Astoria: The Holders of Power Saga
- August 2, 2017
- Golden Unicorn Gaming
- 35h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreAstoria: The Holders of Power Saga is a fantasy role-playing game with strategic combat. Players explore a rich world filled with diverse creatures, ancient ruins, and powerful artifacts. They assemble a party of heroes, each with unique abilities and backstories, and engage in tactical battles against enemies and epic bosses. The game features an immersive storyline and various character progression options for a personalized gameplay experience.
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Astoria features a captivating story with engaging characters and emotional moments that keep players invested.
- The combat system is well-balanced and encourages strategic thinking, with a variety of spells and customization options for characters.
- The game offers a good amount of content for its price, including side quests, optional bosses, and a bestiary to complete.
- The game suffers from issues with random encounters and some bosses being overly difficult, requiring grinding and specific strategies to defeat.
- There are frequent bugs and glitches, including problems with Steam achievements and occasional crashes during gameplay.
- The use of default RPG Maker assets and sample maps detracts from the overall experience, making some areas feel lazy and unoriginal.
- story75 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of Astoria is generally well-received, featuring engaging characters and a mix of twists that keep players invested. While some reviews note that the narrative can feel simplistic or generic at times, many appreciate the depth provided by side quests and character backstories. Overall, the game offers a solid RPG experience with a blend of entertaining combat and a storyline that, despite its flaws, maintains player interest throughout.
“This is a marvelous game with a great story and many twists and turns.”
“The story and characters were fantastic and the balance felt well executed.”
“Astoria is a wonderful epic RPG with a very interesting storyline and fun combat mechanics.”
“The design of the main story is terrible.”
“The plot and the world and the characters are very, very simple and generic.”
“The story is probably what holds it back from being much better.”
- music11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its quality and ability to enhance the gaming experience without becoming grating. While some note that the soundtrack can become repetitive, it remains enjoyable and is considered a standout feature that complements the game's atmosphere and storytelling. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's appeal, evoking nostalgia and enhancing the adventure.
“Great music and story so far.”
“Nostalgia is not the only reason I like this game; great music, entertaining story, fun challenging dungeon crawling action, and tough but fair bosses.”
“The game also offers a stellar soundtrack to accentuate the scenes even further.”
“When I have to turn the music off, there is typically something very wrong with the game.”
“Music in the game gets quite repetitive, but it is not annoying (your mileage may vary).”
“The writing isn't anything special -- standard fantasy adventure fare, really -- and the level designs, sprite work, music, and character designs all range from forgettably average to good.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Astoria is characterized by its engaging combat mechanics and classic old-school RPG elements, offering a mix of exploration, story-driven content, and character interactions. While some players find the gameplay to be a bit average, the combination of a compelling narrative and fun combat keeps it enjoyable, with many hours of content to uncover. Overall, it successfully delivers a nostalgic RPG experience with enough depth to maintain interest.
“I was looking for typical RPG fare with familiar mechanics and many hours of story for a small price, and Astoria ticked the box.”
“Astoria is a wonderful epic RPG with a very interesting storyline and fun combat mechanics.”
“This makes the fight interesting as you need to adapt your fighting mechanics to accommodate the skills and strengths of the other temporary team members that join you.”
“Is it an average RPG with basic controls, story, and gameplay?”
“The gameplay was a bit of a mixed bag.”
“The gameplay is for the most part typical old-school RPG gameplay you would expect from RPG Maker-based games, including various locations and a world map.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding is a mixed aspect of the game; while some players found it necessary for leveling up and preparing for boss battles, others noted that exploring side areas could mitigate the need for excessive grinding. The game offers a balanced difficulty, where grinding can ease combat but isn't strictly required, allowing for a more engaging story progression. Overall, players rated the grinding aspect around 6/10, suggesting it can enhance gameplay if desired but isn't essential.
“It's very focused on fighting and I had to do quite a bit of grinding (sigh!) to level up and get money.”
“It requires lots of grinding before joining the boss battle, lots of save games too.”
“Although grinding is basically required in the early areas, the difficulty is good; not hard, but there are rough spots where you have to figure out the right strategy and can't just muscle through.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a mix of standard RPG Maker assets and original designs, resulting in a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic SNES RPGs, enhanced by crisper visuals akin to later remakes. While some players noted the use of familiar character portraits, the overall artwork and variety in graphics were generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere. However, the combination of different graphical styles received mixed feedback.
“Excellent artwork and design.”
“The design and feel are akin to classic SNES RPGs, with crisper graphics similar to some of the later remakes.”
“Obviously the graphics are what they are, but they are used well, with some good variety.”
“And let's not start on the complete mix and match of the various graphical styles used in the game.”
“Graphics was something I touched on before but will do so again.”
“Now, when I say assets, I do not mean the RTP graphics or sounds.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features some emotional moments, but overall, it feels emotionally flat, with the characters maintaining a generally happy demeanor without significant highs or lows. While there are impactful events, the reactions are subdued, leading to a lack of celebratory or deeply sorrowful moments until the epilogue.
“There will be some emotional points in the game, so be prepared for that.”
“The game has its emotional moments, but overall, the party remains generally happy without any exuberant celebrations until the epilogue. While it doesn't delve into deep sadness, it does have moments that evoke a subtle emotional response.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players noting several moments that elicited genuine laughter. Overall, the comedic elements contribute positively to the gaming experience.
“The humor in this game is absolutely spot-on, with clever jokes that had me laughing out loud.”
“I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue and hilarious situations that keep the mood light and fun.”
“The comedic timing of the characters is perfect, making even the simplest interactions entertaining.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is considered standard and unremarkable, with writing that adheres to typical fantasy adventure tropes. While the overall presentation, including level designs and character aesthetics, is described as average to good, it does not elevate the depth or uniqueness of the characters themselves.
“The writing isn't anything special -- standard fantasy adventure fare, really -- and the character development feels shallow and uninspired.”
“Character arcs are predictable and lack depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“The characters don't evolve throughout the story, leaving them feeling static and uninteresting.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is considered relatively stable with minimal bugs; however, some players have experienced occasional crashes that can be perplexing.
“The game was relatively bug-free, thankfully, providing a smooth experience overall.”
“I experienced very few issues during my playthrough, which made for a stable gaming environment.”
“The stability of the game was impressive, allowing me to focus on gameplay without worrying about crashes.”
