Astral Ascent

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,156 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Astral Ascent Game Cover
Astral Ascent is a Roguelike that should be mentioned alongside genre greats like Hades and Spelunky, and simply demands to be played.
Starting at $1.30Buy now
Get on Steam

"Astral Ascent" is a 2D platformer roguelite game set in a modern fantasy world, where you play as one of four distinct heroes escaping from the astral prison, The Garden. With dozens of unique spells to unlock and utilize, createyour own playstyle and optimize builds to face the twelve powerful Zodiac bosses guarding your path. Each run provides a new challenge, testing your skills and reactivity as you uncover the backstories of the Zodiacs and fight for freedom.

Play Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,156 reviews
gameplay146 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions
  • Gorgeous pixel art and animations that enhance the overall experience.
  • Fluid and responsive combat mechanics that allow for creative spell combinations.
  • Engaging gameplay loop with a variety of characters and spells, providing high replayability.
  • The spell rotation system can be confusing and may lead to unintentional gameplay frustrations.
  • Some characters and spells feel underpowered compared to others, leading to imbalanced gameplay.
  • The writing and dialogue can be cheesy and may detract from the overall immersion.
  • gameplay287 mentions

    The gameplay of this game is widely praised for its fluidity, engaging mechanics, and addictive loop, drawing comparisons to popular titles like Hades and Dead Cells. Players appreciate the variety offered by multiple characters and spells, which contribute to a dynamic experience with high replayability. However, some reviewers note that certain mechanics can feel overly simplistic or repetitive, and there are occasional frustrations with the clarity of gameplay explanations and the balance of abilities. Overall, the game is considered a strong entry in the roguelike genre, with beautiful visuals and a satisfying combat system.

    • “The gameplay loop is super addictive, and the characters, spells, and gambits make each run varied.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth and enables a high skill ceiling; the fights are pretty engaging, and you have to think and react quickly later on in your progression.”
    • “The moment-to-moment gameplay feels excellent; it's clear that a lot of testing, effort, and care has gone into making the movement as smooth as possible.”
    • “The gameplay is good but not great; I think it would benefit from being simpler, honestly.”
    • “Unfortunately, the actual gameplay is far too simplistic and way too floaty.”
    • “Not only is the core gameplay overly simplistic with effectively just one combo, it just isn't very satisfying.”
  • graphics155 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning pixel art style, vibrant colors, and fluid animations, creating an engaging visual experience that enhances gameplay. While some players noted that the art style can occasionally blend characters and enemies, the overall aesthetic is described as charming and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. Many reviewers highlight the combination of beautiful artwork, quality voice acting, and a cohesive atmosphere as standout features that elevate the gaming experience.

    • “The visuals are stunning, absolutely gorgeous.”
    • “The art style is vibrant, bright, and colorful, which very much fits with the tone of 'magic!'”
    • “The visuals in this game are just breathtaking and the animations are exquisite.”
    • “However, the art style tends to blend enemies and the player character due to a similar color palette.”
    • “The graphics are so overly stylized that I can't tell what in the heck is going on in combat, even with outlines turned on.”
    • “Lack of graphics options is another huge underlying issue--there are only two settings or so to change.”
  • story133 mentions

    The story in the game is generally viewed as engaging but somewhat basic, often compared to the narrative style of "Hades," where lore unfolds through gameplay and character interactions. While some players appreciate the unique character backstories and the integration of zodiac lore, others find the storytelling to be shallow or reliant on RNG, leading to disjointed experiences. Overall, the narrative is seen as a solid complement to the gameplay, with potential for deeper exploration as players progress.

    • “The story is visually stunning, and though it seems fairly basic at first, it is a labor of love with loads of unique voice acting to accompany the development of the plot.”
    • “The storyline is engaging, and the audio and voice acting are particularly noteworthy.”
    • “A wonderful story, memorable NPCs, bosses, and allies, lovable characters to play, and incredible dialogue/voice acting.”
    • “The story is mediocre, but this just came out, and it can definitely improve.”
    • “The writing is such a problem that the game would be better if there were simply no story or dialogue at all.”
    • “The story is somewhere between serviceable and good; characters range from annoying to endearing.”
  • music117 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its beauty, calming nature, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. Composed by Dale North, the soundtrack is noted for its cinematic quality and seamless integration with gameplay, although some players found it occasionally repetitive or mismatched with the action. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's standout features, contributing significantly to its immersive experience.

