I hoped that might change throughout the story, that the heroes might adopt new and different views about their fate and even see some meaningful changes in their relationships. The Demi-Gods divide themselves into cliques, argue frequently, and are generally unpleasant, as you might expect from a group of people pushed unwillingly to their own deaths. The cast is probably the least likable group of characters I’ve ever seen it’s almost like they go out of their way to make you loathe them.Īstria is billed as a “mature” take on the genre, though its approach to heavy subject matter and character development never extends beyond general angst. It’s not the only obnoxious thing in Astria.
Add dozens of unnecessary comments from party members who just have to pipe up and no option to skip through dialogue, and it’s downright obnoxious. Most of Astria’s inhabitants have little to say, and wordy, awkward writing hounds conversations between party members. It’s an intriguing setup for the first 10 minutes, but there’s a sense of having a well-defined main idea and giving less time or attention to the important pieces that connect it. Instead of journeying across the world and assembling a party of heroes, your established group of dead-heroes-walking takes on multiple tasks in each of five regions to try and unravel a dark web of mysteries encasing the world. New ones rise up every three years because the old ones die at the close of the cycle. Harmony is a convenient plot device and little more, but the interesting part is how Astria handles the heroes.īeing the chosen one is literally being marked for death. Nations choose Demi-Gods, heroes with unique abilities, to fight the Noise every few years and maintain the balance of Harmony.
Astria Ascending Review: Failed AscentĪstria Ascending topples the usual RPG narrative from the start. It's ambitious even while its own inspirations hold it back. Artisan Studios’ newest RPG is creative but underdeveloped. This is Astria Ascending, an RPG with as much tonal whiplash as the end of the previous paragraph and enough proper nouns to make Robert Jordan blush.
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