Info about Astral Ascent: Official game description: Updates Roadmap =============== Join our community ================== _(link in the right column)_ About the Game ============== Astral Ascent is a 2D platformer roguelite game set in a modern fantasy world. As one of 4 Heroes with very different personalities, you must escape from _The Garden_, an astral prison guarded by 12 powerful and vicious bosses, the Zodiacs. **CREATE YOUR OWN PLAYSTYLE** ----------------------------- Unlock dozens of unique spells for each or your characters. Optimize your own build or try out new ones to face all the challenges you'll find on your journey for freedom. Get progressively stronger with time to match up with your foes. Each run will test your skills and your reactivity. **TWELVE ALMIGHTY BOSSES TO FACE** ---------------------------------- The Zodiacs are 12 experienced guardians dispatched over 4 gorgeous worlds. Each with their own unique attacks and combat styles, backstories to uncover and reasons to be fighting you, they'll pose as a big threat to anyone seeking a way out of the Garden . Get yourself warned! **4 PLAYABLE CHARACTERS** ------------------------- _Unique characters. Unique weapons. Unique ways to play._ * **Ayla:** A skilled assassin sent on a mission by her guild to prove her worth, she uses her sharp blades to eliminate targets before they can react. Her speed and proficiency are unmatched. * **Kiran:** An orphan that has learned life the hard way. He uses his raw strength to deliver attacks powerful enough to create shockwaves. Brutal. * **Calie:** This talented sculptor became a warrior to recover the freedom her people have lost. She will use her magical gemstones to pierce enemy defenses and shred them to bits. She is unforgiving. * **Octave:** Trained by a powerful witch, this young fighter summons ethereal weapons to attack his foes. Big or small, short or long range, he has the right one for every occasion. Lethal in all cases. **A STORY THAT OPENS UP, ONE PIECE AT A TIME** ---------------------------------------------- Astral Ascent is a roguelite infused with narration. Replayability is part of a story that will be unraveled piece by piece. As you get stronger, you will discover more about the characters, their motivations and the secrets of the world they’re trapped in. **LOCAL CO-OP** --------------- The weight of destiny is too heavy to carry by yourself? Don’t worry and bring a friend to play with the **two-player co-op** mode. Fight and crush your enemies together in local co-op or online using the **Steam's Remote Play Together** feature. **A VAST, COLORFUL FANTASY WORLD WAITING TO BE EXPLORED** --------------------------------------------------------- Dash across gigantic landscapes. Explore original and hand-crafted areas. Discover a fantastic universe loaded with gorgeous art and fluid frame-by-frame animation. Release date: Nov 14, 2023 Categories: 2D Platformer, Roguelite, Character Progression, Local Co-op, Action, Hack and Slash, Pixel Art Style, Boss Fights Feature scans: - MTX: score 20; verdict: Mixed Sentiment on DLC Practices; summary: The game offers substantial content through both the base game and additional DLCs. While some users appreciate the value and are willing to support the developers by purchasing DLCs, there is notable frustration with the promotion and cost of these DLCs. The overall sentiment suggests that the DLCs are seen as valuable but could be promoted in a less intrusive manner. - Proton/Linux: score 20; verdict: Works Well with Proton; summary: The game generally runs well on Proton and Steam Deck, with positive feedback on performance and compatibility. However, there are significant issues with the native Linux port, which users find unreliable and prefer using Proton instead. - Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals several key themes. Significant issues include loading problems, controller support difficulties, and visibility concerns. Despite these challenges, there is also a substantial amount of positive feedback regarding the game's optimization and performance on the Steam Deck. Additionally, there are complaints about the Linux support, which can impact the overall experience. - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: - Community fair range: $15.00 - $25.00 - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that while the game is often purchased on sale, many users feel it is worth the full price of $25. Several reviews mention waiting for a sale, indicating that the full price might be considered high by some, but still within a reasonable range given the content and quality of the game. The repeated mentions of the game being worth the money, even at full price, support a fair price range slightly below the current full price. - Playtime Metrics: - Game completion: 34.0h - Story completion: 15.0h - Session length: 1.2h - Endgame: N/A - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct statements about the time taken to complete the main story and additional content. The first quote mentions