Info about Asterigos: Curse of the Stars:

Official game description:
Game Editions
=============
Get the main game, future DLC, and digital products in one great value package.  
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars - Ultimate Edition includes:  
*   Asterigos: Curse of the Stars original game  
*   Asterigos: Call of the Paragons DLC  
*   Asterigos: Curse of the Stars Complete Soundtrack  
*   Asterigos: Digital Art Book
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars - Deluxe Edition includes:  
*   Asterigos: Curse of the Stars original game  
*   Asterigos: Call of the Paragons DLC
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================
About the Game
==============
Discover the long-forgotten secrets and hidden paths in this high fantasy world, featuring exhilarating battle encounters, interconnected maps full of places to explore, and an immersive story where every choice matters. Play as **Hilda** – a brave young warrior from the Northwind Legion who embarks on a journey to the cursed city in order to save her lost father. The gameplay elements inspired by soulslike games alongside a lighter, dynamic combat system, create a fresh take on the modern action RPG genre, providing you with a harmonious difficulty and exploration balance.  
*   **Explore** the magnificent city of Aphes inspired by classical Greek designs and unveil the truth behind the city’s curse.  
*   **Combine and change** your weapons on the go. Equip two different types of weapon at once and become unpredictable in combat.  
*   **Battle** more than 60 different enemies and encounter 22 bosses in the main story and side quests.  
*   **Decide** the fate of Aphes. Every decision you make in Asterigos matters and will affect the story.  
*   **Find** over 100 collectibles, complete numerous side quests, and forge your destiny in the NewGame+ mode.  
*   **Test** your combat skill in the brand new boss rush mode: Gauntlet of the Stars.
Welcome to Aphes – a city-state full of magic and wonder inspired by ancient Rome and classical Greek designs. From the mist-covered bazaar streets to gloomy sewers, the enigmatic forests at the city’s outskirts to deep chasms full of glittering crystals, the landscapes of Aphes are full of beauty and dangers.  
Choose from a variety of ranged and melee weapons on the go and combine them as you wish! The talent system allows you to pick and expand your combat style by choosing two out of six completely different weapons: _**sword and shield, dual blades, spear, hammer, staff**_ or even **_magic bracelets_**. Equip a magical staff to obliterate your foes from the distance or switch to a gigantic battle hammer to squish them in a close combat.  
Whilst Aphes might distract you with its breathtaking views, this city is not for the faint of heart. Fight your way through **_60 different monsters_** and encounter **_22 unique bosses_** – each with its own unique battle mechanics.  
**_Every choice and every decision you make matters._** Your journey in Aphes will lead you to discover the truth behind the city’s curse, letting you piece together its history through conversations, discovered documents and cinematics, as well as Hilda’s own diary, which she’ll update with sketches and observations.  
The world of Asterigos is full of secrets and untold stories. Complete **_numerous side quests_**, find collectibles and win rewards from **_Gift of the Nexus_**, test your combat skills in the brand new boss rush mode: **_Gauntlet of the Stars_** and build on your legacy in the **_New Game+ mode_**!

Release date: Oct 11, 2022

Categories: Action RPG, Soulslike Combat, Exploration, Multiple Endings, Weapon Customization, New Game+, Boss Rush, Character Progression

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair Monetization; summary: The user reviews for Asterigos: Curse of the Stars discuss its DLC and pre-order costume, but do not provide evidence of microtransactions, pay-to-win mechanics, or aggressive monetization. The DLC is described as short and best bought on sale, and the only minor criticism is about a pre-order costume not being in the base game. The monetization model appears fair and follows standard one-time purchase and optional DLC practices.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Student Tier; summary: The game relies heavily on external wikis and guides due to vague quest instructions, missable progression items, and insufficient tutorial for core mechanics, leading to a high 'Wiki Tax' experience.
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Playable with Caveats; summary: The game is playable on Steam Deck with notable performance hiccups including frequent minor frame drops and stuttering in specific areas. Text readability is well-addressed via adjustable font size. Control responsiveness and upscaling compatibility present moderate concerns. No external launchers or forced Proton versions are required.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The game runs well on higher VRAM (12–15GB) with no crashes or freezing, but suffers significant frame drops and stuttering on lower VRAM (<8GB) in foggy or smoky areas.
