Astria Ascending Reviews
Astria Ascending is a JRPG with classic overtones where we must control eight heroes and prevent chaos from taking hold of Orcanon while enjoying an exceptional technical section that delights all fans of the genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It feels like a throwback to the PlayStation era in the best way, when there were always new JRPGs showing up in the hopes of getting the same sort of cult reception as Final Fantasy VII, always new titles to try out and new stories to experience, some of them winding up a bit generic but others turning into unexpected little gems along the way. Astria Ascending feels like one of those gems, except it’s a new game right now and benefits from all the hindsight that implies.
If you are a turn-based RPG fan looking for a new experience that brings fresh twists on classic elements of the genre, I cannot recommend Astria Ascending enough, just so long as you don’t need an overly engaging plot to pull you along.
Astria Ascending is a good RPG that is quite easy to recommend despite its obvious shortcomings. While you’re able to adjust the difficulty, including removing most of the challenge if you want, the game isn’t holding your hand when it comes to quests and exploration - and thus it may not be for everyone.
If you are a fan of classic JRPGs and customization in your characters, then you're going to have a great time with Astria's Ascending, however someone new to these types of games may find themselves overwhelmed. Accompanying it is a pretty solid story, which unfortunately doesn't stick the landing.
Overall, Astria Ascending is a great tribute to the classic JRPG’s from before. It has that classic feel but with a modern flair to make it relevant to the times. It’s JRPG with a heart, passion and an endless amount of entertainment. You wouldn’t want to put down this game once you have started playing it.
Astria Ascending is a JRPG of remarkable ideas and great visuals, but, unfortunately, its execution leaves much to be desired. The combat system that rewards exploiting enemies' weaknesses is promising, though the fact it's deeply unbalanced and the pattern repetition makes the battles frustrating. There are many options to customize and develop characters, nonetheless, a lot of grinding is necessary to make the most out of these resources. Orcanon's many activities and an elaborate minigame may satisfy eager players but it's a shame the plot, characters, dungeons and locales lack inspiration. At least, the universe has a really beautiful visual and quality music. In the end, its meager qualities aren't enough to save Astria Ascending.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
An exciting battle system paired with gorgeous visuals will pull players in. Astria Ascending has the makings of a classic JRPG but falls short with forgettable storytelling and a bad English dub.
If you’re looking for a game with dynamic environments and nostalgic JRPG combat, Astria Ascending ticks those boxes. Its inclusion of Final Fantasy greats such as Kazushige Nojima, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Hideo Minaba, and Akihiko Yoshida makes it a wonderful turn-based RPG that reminds me of the series I grew up with in the 1990s.
Astria Ascending is a beautiful game to look at, and the various systems provide plenty to do while soaking the aesthetic in. There’s a deep, interesting world here that took a bit of time for me to sink my teeth into, but once I got into the groove I really enjoyed peeling back the layers. That said, there are concerns around the pacing at times and the platforming elements fell a bit flat for me as well. Astria Ascending is a good JRPG overall that fans of the genre will likely want to give a try.
Astria Ascending is a beautifully hand-drawn JRPG with tactical and strategic combat, rewarding dungeon exploration and the ascension tree gives you much versatility in how you specialise party members.
Astria Ascending is full of wonderfully hand-painted visuals and fantastic tunes. While it provides plenty of customization options and sticks to established roleplaying mechanics, the arbitrary pacing and balance can dampen the experience.
When it comes down to it, Astria Ascending is a charming blend of new and old, and a very enjoyable RPG experience overall. I’m always happy when I see a game successfully emulate the spirit of the ever-sacred old-school RPG, and I can happily say that Artisan Studios really outdid themselves with this one!
Astria Ascending is surprisingly an accessible JRPG that could appeal to both veterans and beginners. The fact that your health replenishes after each battle makes dungeon crawling not as stressful as other RPGs. Not to mention the 2D graphics look awesome on both PS4 and PS5. This is definitely if you are a JRPG fan in general.
Astria Ascending is far from being a widely recommended RPG, but it can please those more avid RPG fans who appreciate differentiated art and want to appreciate the potential of its systems, although points such as level design and narrative design hinders the experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Astria Ascending has the ingredients to produce a delicious JRPG dish but fumbles doing so. A chief reason for this is the balancing, and if rectified, I have no doubt it would solve a lot of problems.
Astria Ascending is a fantastic throwback to classic JRPGs. Its story may not be remarkable, but the overall gameplay experience makes the game memorable. The deep combat with the customization and unique boss battles with excellent enemy variety is what kept me playing. In fact, knowing how the game works now, I have been hungry to start a new playthrough with different character class combinations as I progress. It will be hard for players to pick up if they are not used to turn-based gameplay. However, fans of this style of game will be in for a fantastic treat. But if you are on Xbox I cannot recommend playing this game in its current state. When it is patched and you can get past the main menu, then feel compelled to pick it up.
Astria Ascending had me invested in the 25 hours it took me to get to the final dungeon. However, that comes with a padded runtime of level grinding, lengthy battles, dungeon navigation confusion, and many menu interactions. So if you begin, prepare not to understand what is going on until 10 hours into the game, but if you don’t have that time, don’t bother. However, those who do get far enough are in for a genuinely fun JPRG experience that only requires a few quality-of-life improvements.
I came into Astria Ascending expecting a pretty by the numbers classic RPG experience but came out pleasantly surprised. My only main niggle was I didn’t find the story particularly compelling. However, the battle system and the depth to character customization make this game stand out from the competition. Adding that to a very beautiful art style, this is an RPG that any fan of the genre should most certainly take the time to experience.
A JRPG that drinks from very good titles and has good ideas, nice and pleasant. Unfortunately it has certain design decisions that do not let it shine and make it a little heavy for its genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review