completing the main story in 34 hours, which aligns with the game completion time. The second quote indicates beating a specific level in less than 15 hours, suggesting a shorter campaign completion time. The third quote shows high-level gameplay but does not specify total playtime. The fourth quote provides an average campaign completion time of 15 hours, which supports the story completion metric. - Time-to-fun: - Summary: Astral Ascent has a slow and somewhat boring start but becomes significantly more enjoyable and satisfying once players unlock new characters, spells, and upgrades. The fun anchors around the acquisition of these new elements. - Stance: Fun after unlocks - Anchor: Unlocking new characters and spells - Time to anchor: 2h 0m - Friction: Initial grind; Repetitive level design; Boring enemies - Unlock drivers: Acquisition of new characters; Acquisition of new spells; Upgrades - Conditions: Understanding game mechanics; Having a powerful build - Player Archetypes: - Chill Progressionist (sale) - Motivation: Relaxation and steady progression - Playstyle: Casual and experimental with different characters and builds - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: Roguelite fan; Casual gamer - Reference games: Hades; Dead Cells - Customization Enthusiast (buy) - Motivation: Deep customization and progression - Playstyle: Strategic and long-term planning - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: Roguelite veteran; Strategy gamer - Reference games: Hades; Dead Cells - Co-op Companion (buy) - Motivation: Social interaction and cooperative play - Playstyle: Cooperative and social - Experience: mixed - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: Co-op gamer; Social player - Reference games: Dead Cells; Risk of Rain - Value Seeker (buy) - Motivation: High value and extensive content - Playstyle: Explorative and content-driven - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: Value-conscious gamer; Content enthusiast - Reference games: Hades; Dead Cells Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Strong gameplay and visuals (weight 0.37): The game is praised for its solid and enjoyable gameplay mechanics, which are described as smooth, fluid, and well-designed. The visuals are also highlighted as stunning and top-notch, contributing to an overall excellent gaming experience. - Beautiful art style (weight 0.29): The game features a gorgeous and charming art style that players find beautiful and impressive. The pixel art and art direction are particularly noted for their quality and appeal. - Engaging boss fights (weight 0.27): Boss fights are a standout feature, described as challenging, unique, and well-designed. Players enjoy the variety and memorability of these encounters. - Responsive and fast-paced gameplay (weight 0.27): The gameplay is noted for being responsive, fast-paced, and fluid. Players appreciate the precision and satisfaction of the combat system. - Variety in build options (weight 0.26): The game offers a wide range of build options, allowing for diverse playstyles and customization. Players appreciate the depth and variety in character builds. - Unique character abilities (weight 0.21): Each character has unique spells and abilities, providing a diverse and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the distinct movesets and special skills. - Addictive gameplay loop (weight 0.2): The gameplay loop is described as fun, satisfying, and addictive. Players find the overall experience enjoyable and engaging. - Excellent combat system (weight 0.2): The combat is noted for being good, enjoyable, and dynamic. Players appreciate the tight and fair combat mechanics. - High-quality game (weight 0.2): The game is praised as beautiful, well-crafted, and highly recommended. Players appreciate its overall quality and enjoyment. - Top roguelite experience (weight 0.19): The game is considered one of the best in the roguelite genre, offering a fun and satisfying experience. Players appreciate its quality and replayability. - Well-developed characters (weight 0.17): Characters are well-written and have distinct personalities and backstories, contributing to a rich and intricate narrative. - Frequent updates (weight 0.16): The game receives consistent and high-quality updates, showing the development team's dedication to improving the game. - Impressive animations (weight 0.16): The animations are described as beautiful, well-done, and impressive, adding to the overall polish of the game. - Variety of enemies (weight 0.15): The game features a diverse range of enemies and bosses, each with unique designs and attacks, providing a varied combat experience. - Excellent voice acting (weight 0.15): The voice acting is praised as amazing and superb, enhancing the overall quality of the game's characters and dialogue. - Co-op multiplayer (weight 0.14): The game supports local co-op and cooperative multiplayer, providing an enjoyable experience for players to enjoy together. - Enjoyable and varied gameplay (weight 0.13): The gameplay is