  - Sample size: 20 (4% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (positive, 9 reports): The game runs well with no crashing or freezing issues on this hardware range.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 7 reports): Significant frame drops and stuttering occur on maps with fog or smoke effects on low VRAM hardware.
  - Caveats: 20 of 445 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $25.00
  - Reasoning: Most reviews recommend purchasing the game on sale, indicating that the full price of $35 is considered too high by the community. One reviewer explicitly states the price is right at $35, but this is a minority view. Another mentions a light discount makes it worth it, implying a price slightly below $35. Positive experiences at sale prices like $9 suggest a lower bound around $10. Balancing these opinions, the fair base-game price range is estimated between $10 and $25.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 35.0h
  - Story completion: 25.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 10.0h
  - Reasoning: The first quote explicitly states 25 hours to complete the main game and 10 additional hours for endgame content, giving storyCompletion=25 and endgame=10. The second quote (translated from Spanish) confirms 20-25 hours for the main story and 35-40 hours for full completion, supporting storyCompletion=25 and gameCompletion=35. The third quote corroborates a 25-hour blind playthrough for the main story. No evidence for sessionLength was found, so it is set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Asterigos starts with engaging combat and exploration but quickly becomes tedious due to repetitive gameplay, poor map design, and convoluted quests, causing most players to lose interest within the first few hours.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Start of game
  - Time to anchor: 0h 0m
  - Friction: lack of map; tedious dialogue; repetitive combat; damage sponge enemies; convoluted quest design
  - Unlock drivers: using external guides; skipping dialogue; mastering parry mechanics; using fire staff for ranged cheese
  - Conditions: weapon mixing and skill progression; fast-paced combat; exploration with shortcuts; solo play; patient mindset to overlook flaws
- Player Archetypes:
  - Soulslike Novice (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience soulslike gameplay without overwhelming difficulty
    - Playstyle: Prefers slow-paced combat, relies on ranged magic staff, avoids complex systems
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Soulslike newcomer; Casual gamer; Story indifferent
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Elden Ring; Kena: Bridge of Spirits
  - Adventure Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Discovering a beautifully crafted world and experimenting with combat
    - Playstyle: Explores thoroughly, tries different weapon combos, engages with side missions and lore
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Action RPG enthusiast; Exploration lover; Artstyle appreciator
    - Reference games: Kena: Bridge of Spirits; Darksiders; Immortals Fenyx Rising; The Legend of Zelda
  - Challenge Purist (deep sale)
    - Motivation: To master demanding combat and overcome punishing difficulty
    - Playstyle: Seeks optimal builds, utilizes parry and iframes, plays on highest difficulty, min-maxes
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: Soulslike veteran; Hardcore gamer; Old-school player
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice; Bloodborne; Elden Ring


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:
- Visuals are attractive (weight 0.38): Players consistently noted that the visuals are beautiful, bright, and have a nice art style with abundant effects, including a cartoon-anime feel.
- Gameplay is enjoyable (weight 0.32): The gameplay is described as pleasant, great, and fun, especially at the start, with refined fighting mechanics and fluid movement.
- Story is interesting (weight 0.27): Players found the lore and narrative interesting, with good parts, complex characters, and a world that shows writer passion.
- Weapon variety appreciated (weight 0.23): Players like having six weapons available from the start, allowing customization and varied playstyles, with fun combos and elemental variety.
- World design well crafted (weight 0.23): The interconnected world design, shortcuts, hidden paths, and good hub map provide an intuitive and engaging experience with souls-like shortcuts.
- Music is pleasant (weight 0.16): Multiple players praised the music as pleasant, enjoyable, and good, highlighting it as a positive aspect of the game.
- Skill system is good (weight 0.15): The skill tree allows interesting customization and combinations, and the simple leveling with three stats is appreciated for build customization.
- Combat has good mechanics (weight 0.15): Combat is fun, refined, and includes new ideas like different elements for attacks, unlimited stamina for light attacks, and roll cancelling basic attacks.
- Boss fights are engaging (weight 0.14): Boss fights mix event gimmicks to keep from getting boring, with interesting attack animations and challenging but fair encounters.
