Astria Ascending Reviews
While this choice may be unorthodox, Astria Ascending does a marvelous job at providing its players with a finely executed combat system, as well as a very engaging sense of character progression. Completionists too will enjoy clearing every single path for the development of the game's characters. Set amid a visually gorgeous world, Astria Ascending could have invested more in its plot, which is rather generic and unoriginal, but fans of JRPGs who can look beyond that will find a very fun and absorbing work landing on their Nintendo Switch.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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
Astria Ascending will take many gamers back to the heyday of classic RPGs. This is a single-player turn-based game that is easy to grasp, with perhaps not enough challenge for veterans of the genre. But with an entertaining story, great musical score, and pleasing art style, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had for any RPG fan. Play Astria Ascending when you want to be completely absorbed into a game with no strings (or services) attached.
Astria Ascending checks off the proper JRPG boxes while adding enough unique twists to satisfy fans of the genre. It won't sit at the top of your "must complete" list, but it'll serve you well when you need a break from higher profile releases.
While Astria Ascending's gorgeous world has a basic gameplay loop that can satisfy for a while, it lacks the knowledge to challenge minds or the spirit further. With no strategy in the later battles, a story moving too quickly to be poignant, and severely unlikeable stereotypes as characters, the lessons are forced and the result is grating.
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.
Built by talented designers of some of the most celebrated RPGs in history, Astria Ascending introduces a beautiful fantasy world and a cast of characters that promise to pull nostalgic players in. Will your adventure with the Fated Eight bring a fresh turn-based experience?
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 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.
The beautiful graphics, unique characters and fun combat doesn’t take away from the fact that this is an old-school RPG at heart with new school wrappings. AA boasts a fun take on the traditional job systems found in JRPGs, I just wish it was given a story to match all of the great things it has going for it. Fights can drag on at times much like the JRPG’s of old, what helps is the amazing art and effects from the various attacks. But while fans of the older Final Fantasy’s and even Dragon Quest games may enjoy this trip of nostalgia; those folks raised on Persona 5’s and the last few Final Fantasy’s might be in for a bit of a shock. Astria Ascending isn’t a bad game, just a flawed one; but if you enjoy Vanillaware games and don’t mind a grind a lot of fun can be had here.
There are a few issues that stop it from being an amazing experience like the huge difficulty spikes or lack of quality of life features that JRPG fans have come to expect from the genre. But Astria Ascending for the most part is an exhilarating experience that could be the starting point for something spectacular.
Astria Ascending is heavily inspired by classic JRPGs. Its combat is its strongest suit, but its narrative fails to hold of the player as it should, which keeps it from recreating the elements that made its inspirations so special.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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 seeks to captivate you by the eyes and she succeeds. However, convincing you at the controls has it more complicated if you are a veteran in the genre, since his history and combats could take a couple of more turns to be more original. Still, it is an excellent JRPG that will please most.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Astria Ascending may not be a flawless release but the solid combat system, spectacular visuals, deep character skill building, and wealth of content make for an experience that JRPG fans will feel right at home with. We'd give this one a recommendation to anybody looking for an original RPG to sink their teeth into; the writing and plot could have done with more development and attention, but there's lots to love about Astria Ascending and we're eagerly anticipating whatever Artisan Studios does next.
If you're ready to go all-in on Astria Ascending… well, you probably already have. If not, there's plenty of fish in the RPG sea on Switch and some more marlins coming before the year's out. You'll be able to get your fill.
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.
Overall, the game is fantastic. It works well on GamePass and the cloud gaming option for phones. The job system is greatly designed paired with a strong combat system and beautiful design. While the voice acting and difficulty jump take a bit away from the game, it’s definitely a great pick for turn-based JRPG fans who love the classics.
Astria Ascending is a good JRPG, but in a year packed with lengthy games and a few issues with voices and grinding it's not that easy to recommend.
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.