described as enjoyable, exciting, and non-repetitive, offering a variety of skills and characters to keep the experience fresh. - Rich lore and story (weight 0.13): The game features a rich and detailed lore, with interesting world-building and colorful characters. - Unique and dynamic runs (weight 0.13): Each run in the game feels unique and dynamic, allowing for experimentation and different gameplay experiences. Common complaints: - Overwhelming visual effects (weight 0.16): The game's special effects are often too dense and overwhelming, making it difficult to see characters and bosses during gameplay. - Weak story development (weight 0.14): The game's story and character development are frequently criticized as uninteresting and underdeveloped. - Unintuitive spell system (weight 0.13): The spell casting system is unintuitive, sometimes unclear, and poorly executed. - Repetitive gameplay elements (weight 0.12): The game features repetitive combat, skills, and environments, leading to a monotonous experience. - Long and exhausting runs (weight 0.12): Game runs can be very long, sometimes taking up to an hour, which can be exhausting for players. - Inconsistent hitboxes and telegraphing (weight 0.11): The game has inconsistent hitboxes and telegraphing, which can disrupt the flow and demand excessive attention for dodging. - No mid-game save feature (weight 0.1): The game lacks an in-game save feature, preventing players from saving their progress mid-game. - Poor game design (weight 0.09): The game is criticized for poor construction, writing, interaction design, and time management. - Poor cost-performance ratio for upgrades (weight 0.09): Low-level spell upgrades have a poor cost-performance ratio, and early game enchantments may conflict with late-game spells. - Limited strategic options (weight 0.09): Players with limited skills may find their strategies restricted, often focusing on specific branches due to available items. - Grindy gameplay loop (weight 0.08): The game features a grindy gameplay loop that can feel needlessly repetitive. - No online multiplayer (weight 0.07): The game does not feature true online multiplayer or cooperative modes. - Game is too easy (weight 0.07): The game is criticized for being too easy and lacking both challenge and replayability. - Various criticisms (weight 0.07): The game has received criticisms regarding character skills, balance issues, difficulty, mechanics, and character personalities. - Unappealing pixel art style (weight 0.07): The pixel art style of the game may be off-putting or unconvincing to some players. - Slow start (weight 0.07): The game starts out slow and underwhelming, which may not engage players immediately. - Mixed recommendation (weight 0.07): The game is recommended with caveats to action roguelike fans but is considered inferior to similar games in the genre. Gameplay feedback: - Diverse character abilities (weight 0.37): The game features multiple characters, each with unique spells, abilities, and playstyles. This variety allows players to experiment with different builds and strategies. - Fast-paced action gameplay (weight 0.32): The game is a 2D roguelike action with hack and slash combat. It features fast-paced and challenging gameplay mechanics. - Character progression systems (weight 0.29): Players can unlock and improve character abilities through a progression system. This includes build variety and unlockable content that enhances gameplay. - Roguelite elements (weight 0.27): The game incorporates roguelite mechanics, including procedural generation and permadeath. These elements contribute to the game's replayability and challenge. - Complex spell mechanics (weight 0.24): The game offers a deep spell casting system with various mechanics for building and enchanting spells. Players can customize their spell loadouts for different playstyles. - Boss fights and encounters (weight 0.21): The game includes a variety of boss fights and encounters, each with unique mechanics and attack patterns. Bosses are a significant part of the gameplay experience. - Customizable difficulty settings (weight 0.21): Players can adjust the difficulty settings to their preference. The game offers modular and customizable difficulty levels, similar to other popular roguelites. - High replayability (weight 0.18): The game offers amazing replayability due to its varied builds, difficulty settings, and roguelite elements. Players can enjoy different experiences in each playthrough. - Weapon mechanics (weight 0.18): Players can dual-wield weapons and switch between different movesets. Each character has multiple weapons with unique passives. - Multiplayer modes (weight 0.13): The game offers both online multiplayer and couch co-op modes. Players can enjoy the game with friends in cooperative gameplay. - Story and narrative (weight 0.09): The game features a story with multiple endings and fragmentary storytelling. Players can uncover the narrative as they progress through the game. - Construction and mini-games (weight 0.08): The game includes