Astral Ascent Reviews

Pretty good replayability for a roguelike, a lot of builds, and various characters give different playing style too

Very good mechanics. There are definitely builds that are better than others but trying to get something niche to work is half of the fun of games like this. Its become a big sensation in my friend group and would recommend anyone that likes rougelike/lite games to give it a try. The gameplay loop is a lot of fun. I have played about 90 runs total and still look forward to my next. Now that I've played a good chunk of hours I would have paid full price if it hadn't been on sale.

What an unexpected treat this game was.. sitting at 43 hours flat 100% completion on achievements, I can confidently say the game slaps. Gameplay is tight and responsive, similar to Dead Cells. The combat options are good and interesting, 5 characted, 4 weapons each with a choice of 3 passives per weapon, plenty of mix and match options in the spell mechanic, and you got yourself a solid replay and customization value. As a bit of a final touch, the soundtrack is incredible, there's a silky smooth jazz flowing in the background of peace zones that just sets such a great mood. There's a decent amount of lore and world building if you're into that stuff too. Overall 10/10 great game with solid controls and mechanics.

Let's start with what I like about the game: the pixel graphics are really good, which makes the game more fun. Instead of having a fixed boss at the end of each area, the presence of three different bosses prevents the area bosses from becoming boring quickly. Having four playable characters (five if you purchase the DLC), along with each character having their own unique abilities beyond the skills available to all characters during gameplay, and the fact that these abilities can be of different elements, greatly increases variety (I’m not even mentioning the other features in the game). The “Destiny Level” difficulty adjustment system allows players to customize the difficulty of the runs to their preference. Now, there's one aspect of the game I don't like, which is the limited map designs, causing areas in levels to repeat too quickly. This eventually becomes tedious for the player (it did for me by the 25th hour). Overall, it's one of the best rogue-like games I've played.

One of the Best Iv'e ever played. I am a rouge like die hard and this games is flexible for ALL play styles. The difficulty is ever increasing the more you play. The bosses are very unique and incredibly well written. I hope this game keeps expanding and I would even consider buying merch if it was released.

Beautiful game, love the character design + boss intro animations. Can't get enough of that Japanese voice acting either.

Great game. The artwork and soundtrack really stands out. The run duration is on the longer side so its not as easy to pick up and play as other roguelites, but it sucks you in when do boot it up so its a non-issue.

after 460+ hours i feel i can write a review on this game. the main game (think of it as "killing mom" in binding of isaac, or the first time u defeat hades in... well hades) is about 3-6 hours long, then what I am going to call "midgame" - think of this as all the bosses after mom in isaac, or leveling up the "hell meter" or whatever its called in hades, is probably another 20 hours-ish, and finally maxing out this game's version of the "hell meter" and beating it for the final true ending probably takes around 200 more hours. The bad part of this game is that it looks like there are 500 secrets. There are "things" that do nothing, a LOT of them, and it looked like if you play enough they well get unlocked. However after 460 hours and talking with the devs I can say that as of this review only about 1 in 10 of those things are actual secrets. There are no hidden areas in the stages, no hidden anything. There is 0 point exploring. Your main objective every run is to get from the beggining of the stage to the end of the stage, and unlike in 90% of other roguelikes u arent required to kill anything. However I can say that after speaking to the devs and looking at the patch times and list, as well as being active in the discord. This game gets updates routinely and it seems that the game now, at the time of playing, is 10x bigger than the game when it came out. So I have a feeling this will be a 10/10 with some polish, as of right now, it's 10/10 for the first 10 hours, then 9/10, then a solid 7.5/10 anywhere that is after the first 100 hours of gameplay.

