The enemies are in the environment, and it’s possible to stun them (the first ring power does this) either as a method of avoidance or setting up combat when ready. There was an option to skip cutscenes, and in retrospect I probably should have made more use of it.Įxploring Orcanon is done in a 2D perspective, with basic controls including jumping and elemental manipulation by way of unlockable rings. The party leader is a knight, while other classes present include: thief, multiple mages, summoner, magic swordswoman, and what amounts to a Freelancer. I would have to boot the game to tell you any of their names I ended up just thinking of them as job classes a la Final Fantasy V. Although elements of their background become clear as the story progresses, there’s a reason why most parties build from something small instead of throwing every character at you at once. In the case of Astria Ascending, the entire party of eight is dumped on you right at the start of the game with no backstory and told to go out and protect the land of Orcanon. The world of Astria Ascending is a world in which every three years for a millennium, a group of people end up becoming “demi-gods”, or temporarily immortal beings who serve to keep the world in harmony after they serve a three year term, they die.
We’ll have more on the game closer to release.Your drinking game word of the day: "Harmony". You can see some gameplay in action in the video below. I can’t wait to play more.Īstria Ascending is coming to PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC on 30th September. Yes, its dialogue seems a little cheesy but that’s a small price to pay for an RPG that looks this stunning. Needless to say, then, there’s a lot to look forward to in Astria Ascending. And along with the game’s main combat, there’s also an in-game boardgame known as J-Ster which players can master. Your party members also have jobs and “Ascension Trees”, allowing them to grow in various ways as you progress. Of course, like any JRPG you’ll acquire new equipment as you play, allowing your party to get tougher. You’ll often be facing against multiple enemies at once and so you’ll need to keep your wits about you.Įxploration and combat isn’t all there is to do in Astria Ascending there’s plenty of stuff I have yet to get a taste of myself. You’ll need to exploit enemies’ weaknesses to truly turn the tide of battle simply swinging your weapon and hoping for the best won’t get you very far for long. Each character has a standard weapon attack and a number of magic spells up their sleeves, with more to be learned and unlocked as you progress through the story. It also allows you to soak in those sumptuous backgrounds without ever getting lost within them.Ĭombat is your standard turn-based affair. Although it’s not an altogether unique mechanic – Dragon’s Crown does it, too – it makes it stand out from the majority of the pack. There’s no exploring 3D environments here, although there may be doors or pathways in the background that you can interact with. There’s a key difference between Astria Ascending and a typical JRPG it plays on a 2D plane. Each one of them belongs to a different class, all boasting their own abilities and skills. Your main character, Ulan, is joined by a large party of eight. The characters, too, all pack in plenty of style – and there’s enough of them. In motion, it’s silky smooth, and you feel like you’re running through watercolour paintings screen after screen of beautifully-crafted environments. Screenshots don’t quite do the game justice. This has all the trappings of a classic title in the genre – wrapped in a sumptuous, modern package.Īstria Ascending‘s visuals alone sell it for me. It looks fantastic, plays wonderfully, and its turn-based combat will be instantly welcoming to anyone who’s played an old-school JRPG before. But I’ve spent enough time to know that this could well be something special. I say “short” purposefully so, because I don’t want to spoil much of the game when it comes to full release. I’ve just spent a short amount of time playing a preview build of the game. JRPG fans have an upcoming title that really ought to be on their radar: Astria Ascending, coming to PC and console later this month.
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