in-game construction systems and mini-games. These mechanics add variety and depth to the gameplay experience. - Character and boss interactions (weight 0.07): The game features interactions between characters and bosses, adding depth to the lore and gameplay mechanics. - Pixel art visuals (weight 0.07): The game features pixel art aesthetics and cutscenes. This art style contributes to the game's unique visual appeal. Performance notes: - Excellent Steam Deck Performance (weight 0.15): The game runs well on Steam Deck with great frame rates and minimal battery consumption. Many players report a seamless experience. - Various Bugs and Issues (weight 0.12): There are reports of game crashes, UI bugs, flickering projectiles, text errors, and bugs causing characters to get stuck. - Visual Clarity Issues (weight 0.1): Players report visual chaos in cooperative mode and character visibility issues during special effects, leading to visual clutter. - Stable and Smooth Gameplay (weight 0.09): The game is described as fluid, bug-free, and stable in performance. It also has good controls on gamepad and controller. - Low System Requirements (weight 0.06): The game has low system requirements, making it accessible to players with less powerful hardware, including potato PCs. - Loading Issues on Steam Deck (weight 0.06): Some players experience loading issues on Steam Deck, including the game not loading or taking a long time to load initially. - Optimization Improvements (weight 0.05): The game has seen FPS improvements over time, indicating ongoing optimization efforts. - Compatibility with Mac (weight 0.03): The game works fine on Mac, indicating good cross-platform compatibility. - Ultrawide Resolution Support (weight 0.03): The game supports ultrawide resolutions, enhancing the gaming experience for players with ultrawide monitors. - Minimal Delay in Remote Play (weight 0.03): Players report no significant delay during remote play, making it a smooth experience. - Technical Issues (weight 0.03): Some players encounter technical issues such as the game failing to load due to d3d errors. Recommendations: - Recommended for roguelite fans (weight 0.24): The game is highly recommended for fans of roguelite games, especially those who enjoy fast, dynamic, and difficult gameplay. It is also suggested for both veterans and beginners of the genre. - Recommended for Dead Cells fans (weight 0.21): If you enjoyed games like Dead Cells, Children of Morta, or Hades, this game is highly recommended for you. It is often compared favorably to these titles. - Highly recommended game (weight 0.21): Many reviewers strongly recommend this game, highlighting it as a must-have and a fun experience for those looking for an enjoyable roguelite. - Controller recommended (weight 0.05): Players suggest using a controller for the best gaming experience, indicating that it might be the preferred way to play. - DLCs recommended but not necessary (weight 0.05): While the DLCs are recommended, they are not considered necessary to buy immediately, indicating they add value but are not essential. - Support the developers (weight 0.05): Reviewers encourage supporting the developers, indicating a positive reception and appreciation for their work. - Recommended for co-op players (weight 0.03): This game is suggested for those who enjoy cooperative gameplay, making it a good choice for playing with friends. - Considered a masterpiece (weight 0.03): Some reviewers consider the game a masterpiece in the roguelike genre, highlighting its high quality and enjoyment. - Worth waiting for a sale (weight 0.03): Some reviewers suggest that it might be worth waiting for a promotion or sale before purchasing the game. - Recommended for fans of dot graphics (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for players who enjoy roguelikes with dot graphics, suggesting a retro or pixel art style. - Recommended for patient players (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for players who have time and patience, suggesting it might require investment to fully enjoy. Other player notes: - Adjust FX opacity and outlines (weight 0.04): Players are suggesting to adjust the FX opacity and turn on character outlines before fighting the boss, likely to improve visibility and gameplay experience. - Request for Chinese crowdfunding (weight 0.03): Players are requesting the option to crowdfund through a Chinese platform such as the modian app. - Game is in Early Access (weight 0.03): Players are noting that the game is currently in Early Access, implying that it is still in development and may have unfinished features or bugs. Emotions: - Frustration (weight 0.21): Players are frustrated primarily due to the game's high difficulty, unfair boss mechanics, and visibility issues. The steep learning curve, complex late-game mechanics, and repetitive gameplay also contribute to this frustration. Additionally, technical issues such as game crashes, UI problems, and control mapping add to the overall dissatisfaction. - Enjoyment (weight 0.2): Players enjoy the