Fallen Tear: The Ascension Review Summary

Stunning visuals and art: The game features breathtaking hand-drawn visuals and detailed environment design. The art style is unique and full of personality, contributing to the game's immersive atmosphere.

Rewarding and dynamic combat: Combat is challenging yet fair, with a variety of enemies and build options. It feels snappy and rewarding, with a bit more depth than expected.

Outstanding sound design: The sound design and soundtrack are top-notch, making the world feel alive and immersive. The music is beautiful and pulls everything together.

Excellent voice acting: The game boasts strong voice acting with wonderful voice actors. The voice acted dialogue enhances the overall gaming experience.

Immersive environment: The game features immersive environments and stunning backgrounds. The world feels alive and has a strong emotional tone.

Localization problems: The game has poor localization quality, incomplete localization, and issues specific to Chinese localization. Some texts appear nonsensical and dialogues are mixed with English.

Combat mechanics issues: Players report difficulty with combat, weak combat feedback, and issues with counter attacks. The combat system is criticized for feeling weightless and unsatisfying.

Subtitle issues: There are no Chinese subtitles, and subtitles are missing in cutscenes, which affects the accessibility and enjoyment of the game.

Jumping mechanics flaws: The jumping mechanics are poorly designed, leading to issues and difficulties in gameplay.

Story criticism: The story is described as cliché and underdeveloped, failing to engage players effectively.

Challenging and dynamic combat: The game features a combat system that is both challenging and dynamic, requiring strategic thinking and timing rather than simple button mashing. Players appreciate the depth and variety in combat mechanics, including combos, abilities, and different forms.

Genre fusion of JRPG and Metroidvania: The game successfully blends elements from JRPG and Metroidvania genres, creating a unique experience. This fusion includes ability-locked map design and RPG elements, providing a fresh take on both genres.

Movement and exploration mechanics: The game includes various movement mechanics such as sprinting, double jumping, and climbing, which enhance exploration. The exploration feels smooth and rewarding, with extensive maps and ability-gated areas.

Bond and party systems: The game features a bond system with allies and a partner system with unique skills. Recruiting more party members provides new abilities and enhances the gameplay experience.

Engaging and mysterious world: The game world is designed to be interesting and emotionally engaging, with a strong sense of mystery and personal journey. The hand-drawn visuals and diverse biome zones contribute to a unique and immersive experience.

Fast load times noted: Players have observed that the game generally has fast loading times, though some have experienced occasional delays during loading screens.

Optimized for specific hardware: The game is reported to run great on specific hardware, indicating good optimization for certain setups.

Character movement bugs: There are reports of characters getting stuck, which can hinder progress and frustrate players.

Performance issues requiring restarts: Some players have experienced performance issues that necessitate restarting the game to resolve.

Screen shaking issues: Some players have reported experiencing screen shaking during movement, which can be disruptive to gameplay.

Add movement mechanics: Players are requesting additional movement mechanics such as a forward dash/dodge, a straight down pogo mechanic, and a straight-up dash mechanic to enhance gameplay.

Highly recommended game: Many players are highly satisfied with the game and would definitely recommend it to others.

Add character icon on map: Players want a character icon on the map to better navigate and understand their position in the game world.

Game completion: 17.5h.

Story completion: 10.0h.

Session length: 2.3h.

The game is enjoyable and engaging from the start, with players finding the first hour of gameplay pleasant and addictive. The controls, tutorial, and combat are easy to understand and fun, contributing to an immediate positive experience.

Unlock drivers: character progression; masteries.

Metroidvania Newcomer: Casual exploration and enjoyment of the game's aesthetics and initial impressions. Motivation: Exploring a new genre with an enjoyable initial experience. Stance: buy.

Aesthetic Enthusiast: Immersive exploration with a focus on visual and auditory enjoyment. Motivation: Enjoying the game's artistic and sensory design. Stance: buy.