Astonia Reborn

About

Astonia Reborn is a Free-To-Play Classic 2D Isometric MMORPG. Astonia is based in a fantasy world that has developed its own lore surrounding a land where demons roam free, animals have gone wild and civilization is on the brink of a great disaster.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 126 reviews

story4 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

A nostalgic revival of an old classic that appeals to fans of retro games.
The community is friendly and helpful, providing support for new players.
Offers a unique and challenging gameplay experience with a focus on grinding and exploration.

The game suffers from significant server issues, including lag and connection problems.
There is a steep learning curve with minimal guidance, making it difficult for new players to get started.
The game is no longer actively maintained, leading to a lack of updates and support from developers.

story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
The game's story is characterized by intricate and challenging quests that require players to explore and strategize without the aid of quest markers or hand-holding. Players engage in a variety of missions, from battling bandits to uncovering ancient knowledge, with a strong emphasis on community and creative gameplay. While the graphics may not be impressive, the depth of the quests and the old-school RPG experience are highly praised, appealing to those who enjoy a more immersive and self-directed narrative.
- “Common missions include fending off bandits, spying on the rebel city-state of Exkhordan whose greedy governor has broken away and declared independence, exploring the surrounding forests and swamps of Astonia (the latter being incredibly dangerous since the sludge will drown you if you stand in it for too long), attempting to complete the labyrinth quest, a series of 5 complicated dungeons with unique mechanics like limited healing, or being at the bottom of the ocean, culminating in a fight with the gatekeeper which, if defeated, will increase your stat caps considerably, and exploring the tunnels beneath Aston, gathering ancient knowledge from the ruins of fallen underground civilizations, learning the truth about the source of the demons, and their true master that rules within the ice palace at the frozen core of the world.”
- “At its essence, this game is a testament to what happens when the stars don't align, but how that often makes for a better story.”
- “The classic style dungeon crawling just works and all of the quests are always very intricate, with some of my favorites being all 5 of the labyrinths, especially the one where you are shrouded by darkness, and the underwater one.”
- “The game is an old-school game with minimal guides, and you don't get quest markers to point you in the right direction, but that's the type of game it is!”
- “If you are used to getting fed quests or waypoints, then this might not be for you.”
- “There is very little hand-holding; I've found myself looking up quests on my phone while playing just so I can use a map/walkthrough.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The graphics of the game are characterized by an isometric style that reflects its older technology roots, offering a nostalgic experience for fans of retro aesthetics. While not visually stunning by modern standards, the immersive use of dynamic shadows and the grounded graphical design contribute to a tense atmosphere, particularly in darker environments. Overall, the graphics may not appeal to everyone, but they complement the gameplay and community aspects that many players find enjoyable.
- “Graphically, the game is of an isometric style. I'd say, considering the game is isometric, it holds up well graphically for this time and can be quite immersive, especially with the dynamic shadows (which play a strong role in the game, restricting vision for players and enemies alike).”
- “Walking through a dark, vampire-infested crypt, able only to see as far as the light cast by your torch, and with the grounded graphical style can be very tense.”
- “Game has really nice graphics and it does give off a nostalgic feeling, even though I haven't tried many old school MMORPGs.”
- “MMOs like World of Warcraft and FF14 are incredibly easy and graphically better by comparison.”
- “The original game was created in 2001, so yes, the graphics are not amazing.”
- “Old-school graphic style (it's not for everyone, which is why I've listed it under both a pro and a con).”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is characterized by a significant amount of grinding, reminiscent of older MMOs, requiring players to invest considerable time in combat and looting to progress. While some players find this tedious and boring, others appreciate the depth it adds to gameplay, highlighting the enjoyment found in exploration, character building, and unique challenges. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some embracing the grind as a core aspect of the experience, while others view it as a drawback.
- “The game is grindy as hell, frankly. You will have to spend a lot of time killing and looting mobs to gain the strength to progress, but is that really such a bad thing?”
- “Toxic/unresponsive community, laggy servers, horrible spawn system, way too grindy and boring.”
- “By that I mean the game is very slow; it's focused more on exploration, listening to NPCs' stories, and slowly grinding.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay is a blend of classic MMO elements, featuring challenging quests with dangerous traps and unique mechanics that require players to strategize and collaborate. While the controls and mechanics can be confusing for newcomers, the depth of the gameplay, including intricate dungeons and exploration, offers a rewarding experience for those willing to invest time. Overall, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and graphics, the engaging quests and community make it a standout RPG for fans of the genre.
- “The gameplay combines two of the three pillars of early MMOs.”
- “Common missions include fending off bandits, spying on the rebel city-state of Exkhordan, exploring the surrounding forests and swamps of Astonia, attempting to complete the labyrinth quest, and gathering ancient knowledge from the ruins of fallen underground civilizations.”
- “It's a really good game with a lot of mechanics that most RPGs are lacking right now. If you want to play an RPG unlike most these days, I highly recommend playing this game.”
- “Additionally, many quests have dangerous traps that can kill you fast, and mechanics like certain enemies such as demons and vampires that are invincible unless you locate the spell to weaken them and actually say it to them, or find specific items necessary to defeat them.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are very confusing for new players - I had trouble moving around (but I got used to it rather fast), there were issues with looting, healing, and fighting... yeah, it's totally old school.”
- “To sum it up, if you don't mind slow gameplay, server delay, and the server being private, and if you have time to dedicate to it, you'll probably like it.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game's music is largely absent or minimal, leading many players to suggest that it's better to listen to their own music or podcasts while playing. Overall, the sound design is described as bare bones, lacking any significant musical elements.
- “Best to listen to some nice music while you play.”
- “No music.”
- “Not that it matters since you were going to listen to music or podcasts anyway, weren't you?”
- “The sounds and music (I actually don't think there is any music) are very bare bones.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game's optimization is praised for effectively reviving a classic title, allowing it to run smoothly on minimal specifications while delivering strong performance.
- “Good revival of an old classic I played almost 20 years ago... very good for those who want full performance with minimal specs.”
- “The second part is its performance.”
- “The game struggles with frame rates, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “Optimization issues lead to long loading times and frequent crashes.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be engaging, particularly enjoying the comedic interactions with AI characters and amusing dialogue from NPCs. The lighthearted tone enhances the overall experience, making challenges more entertaining.
- “Controls will be the hardest to get a feel for, but once you do, you'll be flying through it, laughing at the AI trying to catch you.”
- “Then with the others, I was able to continue smoothly until I reached a place called Pents, where a funny friend I found told me about it. He said here I will find unique gear drops and currency in the form of stones, and then what to do with them.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Players appreciate the game's chat room-like environment, highlighting its engaging and non-toxic atmosphere, which enhances replayability. However, as it is still in early access, there are expectations for improvements that could further enhance the experience for new players.
- “The game almost functions as a chat room of sorts, except it's infinitely more playable, and there's none of the toxicity that you see in a lot of games.”
- “The game lacks significant content updates, making it feel repetitive after a few playthroughs.”
- “Once you complete the main storyline, there isn't much incentive to replay the game.”
- “The limited variety in quests and activities leads to a lack of replayability.”