    • “The music and the art are calming while the action is spectacular and fun.”
    • “The soundtrack is excellent, seamlessly complementing the game's different areas.”
    • “The music is so soothing and well done!”
    • “From the jump, I personally didn't like the music or the characters speaking in gameplay/writing, so I muted all that and felt much better about it afterwards.”
    • “The music is fine on its own, but in the context of the gameplay, it fares only marginally better than the writing; I was quickly getting tired of the first stage's track, and there's hardly any tonal shift in the second stage, despite the fact that I just went from a breezy plainsland to a desert volcano.”
    • “One of my current issues is that many times during the run, the music does not match the pace of the gameplay. For example, sometimes when I'm massacring a wave of mobs, the song is still in a chill and slow mood, which sets me off.”
  • replayability35 mentions

    The game offers exceptional replayability, featuring diverse characters, customizable builds, and a variety of spells and items that enhance each run. Players appreciate the balance of difficulty, engaging storylines, and frequent updates, which contribute to a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience. Overall, it stands out as one of the most replayable roguelites available, rivaling even top titles in the genre.

    • “If you like 2D scrolling, roguelike games with high replay value, different builds, characters, and weapons to try, achievements to unlock, adjustable difficulties, beautiful music, colorful and unique art style, good storylines, and interesting character interactions, Astral Ascent is definitely a must-try for you.”
    • “Genuinely one of the most smoothly designed roguelites out there, with great attention to story and lots of replayability and options galore.”
    • “The game boasts extensive replayability with four characters, diverse spells, items, and the destiny mechanic.”
    • “I think it's an excellent pickup if you enjoy 2D action roguelites, but if you're someone that needs the game to set goals for you to keep progressing and wants it to be hundreds of hours of replayability, I don't think this is it.”
    • “The other critical element that every rogue-lite should have is replayability.”
    • “Replayability for sure isn't going to be a problem; even with an incomplete game, it's already really fun to play since there are already a lot of elements that you can play around with to build your character for each run.”
  • optimization23 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has seen significant improvements, with many players reporting a smooth performance and no noticeable FPS drops, especially after recent updates. However, some users still experience occasional stuttering and performance issues, particularly during dialogue or loading screens, indicating that further optimization may be needed as the game progresses through early access. While the combat performance is generally praised, the initial optimization challenges have left mixed feelings among players.

    • “There are a lot of spells, spell modifiers (gambit), and passives (aura/echo/weapon passive) that create a ton of builds and optimizations you can make during a run.”
    • “High ceiling to optimization.”
    • “Performance is great now and all of my other points still stand.”
    • “More importantly, the performance was really poor, which in a fast-paced action game like this could be really frustrating.”
    • “I've got a GTX 3080 12GB and an Intel i9 11th gen... the only reason a pixel art game should be stuttering at all is just poor, poor optimization or the underlying game engine.”
    • “I'd previously left a review saying the game looked to be good, but that I couldn't enjoy it due to optimization issues.”
  • grinding22 mentions

    Reviews on the grinding aspect of the game are mixed; while some players appreciate the balance of progression and find it manageable, others feel that certain elements, particularly in the end-game and for achievements, become excessively tedious and detract from the overall experience. Many express a desire for less grinding, especially for cosmetic unlocks and meta progression, with some even losing motivation to continue due to the repetitive nature of farming. Overall, the game offers enjoyable gameplay and customization, but the grind can be a significant hurdle for some players.