- Content volume suitable (weight 0.12): There is a decent amount of content, good volume of stages and conversations for an indie soulslike, and detailed item descriptions.
- Art style is appealing (weight 0.12): The art style is described as nice, cartoon-anime, and mildly interesting, with monster designs and world that are appealing.
- Accessibility features noted (weight 0.11): Features like skip options for dialogue, abundant healing potions reducing reliance on resting, and teleport availability make the game more accessible.
- Character design praised (weight 0.11): Players love the main character and protagonist look, with a highlighted NPC story of love and hate.
- Performance is smooth (weight 0.09): The game is well optimized with no stuttering, crashing, or freezing, and runs great on Steam Deck.
- Low difficulty for beginners (weight 0.08): The game is noted for low difficulty, making it suitable for beginners and a fun lighthearted version of Dark Souls.
- Voice acting is good (weight 0.05): Voice acting seemed like it would be good, adding to the overall presentation.

Common complaints:
- Map and navigation issues (weight 0.45): Players report no map, minimap, or compass, making navigation extremely difficult, especially in late-game branching areas. Many feel lost and spend excessive time trying to figure out where to go.
- Poor control responsiveness (weight 0.4): Controls are described as janky, stiff, sluggish, and unresponsive on both keyboard/mouse and controller. Many players find the controls amateurish and frustrating.
- Combat feels clunky (weight 0.33): Combat is widely criticized as slow, clunky, and unsatisfying, lacking fluidity and weight. Players feel it is well below average for the genre.
- Excessive verbose dialogue (weight 0.28): Dialogues and text are overly long, full of fluff, and poorly narrated, making the game a slog. Many players skip dialogue due to its length and lack of substance.
- Boss fights are poorly balanced (weight 0.27): Boss fights are often damage sponges that are tedious, with high damage received and minimal damage dealt. Some bosses spam area attacks or disable lock-on, leading to frustration.
- Tedious and repetitive gameplay (weight 0.25): The game becomes repetitive and tedious after several hours, with accumulated small issues making the experience progressively worse. Backtracking through boring zones adds to the tedium.
- Story is unengaging (weight 0.22): The story is described as not captivating, monotonous, and boring, failing to drive player interest. Players feel the narrative lacks impact and originality.
- Fast travel unlocks too late (weight 0.2): Fast travel or teleportation is only unlocked midway through the game, which many players find frustrating and unnecessary. This compounds navigation and backtracking issues.
- Unrewarding exploration and loot (weight 0.14): Exploration feels unrewarding because all weapon types are available from the start and chests only give small stat boosts or consumables. There is little incentive to explore maps.
- Poor soulslike execution (weight 0.13): The game copies elements from Souls games but makes them worse, failing to excel as a soulslike. Gameplay feels clunky and inferior to its inspirations.
- Checkpoints and bonfires are scarce (weight 0.12): Bonfires and shortcuts are too few, and there is no fast travel between rest areas until late game. This makes exploration and backtracking more tedious.
- Enemy AI is buggy and stupid (weight 0.11): Enemy AI is criticized as terrible, sometimes standing still when attacked from range, making combat feel unengaging. The lack of challenge reduces overall enjoyment.
- Characters lack depth (weight 0.07): Characters are described as lacking personality and depth, failing to make players care about the story. This weakens narrative engagement.
- Side quests easily failed without warning (weight 0.07): Side quests can be easily failed without clear warnings, making backtracking painful. Players feel punished for exploring freely.
- Easily missable achievements (weight 0.07): Achievements and content are easily missed even with guides, causing frustration for completionists. This discourages thorough exploration.
- Bosses are boring damage sponges (weight 0.06): Some bosses are described as easy but boring to kill, with repetitive patterns and bland designs. The lack of challenge makes them feel like chores.

Gameplay feedback:
- Soulslike hybrid not pure (weight 0.14): The game is an action RPG with soulslike elements, not a pure soulslike. It blends ideas from various genres.
- Limited starting weapon pool (weight 0.14): Only six weapons are available from the start, with no additional options. This limits early-game variety and strategy.
- Multiple difficulty modes (weight 0.12): The game offers three difficulty modes: story, adventure, and hard. Players can choose their preferred challenge level.
