Astral Ascent

Astral Ascent is a roguelike action platfrormer. It was developed by an indie studio Hibernian Workshop, also known for Dark Devotion, and was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter.

Plot

Astral Ascent is set in a fantasy universe, in the Garden - a prison watched over by twelve guardians representing zodiac signs. Our four playable characters all try to escape this place, while learning more about it, its inhabitants and themselves.

Mechanics

Astral Ascent begins with choosing one of four playable characters, all of whom differ in terms of weaponry and playstyle. Ayla is a dagger-wielding assassin, Kiran is a mighty warrior, Calie is a sculptor harnessing the power of magical gems, while Octave is a soldier dual-wielding ethereal pistols.

The game is a sidescroller. The world is made up of four biomes, each divided into twelve rooms. The areas are diverse and we traverse them by moving to the right, jumping on platforms, avoiding traps, fighting enemies and facing various challenges. There are also many arenas, where we'll face the guardians in boss battles. Each boss has different abilities and fighting style, strengths and weaknesses. To succeed, we must discover and exploit them.

Comabt is fast-paced, requiring good reflexes and making use of various spells. These are divided into three types: aside from common spells and defensive spells which all characters share, we'll also make use of character-exclusive magic. Attacks can be chained into deadly, effective combos.

We'll find more powers and gambits, additional effects for our spells, in chests, or purchase them from traders by spending gathered crystals. We'll also find altars and artifacts which provide us with various buffs. As we progress further, we become capable of facing greater challenges and customize our character to fit our playstyle.

Game modes

Astral Ascent supports singleplayer and local co-op.

Technical aspects

Astral Ascent features colorful pixel art visuals and an atmospheric soundtrack by Dale North.

Last updated on 14 November 2023