Astral Ascent Review (erastisa)
This game is the best at simulating the feeling of "Intense Anime Fight," especially boss fights.
It's fast-paced rather than "methodical" which is my cup of tea. The kind of game that stimulate your reaction time and strategic thinking at the same time. You would be learning enemies pattern to evade their attacks by good positoning or timing your evasion and looking for a chance to strike your combo.
What make them feel like "Intense Anime Fight"?
- Enemies patterns are over the top... in a good way. Some of them might seem impossible at first but with the spirit of Shounen's "Retry again until we succeed," I have learnt to tackle them and it feel rewarding, eventhough a very few of them still feel like cheap shots (I am looking at you Gemini... both of you... and the Final Form of the Final Boss )
Also difficulty+ challenge new game+ in this game allow not only tougher enemies but also them having entirely new attack pattern that would make you relearn and adapt to their new pattern. This does make each new game+ run feel fresh and not tedious.
- Your characters could be built to do almost over-the-top attack/spell as well especially when you unlock newer spell and newer skill triggers. One of your playable characters even has "teleport behind the back" as their main skill while another has "Parry Everything" main skill. Such power fantasy.
What!? downside!? but I thought I am invincible!
- This is YMMV but spell slot system might feel clunky for some even after getting used to it. On one hand, it adds even more strategic thinking for players to built their own combo but it also depreciate the utilities of each individual spell and later on when the fight are too intense it would just turn into button mashing fest for your spell to do the maximum damage without any utilities value at all.
- I hate hate hate hate hate Zodiac Minigames. It's only one try and you will waste one room without any reward if you failed. If this Zodiac minigame only reward you resources it would be okay but they will give you summon... the whole new game system locked behind the (non action) minigames that I am very bad at in an action game!?... It's funny that I beat the game without using summon at all, not because I am very good I want to challenge myself, but because I was very bad at one aspect of the game (non-action aspect in action game) so I can't get any summons.
- The stat boost in this game is too random. I mean randomness is roguelike/roguelite aspect but it's only fun when it's about the character built (spells, weapons, weapon's aspect, skills etc.) but most of roguelite game has flat number stat boost as their meta progression where players can choose. (well, this game have it as well but you can on lt unlock it later in game.) And stat boost really differ because some stats are better than other. Go for STR and ARMOR stat everytime, Mana stat could be less of a problem later in game and you don't need that much, critical chance is useless if you only get 2-3 of them entire run compared to flat damage.
IMO stat boost should not be random because I could create artificial difficulty where some run are better than other because STR and ARMOR state boost keep coming up I could make a lot of mistake and hit back enemies harder without even have to spell spamming that much, while others were somewhat more difficult just because my stats were all over the place.
Still worth a try
Still all these downsides, while worth considering for better balance game, this game is still a blast.
Give it a try If you love fun fast pace action games and don't mind simple but fluid and dazzling animation.