- Low difficulty soulslike (weight 0.12): While considered a soulslike, the difficulty is low. Even the highest difficulty feels easy, and story mode allows carefree play.
- Minimal equipment system (weight 0.11): There is no armor; only a handful of trinkets and accessories for defense. Equipment is simplified to accessories from shops and map pickups.
- Linear path design (weight 0.1): The game follows a linear path, with some open world elements and a hub connecting areas. This contrasts with typical soulslike nonlinearity.
- Unlimited stamina for attacks (weight 0.1): Stamina is not consumed by light attacks, allowing unlimited offensive actions. Running and dodging still use stamina in certain conditions.
- Abstract map system (weight 0.08): The game provides a map in the menu, but it is abstract. Some players noted no map or objective markers, making navigation confusing.
- Two weapon slots (weight 0.08): Players can equip and switch between two weapons at a time. This allows for varied combat combinations.
- Staff as only ranged weapon (weight 0.08): The staff is the only ranged weapon. It has auto-aim and no ammunition limit, simplifying ranged combat.
- Enemy respawn on rest (weight 0.08): Enemies respawn when resting at bonfires, a classic soulslike mechanic. This affects exploration and farming.
- Large skill tree (weight 0.05): The game features a massive skill tree with augmentations, perks, and skills. This provides deep character customization.
- Frequent healing items (weight 0.05): Players can carry up to 20 healing salves that restore 40% HP gradually. This makes combat less punishing.
- Borrows from Zelda, Souls, Assassin's Creed (weight 0.05): The game combines ideas from Zelda, Souls, and Assassin's Creed. It is a fusion of action-adventure and RPG elements.
- Weapon upgrade system (weight 0.05): Weapons and elements can be upgraded by a blacksmith. This allows players to improve their gear over time.
- Greek and Roman mythology city (weight 0.05): The city design is inspired by Greek and Roman myths. This creates a distinctive thematic setting.
- Weapon-specific defensive moves (weight 0.05): Weapons grant specific defensive abilities: Sword & Shield provides Block, Spear gives Parry. This adds tactical depth.
- Mana system for skills (weight 0.05): Skills cost mana, starting at 100 mana. This resource management adds variety to combat.
- Combat similar to Kingdoms of Amalur (weight 0.05): Combat is compared to Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning but simplified. It is action-oriented but not overly challenging.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues on PC (weight 0.18): Multiple players report that the game runs slower than FF7 Rebirth on the same PC, with frequent frame drops, stuttering, and input lag. These issues occur in various scenarios including 1v1 fights and the main hub.
- Good optimization on some systems (weight 0.14): Some players report that the game is well optimized with no crashing, freezing, stuttering, or lag. It also runs great on Steam Deck.
- Poor performance on handhelds (weight 0.05): The game runs poorly on the ASUS ROG Ally, with performance issues noted. This contrasts with positive reports on Steam Deck.
- Shadow jitter when moving camera (weight 0.04): Players experience shadow jitter when moving the camera, which is a specific visual bug that detracts from the experience.

Recommendations:
- Do not recommend game (weight 0.65): The game is broadly not recommended by players. Many urge others to skip it entirely due to poor quality, lack of enjoyment, or better alternatives.
- Only buy on deep sale (weight 0.33): Many reviews suggest the game may be worth a try only at a very steep discount (e.g., 75-90% off). Full price or even moderate discounts are not considered worthwhile.
- Better alternatives exist (weight 0.21): Players repeatedly point out that there are many superior Souls-like games available, such as Darksiders or other inspired titles, making this game a poor choice.
- Not for soulslike fans (weight 0.14): The game does not deliver the challenge or depth expected of a Souls-like title, making it unsuitable for genre enthusiasts who want skill-driven combat.
- Suitable only for niche audiences (weight 0.13): The game is recommended only for very specific players: those new to the genre, younger audiences, or fans of mindless action with Disney-like graphics.
- Reading-heavy, shallow story (weight 0.11): The game features a lot of text and reading but is considered to have a shallow story, which appeals only to a niche audience that enjoys such gameplay.
- Do not buy DLC (weight 0.04): Players advise against purchasing the DLC, suggesting the base game may already be underwhelming.
