While much of the action happens during Astria Ascending ’s battles, I see them as paused moments as well. Access each individual party member’s Ascension Tree, which functions like character growth systems such as the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X or the Crystarium in Final Fantasy XIII, and it’s hard not to take a moment just to appreciate how pretty each one is. Its UI is clean and visually appealing while managing to deliver plenty of information in battle. Its lovely soundtrack is best appreciated when you stop and listen to it with no distractions. Take a screenshot at any moment and you’ll marvel at its saturated colors, sharpness, and beauty. When it’s on pause, Astria Ascending preserves its potential. This is essentially a revival of that game, one with a rewritten story that is touted as more mature and dense. You’ll recognize plenty if you played the mobile RPG Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey, which was released to middling reviews and never received its planned console ports. It’s seen as a fair bargain considering they serve to protect the most important thing of all: Harmony. They receive three years of glory before dying, leaving their families respected and well-compensated in their wake. You play as a crew known as the Demigods, soldiers chosen for greatness. You still need to save the world, of course, as the job falls to you. Rather than fighting to save the world, as is typical in most RPGs, you’re fighting against your own predetermined destiny to save it. But, once it starts moving, it feels off.Īstria Ascending takes place in the world of Orcanon, where Noises and other ancient beasts of chaos dwell. It’s not only eye-catching because of its visuals but because of the people behind it, helmed by Kazushige Nojima, the scenario writer behind Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and X, along with music composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, best known for the scores behind Final Fantasy XII and the 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.Īfter playing the first seven hours of Astria Ascending, I’ve found myself appreciating it much like one would a painting: it’s beautiful to look at, particularly when you’re given time to admire it. Astria Ascending is gorgeous to behold, with vibrant colors shining through its hand-drawn visuals that make it look like a moving painting.
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