Astral Ascent

There are other weak spots — some of the writing and voice acting isn't quite where it needs to be, and there are elements of the UI that get a little messy — but overall it's a well-rounded, robust, and fun roguelite.

Astral Ascent is a prime example of a game that amounts to more than the sum of its parts. Its strong character design, hi-bit visuals, tight combat, memorable bosses, and broad build variety have all featured in games you've probably played before-there's nothing 'new' here. But to write it off as just 'another one of those' in a crowded genre would be to miss out on one of the most delightful and surprising releases of the year. Astral Ascent is comfortably one of the best roguelites available on the Switch today, and we can easily recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in the genre. Don't miss it.

Some of the art, like the background scenery and the character portraits, is a sight to behold in Astral Ascent. Unfortunately, this is in stark contrast to how the actual characters look, which is distractingly bad. Anyone wanting a Hades-like experience will be happy. With the typical dopamine hits of new moves and upgrades, the complexities of the spell system distracts from some of the simple fun of its progenitor, so if you are looking for an anime-like platformer, this will fit the bill. Astral Ascent is worth checking out, but is not going to blow anyone away.

Astral Ascent pairs the snappy controls and satisfying upgrades of roguelite staples with a stellar art style and feel-good atmosphere. Some design frustrations stifle its greatness, but this is still an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

Catering to both 2D action enthusiasts and casual gamers alike, Astral Ascent is a roguelike that anyone can thoroughly enjoy.

With a combat system backed by a huge amount of possibilities for customizing your runs, memorable boss fights, and excellent pixel art, Astral Ascent is a must-have for roguelite fans.

At the time of this review, I have yet to actually beat Astral Ascent in full, so I can't speak to the game's ending. If it's anything like most roguelikes I've played over the years, though, it's not getting to the ending that matters; it's about how enjoyable the trip is. As someone who has put in hundreds of hours in Dead Cells, Hades, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Slay the Spire, and countless others, I really thought I was kind of done with the whole genre. Astral Ascent, though, is the first game since Starfield was released earlier this year that has hooked me. It's always hard to put into words what that "one more run" feeling is the best roguelikes inspire, but Astral Ascent undeniably nails it.

Astral Ascent maintains the legacy of the Roguelike genre with polished and satisfying combat, vibrant pixel retro inspired visuals, unique concept, fantastic voice acting, and incredible replay value that will have you longing to return to the game before your latest run is done. If you're into Roguelikes or looking to jump into the genre, Astral Ascent provides a great challenge for enthusiasts, and a warm invitation for new comers.

I enjoyed Astral Ascent when it was in Early Access and I still enjoy it after it's official release.  Multiple characters, spells, and abilities along with procedurally generated areas and some fun and interesting boss fights against the Zodiacs give Astral Ascent plenty of replayability.  If these kinds of games are up your alley, you'll get plenty of gameplay out of Astral Ascent.

Astral Ascent offers the usual roguelite gameplay where you have to die a ton of times before you have a decent build to progress, with a somewhat nebulous system of spells and power-ups at first. After the first couple of hours without any particular emotions, however, the game explodes showing all its potential, especially once all four heroes are unlocked. At that point it becomes one of the best video games of this genre, despite the fact that not much attention has been given to the platformer component. If you love characters to grow with thousands of combinations, you've come to the right place.