game for its overall experience, including fun combat, diverse runs, and beautiful visuals. The variety of build paths, spells, and character abilities, along with the engaging storyline and high-quality music, contribute to a positive experience. The game's responsive controls and innovative combat mechanics are also highlighted as enjoyable aspects. - Excitement (weight 0.16): Players are excited about the game's variety of content, frequent updates, and engaging gameplay. The game's depth, variety in spells and combinations, and the potential for endless combos are particularly thrilling. The positive comparisons to popular games like Dead Cells and the anticipation for future DLCs also contribute to the excitement. - Satisfaction (weight 0.13): Players feel satisfied with the game's variety of attack methods, upgrade elements, and frequent updates. The combat feels smooth, responsive, and genuinely satisfying, providing good value for money. The game's graphics, gameplay, controls, and power level are also sources of satisfaction. - Disappointment (weight 0.08): Players are disappointed with the game's story, endings, and repetitive skills. The lack of variety in gameplay mechanics and the absence of online multiplayer are also sources of disappointment. Some players feel that the gameplay does not live up to the visuals, and certain bosses are particularly difficult and frustrating. - Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Players are enthusiastic about the game's combat flow, animations, and variety of gameplay elements. The high praise for the game's content, mechanics, and quality contribute to this enthusiasm. The game's high randomness, frequent updates, and enjoyable mechanics are also highlighted. - Joy (weight 0.04): Players find joy in the game's fast-paced and fun gameplay, beautiful visuals, and engaging story. The unique qualities of the game, such as the meat pigeon skills and auras, along with the beautiful art and high-quality music, contribute to the joyful experience. Playing with friends and the feel-good vibe of the game are also mentioned. - Excited (weight 0.04): Players are excited about the game's high replayability, unlockable content, and engaging boss fights. The game's qualities, such as its pixel graphics, fluid combat, and character abilities, are sources of excitement. The frequent updates and the game's potential for variation in builds and endless combos also contribute to this feeling. - Admiration (weight 0.03): Players admire the game's beautiful pixel art, fluid movement, and attention to detail. The character animations, voice acting, and scenic beauty are also sources of admiration. The game's craftsmanship, completeness, and design are highlighted as admirable qualities. - Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's character variations, build options, and variety of heroes and weapons. The game's art, replayability, combat, and the effort put into making rooms more rewarding are also appreciated. The professional Japanese voice acting and the dedicated development team are mentioned as sources of appreciation. - Satisfied (weight 0.02): Players are satisfied with the game's difficulty adjustment, role growth, and fluid gameplay. The game's qualities, such as its brilliant design and the positive feedback on the roguelite genre, contribute to this satisfaction. - Confusion (weight 0.02): Players are confused by the game's complex upgrade system and additional effects. The boss design is noted as illogical, and the game's floaty mechanics add to the confusion. The fragmented and mediocre storyline also contributes to this feeling. - Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players are anticipating the developer's roadmap for future expansions and planning to purchase DLC. The challenging true ending and the roadmap for 2024 are also sources of anticipation. - Anger (weight 0.01): Players are angry due to encountering numerous bugs and poorly designed high difficulty settings. The frustration with the game's mechanics and the feeling that the game falls apart in higher difficulties contribute to this anger. - Happy (weight 0.01): Players are happy with the game's smooth motion, impressive character cutscenes, and enjoyable gameplay mechanics. Achieving a first-time completion and the positive feedback on character interactions contribute to this happiness. - Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game's destiny level system, overall experience, and interesting story. The fascinating characters and the game's mechanics are also sources of love. The game is considered one of their favorites. - Hope (weight 0.01): Players hope for the development team's progress, updates, and more maps and bosses. The routine updates and game growth are also sources of hope. There is a request for a crowdfunding window for Chinese players. - Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the unexpected enjoyment of the game and finding a hidden gem. The game's qualities and engaging gameplay contribute to this surprise.}