70
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.
75
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.
85
Astral Ascent is a tough and cruel rogue-like that'll test your patience and skills. Additionally, it is filled with lore, interesting characters, and fascinating level design. However, it is so tough that it'll defeat many gamers.
0
This is one of the best games I've ever seen, one of the finest roguelike games ever. Play this game, recommend it to everyone, introduce it to everyone; let everyone play this masterpiece.
8
Very good action roguelike with tons of content, smooth combat and tons of combos.
6
I want to like Astral Ascent. It has a dedicated Linux version (as per the Linux EULA, I'm obliged to mention I use Linux), the visuals are good, the music is fine, voice acting is pretty good, and the action is decent. But, I, just, dunno, it's, just, kinda, clunky. I've played for a dozen hours at least, and I still don't really understand the upgrades. It's unnecessarily obtuse, I don't even have a "fire shield", why am I offered an upgrade that boosts its duration? What's the difference between Gambits and Imprints? Why would spells need two different types of upgrades? The spells can level up, too? How am I supposed to tell the effective difference between a Nimbus, Plasma, and Lightning Orb if they're all electric elements? It feels like Disgaea level micro-management without the possibility to power grind. And back to the action, it's good, but it's not nearly as snappy and fun as ScourgeBringer's. The story seems better, at least, but it's not nearly as interesting as Hades. I dunno, I'd rather play something else.
Astral Ascent
Released On:
Nov 14, 2023
Metascore
Generally Favorable
86
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
86
92% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Nov 15, 2023
95
Astral Ascent is the roguelite I’ve been wishing to play for a hot minute. Its combat is highly variable, incredibly replayable, and quite gorgeous. It’s a fantastic example of a roguelite that is easy to pick up, fun to return to, and rewarding despite losing early and often.
Nov 27, 2023
90
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.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
73% Positive
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
10% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
17% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
Apr 15, 2025
10
Le note de ce jeu est étonnement basse. Il y a vraiment très peu de défauts et pour moi c'est grand minimum un 8.5/10, c'est un des meilleur roguelite auquel j'ai joué.
Je rajoute un point pour le coup de cœur visuel.
Jan 27, 2025
10
Excellent rogue lite ! Si vous avez aimé Dead Cell, vous allez adorer Astral Ascent.
Nov 14, 2023
90
Astral Ascent ticks all the right boxes for a must-play action roguelike experience. The character progression, boss design, and addictive replayability combine to deliver a highly polished and rewarding package. While the story elements and characterizations may not fully live up to their potential, the voice acting partially compensates for this. Ultimately, the gameplay in Astral Ascent stands out as some of the best in the market, offering brilliant responsiveness and speed that all action lovers should prioritize.
Nov 24, 2023
87
Astral Ascent offers the usual roguelite gameplay where you have to die a ton of times to get a decent build and progress a little bit, and the system of spells and power-ups at the beginning is a bit foggy. After the first couple of hours without any particular excitement though, the game explodes and shows us its full potential, especially when you manage to unlock the four heroes. At that point, it becomes one of the best video games in 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 are in the right place.
Nov 30, 2023
85
Astral Ascent is stunningly beautiful: The smoothly animated characters dance their lightning-fast combat ballet in front of filigree landscapes that shine in bright, fresh colors. Particularly motivating are the many ways that you can equip and upgrade those characters.
Nov 14, 2023
80
If you are tired as heck of roguelike games, this is not the game that’s going to change your mind. But if you like solid platforming action and are willing to learn the game’s systems, crack the bones and sink into the marrow? You’ve got a heck of a game on your hands, and many exciting runs ahead of you. And that’s even before you unlock your third characters.
Apr 7, 2025
70
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.
Dec 2, 2024
10
Excellent roguelite, feels a bit like dead cells/hades. Worth playing for any fans of the genre
Jul 14, 2024
10
Master Roguelike Piece, tons of builds, posibilitys, metaprogresion, unlockeables, gameplay tempo, beautyfull pixel art and lore.
With a devolper team that keep releasing free updates for more than a year with more content and quality of life improvements in to the game. Even Pvp.... Actually its in his version 1.5, wich are 5 mayor updates, each one making the game bigger, better, more accesible and more balanced than ever.
Feb 7, 2026
6
I want to like Astral Ascent. It has a dedicated Linux version (as per the Linux EULA, I'm obliged to mention I use Linux), the visuals are good, the music is fine, voice acting is pretty good, and the action is decent. But, I, just, dunno, it's, just, kinda, clunky. I've played for a dozen hours at least, and I still don't really understand the upgrades. It's unnecessarily obtuse, I don't even have a "fire shield", why am I offered an upgrade that boosts its duration? What's the difference between Gambits and Imprints? Why would spells need two different types of upgrades? The spells can level up, too? How am I supposed to tell the effective difference between a Nimbus, Plasma, and Lightning Orb if they're all electric elements? It feels like Disgaea level micro-management without the possibility to power grind. And back to the action, it's good, but it's not nearly as snappy and fun as ScourgeBringer's. The story seems better, at least, but it's not nearly as interesting as Hades. I dunno, I'd rather play something else.
Nov 22, 2023
1
This not game a joke, don't spend your money, clunky gameplay, outdated mechanics
May 31, 2026
0
This is one of the best games I've ever seen, one of the finest roguelike games ever. Play this game, recommend it to everyone, introduce it to everyone; let everyone play this masterpiece.
SummaryAstral Ascent is a 2D platformer rogue-lite game set in a modern fantasy world. As one of 4 Heroes with very different personalities, you must escape from the Garden, an astral prison guarded by 12 powerful and vicious bosses, the Zodiacs. Unlock dozens of unique spells for your 4 distinct characters. Optimize your own build or try ou... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
