Guild of Ascension
- September 21, 2021
- WhileOne Productions
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games StoreGuild of Ascension is a 2D pixel art, roguelike dungeon crawler. Manage a guild of heroes, each with unique abilities and classes, as you delve into procedurally generated dungeons. Defeat enemies, collect loot, and craft gear to ascend to new heights.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of real-time and turn-based mechanics, providing a fresh and engaging gameplay experience.
- The art style and soundtrack are well-received, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- There is a good amount of customization and unlockable content, allowing for varied playstyles and strategies.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks depth and replayability due to repetitive gameplay and limited content.
- Controls can be clunky, especially with mouse and keyboard, making the experience less enjoyable for some players.
- The difficulty spikes can be frustrating, and the meta progression feels tacked on, diminishing the impact of achievements and upgrades.
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a blend of tactical turn-based mechanics and real-time action, offering a unique challenge with a ten-second planning phase followed by character control. While some players find it engaging and appreciate the customization options, others note that the gameplay can become repetitive across levels. Overall, it features solid mechanics and controls, but may not sustain long-term interest.
“The gameplay is similar to tactical turn-based games like 'Into the Breach' or 'Advance Wars,' but what makes this game unique is that you only have ten seconds to plan out your moves, and then you actually control the character for a set amount of time, either moving, attacking, charging your shields (called dodge in this game, but it's really just like shields), or more typically, a combination of all three.”
“It has very good gameplay mechanics, mixing turn-based with real-time on a timer.”
“The gameplay is the highlight of the game: it is a grid-based tactical game where you move your characters in real time during their turn.”
“The same exact gameplay for every single level.”
“I definitely recommend that anyone interested watch some gameplay footage to see whether they can and would like to get used to this very strange combat system.”
“The first floors are basic and make sure you understand the core gameplay before involving more complex things.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some praise the soundtrack and sound design as amazing and refined, others find the music unmemorable and the sound effects lacking, particularly during combat. Overall, the music enhances the experience for some players, but it may not stand out for everyone.
“To top everything off, it's got an amazing soundtrack (sound design too!)”
“Very fun game, art and music are awesome.”
“I also really appreciate the refined visuals and music.”
“Music is fairly straightforward, and the sound effects definitely feel a bit lacking, especially in combat.”
“The menu is totally silent; music starts as soon as you start the game.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are described as having a unique art style and refined visuals, contributing to a strong and consistent aesthetic. However, some users note that the graphics are basic and reminiscent of indie titles, with a desire for better widescreen support. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated, they may not be enough to elevate the overall experience.
“As it is, the game has a good idea, nice graphics, and fun gameplay, but it's not something that you'll be playing for more than a couple of weeks.”
“Good controls, very strong and consistent aesthetics and mechanically tight.”
“The character portraits have a unique art style.”
“Widescreen monitor support would be appreciated as I have to play the game in windowed mode to avoid stretching out the visuals.”
- story3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being almost nonexistent, with uninteresting characters and dialogues that fail to engage players. Overall, it lacks depth and creativity, contributing to a bland gaming experience.
“It has almost no story, it has basic indie graphics, unmemorable music, and gameplay blander than flour.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game markets itself as a "roguelike," it primarily revolves around grinding for stronger weapons to tackle tougher levels. However, the meta progression system is considered less grind-heavy, providing a more balanced experience.
“At the very least, the meta progression is not grindy in this game.”
“It also bills itself as a 'roguelike,' but in reality, it's all about grinding to get more powerful weapons to take on more powerful levels.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's limited character selection and relatively short length diminish its overall replayability, with players feeling little incentive to replay after completing the main content. However, additional challenges on each floor provide some opportunities for players seeking to extend their experience through collection and achievement hunting.
“The limitation of 2 characters really doesn't allow for any replay value unless you need to collect and unlock everything. I am usually a person that likes to collect everything and get all achievements, but I didn't feel the need to replay the game after 16 hours to collect a few more animals, a few weapons, and one more achievement.”
“The game is relatively short, although some additional challenges within each floor add some replayability.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The character development in the game has been criticized for its poor design, leading to a lack of depth and engagement with the characters.
“Terrible character design.”
“The characters lack depth and feel one-dimensional.”
“There is minimal growth or change in the characters throughout the game.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is primarily optimized for controller use, leading to a subpar experience with keyboard and mouse, which also suffers from some bugs.
“Everything is optimized for controller; keyboard and mouse feel a little weird, and there are some bugs with using them.”
“Everything is optimized for controller; keyboard and mouse feel a little weird, and there are some bugs with using keyboard and mouse.”
“The game runs poorly on lower-end systems, making it frustrating for players who can't upgrade their hardware.”
“There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, which severely impacts the overall gameplay experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is appreciated for its simplicity and effectiveness, making it particularly enjoyable in short play sessions, while also offering a high skill ceiling that adds depth to the experience.
“A simple yet very high skill ceiling game that's funny enough to be best played in short bursts.”
“The humor in this game is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making every moment enjoyable.”
“I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions.”