- Not for completionists (weight 0.04): The game is not recommended for players aiming for platinum trophies or 100% completion, likely due to tedious requirements.
- Misleading open world claims (weight 0.04): The game is not truly open world despite claims, which may disappoint players expecting that feature.
- Avoid glory ending (weight 0.04): A specific piece of advice is to avoid the 'Glory ending', implying it is unsatisfying or a narrative pitfall.
- Watch video before buying (weight 0.03): Some reviewers suggest watching gameplay footage before purchasing to set realistic expectations.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.37): Players are frustrated by the lack of a map, poor guidance, and unclear objectives, leading to aimless wandering and getting lost. The combat is described as janky, unresponsive, and sluggish, with broken jumping and climbing mechanics, unfair enemy placement, and a lack of fast travel that makes backtracking tedious. Technical issues like frame drops, camera problems, and buggy boss fights further compound the negative experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.21): Players feel disappointed because the game fails to deliver on its promising premise, with a poorly told story, unengaging characters, and clunky combat that lacks impact. The game is criticized for its lack of a map, fast travel, and satisfying progression, making it feel like an unfinished or shallow imitation of better titles. Many players express regret for falling for the marketing, as the game does not live up to expectations set by similar games like Dark Souls.
- Boredom (weight 0.12): Players find the game boring due to repetitive combat, few enemy types, and unrewarding exploration with uninteresting loot. The gameplay becomes tedious after a few hours, with slow combat, excessive reading, and long unvoiced dialogues that break the flow. The story is uninspired, and the side content consists of fetch quests and backtracking, leading to a lack of engagement.
- Annoyance (weight 0.05): Players are annoyed by the verbose story and unskippable subtitles, excessive dialogue and text, and a main character that is considered annoying. Poor lock-on targeting and enemy AI, along with overly obvious direction hints that reduce environmental storytelling, also contribute to the irritation.
- Anger (weight 0.05): Players express anger over unfair boss mechanics, such as one-shot kills or trivial invincibility from skill trees, and poor controls that make the game unplayable on keyboard and mouse. Technical issues like input lag, bugs, and poor performance on capable hardware, along with unfair trap mechanics and terrible side quest implementation, lead to a frustrating experience where dying from frustration is common.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Players are confused by the confusing lock-on camera, unclear progression, and sound effects coming from the wrong direction. Excessive fog and bad sound design cause spatial disorientation in combat, and unclear prompts lead to wasted time searching for non-existent objects.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.02): Players are dissatisfied with the lack of weight in combat feedback, weak sound effects, and poor enemy flinch reactions. The quest journal is useless and rewards are unhelpful, contributing to a sense of unfulfillment.
- Indifference (weight 0.02): Players feel indifferent because the game failed to capture their interest, leading them to ignore the story even during the finale.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.01): Players have mixed feelings because while the combat is fun, the game is plagued by many design flaws that detract from the overall experience.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Players regret purchasing the game, feeling they wasted money even at a discount price, and express that they do not want to return to it despite its potential.
- Reluctant enjoyment (weight 0.01): Players experience reluctant enjoyment because the dungeon structure and boss fights improve after the early game, making the experience more bearable despite initial frustrations.
- Hate (weight 0.01): Players express hate towards the game Asterigos, indicating a strong negative reaction to the overall experience.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players express love towards the character Asterios, suggesting a positive emotional connection to this specific in-game character.
- Tedium (weight 0.01): Players feel tedium because the game felt like a drag, with slow and repetitive gameplay that made progress feel laborious.
- Ambivalence (weight 0.01): Players feel ambivalent, describing the game as 'chicken rib'—tasteless but a pity to discard, indicating a lack of strong positive or negative feelings.
- Pain (weight 0.01): Players experience pain from watching the stupidity of enemy AI, which detracts from the gameplay experience.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players were initially interested in the game due to exploration and reading, but this interest likely waned due to other issues.
- Hatred (weight 0.01): Players express hatred towards the controls, which were so bad that one player uninstalled the game after only 35 minutes.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the art style, setting, and main character, indicating appreciation for the game's aesthetic and narrative elements.
- Headache (weight 0.01): Players get a headache from nonsensical dialogue trees and a lack of guidance, making the game confusing and mentally taxing.}