Astral Ascension

About

Astral Ascension is a single player role playing game. It was developed by PixelFade and was released on May 30, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Astral Ascension" is a choice-heavy sci-fi visual novel where you join the mercenary ship of Aetos to support your ill sister and clear your name. Your decisions affect mission outcomes and relationships with party members, potentially leading to romance. With hundreds of decisions and branching paths, a unique personalized story unfolds.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

story34 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Astral Ascension features a captivating story with well-developed characters, making it an engaging experience for players.
The game boasts high-quality voice acting and beautiful visuals, enhancing the overall immersion and enjoyment.
Players appreciate the meaningful choices that impact the narrative and character relationships, adding depth to the gameplay.

Some players have reported technical issues, such as bugs and inconsistent voice acting quality, which detracts from the experience.
The pacing of the story can feel rushed at times, leading to unsatisfying resolutions for certain plot points and character arcs.
There are criticisms regarding the lack of player agency, as some choices do not significantly affect the outcome of the story.

story
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The story of "Astral Ascension" is a complex blend of emotional storytelling and character-driven drama, featuring a branching narrative that allows players to influence outcomes through their choices. While many players appreciate the depth of character relationships and the immersive world-building, criticisms arise regarding the pacing and rushed conclusion, which detracts from the overall narrative experience. Despite its ambitious premise, some reviewers feel the story ultimately falls short, lacking a compelling main plot and leaving significant threads unresolved, leading to a perception of an unfinished product.
- “The story has many scenarios, and I have to say, not one felt out of place or boring.”
- “From this uncertain beginning, the game opens into a galaxy of political intrigue, dangerous missions, and personal dilemmas that steadily pull you deeper into a world where every choice shapes not only your future, but also the lives of your crewmates.”
- “The sense that you are co-authoring your protagonist’s journey is strong; no two playthroughs feel identical, and the story rarely nudges you toward a single 'intended' path.”
- “The developers of this novel are no longer active and must have started to shut down during development, and it really shows in the quality of this game's most important aspect, its story.”
- “To summarize; the story is only half done and was horribly rushed, and it's blatantly shown in the finished product. If you buy this, you are buying an unfinished story.”
- “Oh and they set up a whole conspiracy plot that they build and build and build... only to give the most anticlimactic conclusion anyone can possibly think of!”
emotional
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Astral Ascension is praised for its emotional depth, blending heartfelt storytelling with character-driven drama and a layered choice system that enhances player engagement. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a range of emotions, from humor to heartwarming moments, and its well-developed characters that foster genuine empathy. The combination of beautiful art, captivating voice acting, and a rich narrative creates a memorable experience that resonates with players seeking both wholesome romance and emotional complexity.
- “Astral Ascension, developed and published by Pixelfade, is an ambitious sci-fi visual novel that blends emotional storytelling, character-driven drama, and a branching narrative structure into a single sweeping experience.”
- “A perfect combination of comedy, emotional moments, and actually believable characters truly makes this an experience to remember.”
- “Their visual novels are wholesome, with well-written characters that have the ability to make you smile and laugh while also inducing genuine empathy.”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
The music in the game receives high praise for its vibrant and emotional tracks that enhance the overall experience, with standout moments in specific genres like eurobeat and romantic themes. While some reviews note that the music is serviceable and not groundbreaking, many highlight its ability to complement the engaging storyline and character interactions effectively. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's charm and emotional depth.
- “The music is top-notch too, especially the romantic tracks.”
- “The music is fantastic, having some lively and emotional tracks that really amp up each scene.”
- “An incredibly beautiful storyline with amazing characters and soundtrack as well.”
- “The music is serviceable, nothing to write home about, really.”
- “Not surprising for a Pixelfade game, but definitely a bit disappointing coming from the House in Fata Morgana's soundtrack.”
- “What even would 'country' music be in a sci-fi universe, for example?”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its witty dialogue, lovable characters, and a blend of goofy and endearing moments, appealing to fans of the studio's previous works. While some players may find the humor not to their taste, many appreciate the clever interactions and the balance of comedic and heartfelt elements throughout the story. Overall, the humor is praised for being genuinely funny and integral to the game's charm, contributing to a rich emotional experience.
- “If you've played previous Pixelfade games or you're looking for a game with witty dialogue, funny interactions, and good characters, then you'll probably enjoy this game.”
- “In the long-awaited Astral Ascension, the expected Pixelfade features are all here: the cheesy theme song, the goofy but endearing humor, the ‘nice-pervy-gruff’ dialogue tripartition, the cringingly obvious references to real people… and of course the pangos.”