An absolute gem of a game. Every aspect of this game is stellar, when it comes to the music, the art style, the combat, enemies, characters, voice acting -- nothing feels second-guessed. This game flew under my radar during its release, and I only found out about it last month. Within the first few days I had already sunk 20 hours. It is that gripping and that fun. The characters aren't locked to major stages of the game and I found it convenient and nice to be able to play all the characters so soon. The gameplay is surprisingly deep with the number of spells, upgrades, gambits, unlockable weapons, and the special abilities. I found myself recommending this game to my friends and even played local co-op with my cousin who was visiting, and they also gave good reviews on the game. After 30 hours, I have yet to unlock every single character ending and have yet to purchase the DLC. I believe this game is just so incredibly replayable, very akin to Hades in that sense. This game was genuinely worth every single penny and more. Every pixel of this game feels like it was made with intention and care. Each character is, for the lack of a better term, characterized well. The music is SWEEPING and caused me, multiple times, to just pause before beginning a new run. The bosses are INCREDIBLE. From their designs to their movesets, you WILL be surprised at the creativity and I swear each boss will show you at least one thing that you haven't seen anywhere before. World and level designs are also beautiful. I only have two criticisms. One is it feels like the beginning phase of the game would be rather confusing or difficult for some players. As an avid roguelike and roguelite player myself, I had very little issues understanding the mechanics; although I can see how people who are unfamiliar with the genre may be confused with some aspects that may not be thoroughly explained such as the gambits. My second criticism pertains to the endings. Some of them feel rather disconnected or unrelated, where some characters feel SO REAL in their motivations and backstory that their endings make you go "Huh? Oh.. okay, I guess that makes sense?" I felt this the most with Octave, my favorite playable character. But even with other characters, both playable and not, it feels like some of their endings just either don't make enough sense or don't feel rewarding enough with how much you have to work to actually reach the end of the game under their specific conditions. These criticisms are in NO WAY enough to discourage you from playing this game. The plot that it works with is simple, but not to its detriment. It expands upon it with authentic-feeling characters who aren't main characters and bosses just to be main characters and bosses. This game honestly may go down as one of my all-time favorites and I am so excited for the coming update and the devs' newly announced game. This game blew all of my expectations away and I am sure that you will have a blast as well,

Astral Ascent is a beautifully crafted roguelite that mixes fast-paced action with deep customization and striking pixel art to deliver a satisfying and stylish experience. Set in a magical prison called the Garden, the game follows one of four protagonists—each with their own combat style and story—as they attempt to escape by battling powerful celestial guardians known as the Zodiacs. With every run, the narrative unfolds a little more, revealing layers of mystery and emotion behind the characters and the world they inhabit. The core of the game is its fluid and skill-based combat. Players juggle basic attacks with mana-fueled spells that rotate through a customizable queue, creating a flow that is both rhythmic and tactical. The spell system is where Astral Ascent truly shines. Each spell can be modified using Gambits that alter its properties and effects, and combining these strategically can lead to devastating synergies. The combat feels responsive and flashy, rewarding players who experiment with builds and adapt to the unique enemies and challenges of each run. Progression unfolds across a series of procedurally generated rooms, offering a mix of combat arenas, exploration zones, shops, and special events. The path you take influences the resources you gather, the types of enemies you face, and how well-prepared you’ll be for the Zodiac boss fight at the end of each area. These bosses are a highlight of the game—beautifully animated, challenging, and distinct in their mechanics. Mastering their patterns becomes a rewarding dance of timing and reflex. Between runs, players return to the Garden, which acts as a central hub for unlocking new abilities, spells, and narrative content. Resources earned during gameplay feed into permanent upgrades, ensuring that even failed attempts contribute to overall progression. The Garden is also where character interactions unfold, gradually deepening your connection to the protagonists and hinting at the wider lore of the universe. The storytelling is delivered in a thoughtful and measured way, not overwhelming the action, but giving it context and heart. Visually, Astral Ascent is nothing short of stunning. The pixel art is crisp and expressive, bringing both the environments and characters to life with vibrant detail and fluid animation. The game’s color palette and visual effects help maintain clarity during chaotic battles, and the Zodiac designs in particular stand out as artistic showpieces. Accompanying the visuals is a sweeping soundtrack that ranges from quiet and contemplative to tense and dramatic, enhancing the mood of each encounter. Despite all its strengths, the game has a few rough edges. The learning curve can be steep, especially for new players unfamiliar with its spellcrafting systems. Early runs might feel punishing, and the flood of customization options can overwhelm. Some of the room designs and biomes start to feel repetitive over time, and the basic attack mechanics occasionally lack the weight and impact seen in other roguelikes. The interface, especially when managing spell queues, can also be a little clunky under pressure. Even with these minor flaws, Astral Ascent stands out as a thoughtful and polished entry into the roguelite genre. It successfully combines the thrill of action combat with meaningful player choice and progression, all wrapped in an eye-catching artistic package. For those who enjoy the structure of games like Hades or Dead Cells but want a fresh setting and a more strategic take on ability customization, this game is absolutely worth your time. Its blend of aesthetic charm and mechanical depth ensures that each run offers both challenge and discovery. Rating: 9/10