is solid enough, character designs are great and range from adorable to gorgeous to amazing.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the game's atmosphere, highlighting its appealing visual design and how it enhances the overall gameplay experience.
“I love how the atmosphere looks and enhances the gameplay.”
“The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive and captivating.”
“The hauntingly beautiful environment draws you in and keeps you engaged.”