- “The twists and turns will have you laughing and crying within minutes of each other.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics in the game are consistently praised for their stunning visuals and impactful art style, showcasing significant improvement and captivating animations. Players find the character designs and overall aesthetic to be beautiful, contributing to an immersive storytelling experience that enhances emotional connections and engagement with the narrative. Overall, the graphics receive a perfect score of 10/10, highlighting their importance in the game's appeal.
- “The fact that Pixelfade continues to improve in their art style, step it up with the animation, and deliver very captivating and intriguing stories is nothing short of amazing.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the English voice acting is amazing, the music is riveting, the romance is well-thought-out, the choices in this game really make you think, the humor is absolutely hilarious, the tear-jerking moments will make you cry, the heartwarming moments will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, the characters are well portrayed and acted.”
- “The visuals are stunning and the story felt very immersive.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The gameplay of "Astral Ascension" emphasizes choice-driven progression and character development rather than action or mechanical complexity, appealing to fans of narrative depth. While the gameplay mechanics are generally light, they enhance the experience with engaging decision-making moments that can significantly alter the story. Overall, the game shows improvement in its choice-making elements compared to previous titles, offering a blend of fun and stress in its gameplay.
- “The flavor text and gameplay aspects of the trait system are light but are always fun to see when they do pop up.”
- “Heavily focusing more on gameplay, especially within its choice making, offering some stressful yet engaging segments where the choices you make, whether it's a choice or a timing, your story could change.”
- “However, Astral Ascension is not a game that prioritizes action or mechanical complexity.”
- “Readers who relish long-form storytelling, branching relationships, and character introspection will find much to savor, but those expecting gameplay beyond choice-driven progression may perceive its structure as limited.”
- “The actual gameplay of this visual novel is fine.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback; while some players report excellent performance and commend the developers for their efforts, others experience frame rate issues that may be linked to personal hardware limitations or ongoing optimization work.
- “Great performance by the cast, good writing, and overall a ride worth having.”
- “No complaints, you have optimized your work, outdone yourself greatly, and this game is the very essence of why I kept supporting you over the years!”
- “Slightly frame-y in some scenes, but that may be a personal hardware issue due to my PC being 5 years old and heavily used or an optimization issue that's a work in progress.”
- “My only real issues with the game are the early access kind, and that's the performance.”
- “- Slightly frame-y in some scenes, but that may be a personal hardware issue due to my PC being 5 years old and heavily used, or an optimization issue that's a work in progress.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Character development is praised for its slow-burn approach, allowing for genuine growth and exploration of complex themes such as political and ethical dilemmas. The combination of stellar writing, strong voice acting, and engaging character design enhances the overall experience, contributing to a rich narrative environment.
- “This allows for slow-burn character development, intricate world-building, and the space to explore political and ethical dilemmas in depth.”
- “The character development felt genuine.”
- “Stellar writing, good music, great character design, solid voice acting, and excellent romance.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks the depth needed to make the characters truly engaging.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, making it hard to connect with them.”
- “There is a missed opportunity for meaningful growth, as the characters often revert to clichés instead of evolving.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported stability issues, particularly with save file problems that cause the game to freeze during the stowaway section on routes other than Iris. This has led to frustration as players are forced to manually quit the game to resolve the issue.
- “I am experiencing save file issues during new playthroughs. When I reach the stowaway section on any route other than Iris (best girl, by the way), the game freezes when I try to save, and I have to manually quit.”
- “The game crashes frequently, especially during key moments, making it frustrating to progress.”
- “I've encountered multiple bugs that disrupt gameplay, including random freezes and crashes that force me to restart.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers significant replayability through multiple satisfying endings and diverse routes, enhancing the overall narrative experience. Reviewers note that it achieves a level of replayability reminiscent of previous titles like Ace Academy, making it engaging for players to explore different story outcomes.
- “There is plenty of replayability with multiple combinations of endings for each route you can take, all of which I have found satisfying.”
- “The story is so much more involved this time, reaching a level of replayability not seen since Ace Academy.”
- “There is plenty of replayability as well, with multiple combinations of endings for each route you can take, none of which I have found satisfying.”
- “The story is so much more involved this time, reaching a level of replayability not achieved since Ace Academy.”