Astor: Blade of the Monolith

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 57 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Astor: Blade of the Monolith Game Cover
C2 Game Studio's ambitious new title combines Zelda-like adventure and spicy combat.
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In "Astor: Blade of the Monolith," explore the planet Gliese, inhabited by sentient creatures called Diokek, to uncover the mystery of the ancients' disappearance and defeat the malevolent Hiltsik. Learn new attacks, unlock magical powers, and collect legendary weapons as you journey across the planet to solve the mystery of the Monolith, an ancient structure holding immense power. Engage in intense battles against various enemies and bosses in this action-packed adventure.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews
story10 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique art style and visually captivating environments that enhance the overall experience.
  • Combat mechanics are satisfying and allow for a variety of weapon usage, making battles enjoyable despite some simplicity.
  • The story is engaging and easy to follow, providing a pleasant narrative experience throughout the game.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including camera problems and invisible walls that hinder exploration.
  • Combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth, often relying on basic button mashing rather than strategic gameplay.
  • Excessive cutscenes and handholding detract from the gameplay experience, making it feel linear and tedious at times.
  • story33 mentions

    The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its unique art style and straightforward narrative that is easy to follow. However, some criticize the storytelling for being interrupted by unnecessary cutscenes and for lacking depth, making it less engaging for those seeking a more profound experience. Overall, while the story is enjoyable and complemented by beautiful visuals, it may not satisfy players looking for a gripping or complex plot.

    • “The game was a good length too, with the story getting really good near the ending.”
    • “Storytelling in games like this is often a convoluted mess, but this game actually tells its story in a very succinct manner.”
    • “What I love about Astor: Blade of the Monolith is the story in combination with how beautiful the game looks.”
    • “Constant interruption from unimportant cutscenes that added no real story or gravitas.”
    • “Story is told in a coma-inducing way.”
    • “Astor is a silent protagonist, and you have your usual tropes like the sweet sidekick best friend, a grumpy village chief, etc. If you're looking for an enthralling story that will make you reflect about it long after the credits have run, I don't think you're going to find it here.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The game's graphics have been widely praised for their unique art style and beautiful visuals, particularly when played on high-quality displays like OLED monitors. Reviewers noted that the artistic elements reflect a strong dedication from the development team, contributing to an aesthetically pleasing experience, despite some criticism regarding the lack of variety in enemy designs and gameplay mechanics. Overall, while the graphics stand out positively, they are somewhat undermined by gameplay issues and bugs.

    • “I also really appreciated the unique art style.”
    • “The sound design is beautiful and the graphical style perfectly fits the game's story.”
    • “Beautiful art style and satisfying combat.”
    • “It has some pretty visuals and you can tell that the team really dedicated a lot of love to the artistic elements, but its gameplay is very boring, it's not creative, the enemies hold too much that it extends the combat to give a false sense of difficulty and the cinematics destroy much of the flow of the game.”
    • “Character designs are simple but aesthetically pleasing, though I will say I could go for more variety in the enemy color palettes.”
    • “Game sort of reminds me of Stray Blade with the artwork, attacks, level designs, and a bit of that jank.”
  • gameplay17 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it repetitive due to the constant enemy spawns and lack of engaging environments, leading to a sense of monotony. While the combat mechanics are praised for being fast-paced and satisfying, the overall experience suffers from sparse gameplay density and cinematic interruptions that disrupt the flow. Additionally, the tutorial effectively introduces mechanics, but the game could benefit from a tighter design to enhance player engagement.

    • “The gameplay is fast-paced and exhilarating, with satisfying combat mechanics.”
    • “Almost every room has some sort of meaningful gameplay in it.”
    • “The depth of the combat mechanics was a pleasant surprise.”
    • “Imagine the same combat mechanic, the same enemy types, always spawning every 5 steps.”
    • “The attempt at a sort of 'open-zone' level structure was an interesting idea, but it ultimately falls flat because it winds up making the gameplay feel sparse.”
    • “It has some pretty visuals and you can tell that the team really dedicated a lot of love to the artistic elements, but its gameplay is very boring, it's not creative, the enemies hold too much that it extends the combat to give a false sense of difficulty and the cinematics destroy much of the flow of the game.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and unenjoyable, particularly criticizing the repetitive nature of defeating the same enemies multiple times to progress. Additionally, the pursuit of collectibles is seen as a grind rather than an engaging challenge.

    • “The game has a 'kill all the enemies to progress' style of gameplay where you defeat a horde, only to have more enemies spawn. I find this to be tedious and not enjoyable at all; I want to see what happens next, not kill the same enemy five times.”
    • “Wasn't challenging, just tedious.”
    • “Grinding achievements: finding all the collectibles feels like a grind.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game is considered stable with only minor bugs and glitches reported, indicating a generally polished experience. Players appreciate the game's quality despite these occasional issues.

    • “The game has a few glitches that disrupt the experience.”
    • “There are several bugs that affect gameplay stability.”
    • “I encountered multiple crashes that made it frustrating to play.”
  • music2 mentions

    The music in the game is praised for being fantastic and complementing the overall experience, enhancing the engaging story and action. While some reviewers find the original soundtrack to be merely "okay," it still contributes positively to the gameplay, which is reminiscent of titles like Devil May Cry and God of War. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong asset that elevates the game's character action elements.

    • “This game is absolutely incredible, really good story, fights are cool (kinda remind me of Devil May Cry saga) and this is complemented with a fantastic soundtrack.”
    • “The OST is okay, and you can play it spamming buttons, or learn a couple of moves for every one of the weapons, and string some really cool looking combos.”
    • “The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't add much to the overall experience.”
    • “The music feels repetitive and lacks the depth needed to enhance the gameplay.”
    • “I expected a more engaging score, but the music just falls flat and becomes background noise.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for issues such as stuttering during combat and poorly designed enemy behavior, leading to a lack of recommendation from users.

    • “Between the stuttering in combat and the lazy enemies, I cannot recommend this game.”
    • “The optimization is so poor that it feels like I'm playing a beta version rather than a finished product.”
    • “Frequent frame drops and long loading times make the experience frustrating and unenjoyable.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its perfect blend of character design, vibrant colors, and well-crafted maps, all contributing to an immersive experience.

    • “Finally, I defeated Haken! I really loved this game; everything is perfect: the atmosphere, characters, colors, and maps. <3 It truly deserves it.”
    • “The atmosphere in this game is absolutely immersive, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
    • “I was captivated by the stunning visuals and the haunting soundtrack that perfectly complement the game's atmosphere.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character designs are noted for their simplicity and aesthetic appeal, but there is a desire for greater variety in the color palettes of enemies to enhance character development.

    • “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form a strong emotional connection with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
    • “The choices you make significantly impact character growth, leading to unique experiences in every playthrough.”
    • “Character designs are simple but aesthetically pleasing; however, I would appreciate more variety in the enemy color palettes.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “I found the character arcs predictable and uninspired, which diminished my overall engagement with the story.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a simple story complemented by occasionally hilarious character dialogue, providing moments of levity that enhance the overall experience.

    • “The story is simple, and the character dialogue can be hilarious at times.”
    • “The humor is spot-on, with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud.”
    • “I love how the game uses absurd situations to create laugh-out-loud moments.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

66% average critic score

Buy Astor: Blade of the Monolith

Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
10-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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