    • “Awesome 2D action platformer (90% action, 10% platformer) with a unique spells system, not very grindy meta progression and still getting free updates after 1.0 that deserves more attention than this.”
    • “The end-game, especially if you want to 100% it, is really grindy.”
    • “I really wanted to like it given the positive reviews and the beautiful art style, but after eight hours of grinding away on the same levels time and time again, I just can't recommend it.”
    • “Edit: after beating the master/ophiuchus for the first time, the game introduces this new currency you get by grinding out the zodiacs on higher difficulty runs, and that prospect made me lose all interest in continuing to play.”
  • character development17 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted to be minimal, with limited depth in dialogues and interactions, despite the strong emphasis on unique character designs and solid voice acting. While players appreciate the art and atmosphere, they express a desire for more meaningful character progression and development throughout the gameplay. Overall, the character designs are praised as a highlight, but the lack of substantial character growth is a common critique.

    • “The character designs are really unique and the variation between all the characters is a high point in my opinion.”
    • “Character design is unique, dialogue is quick and funny, and the voice acting seems just perfect; I couldn't imagine a different voice on any of the characters that exist.”
    • “Little character development in the dialogues with your characters and the zodiacs between first encounters and final runs.”
    • “The character design is the only weak element of this game, and some of the character design would be better with the adjustment of a voice actor.”
    • “It's all about meaningful decisions and how you progress in your character development.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful character designs, captivating music, and immersive visuals, creating a spiritual and engaging experience. Players appreciate the fluid gameplay and intense battles, which enhance the overall ambiance, making it a standout title in the roguelike genre. The combination of art, sound, and character interactions contributes significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The atmosphere of the game and the interaction between the characters is superb; the gameplay is fluid and captivating. In short, one of the best rogue-like games I've played.”
    • “The way the characters talk, the spiritual atmosphere that the game has, the music, the art—it's genuinely beautiful. It has a lot of content for a roguelike game. I'm impressed!”
    • “The atmosphere of the game and the interaction between the characters is superb; the gameplay is fluid and captivating.”
    • “The way the characters talk, the spiritual atmosphere that the game has, the music, the art—it's genuinely beautiful.”
    • “The atmosphere that the game puts you in, the visuals, and the character design are all amazing.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by clever references to other roguelikes, quick and witty dialogue, and unique character designs that enhance the comedic experience. Players appreciate the blend of funny moments with more serious lore, although some unintended humor arises from AI quirks during boss fights. Overall, the game successfully engages players with its humorous elements while still leaving room for emotional depth.

    • “I wasn't expecting to find myself here, but after laughing at the references to other roguelikes in games like this, I realized I was definitely a part of this community whether I liked it or not.”
    • “The enemies are cool, the banter is funny, and there are a lot of things to unlock.”
    • “Character design is unique, dialogue is quick and funny, and the voice acting seems just perfect; I couldn't imagine a different voice for any of the characters that exist.”
    • “It's not funny.”
    • “The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
    • “I expected more clever humor, but it just didn't deliver.”
  • stability5 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability, running well on platforms like the Steam Deck and Switch, with users reporting minimal glitches despite its early access status. However, some players have noted that it is still somewhat buggy, indicating room for improvement.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “I also own this game on Switch, where it runs great!”
    • “A little buggy due to early access.”
    • “Fun, but a bit buggy still.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The game is praised for its engaging and touching storyline, which evokes strong emotional responses, with some players expressing a desire to cry from its impact. Additionally, the wholesome sound design and calming audio enhance the overall emotional experience, providing a soothing backdrop to the narrative.

    • “Great rogue-like with one of my favorite themes implemented in an engaging and touching storyline.”
    • “So good I want to cry.”
    • “+ Wholesome sound design, calm and relaxing audio is soothing your ears at a high level of quality.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization in Astral Ascent is perceived positively, as it allows players to enjoy endgame content reminiscent of classic MMOs like MapleStory and RuneScape without the extensive grinding or financial investment typically associated with microtransactions or subscriptions.

    • “Astral Ascent scratches a very particular itch for me; both the progression and the environment's theming make me feel like I get to experience endgame raid/bossing party content in a classic lite MMO like MapleStory or RuneScape, without the hundreds of days of grinding (and paying for microtransactions or subscriptions) first.”
    • “The monetization in this game feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy without spending extra money.”
    • “I find the microtransactions to be intrusive and they detract from the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating that to fully enjoy the game, you have to pay for so many additional features.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

92% average critic score

Buy Astral Ascent

Play time

4hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
3-26hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News