Astria Ascending has been released today! It is available on Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, ...

Astria Ascending is NOW AVAILABLE!

Steam users, ascend!

This long wait finally rewarded. YES! Astria Ascending is released today on PC and console!

Astria Ascending is a turn-based and gorgeous hand-drawn J-RPG developed with the help of genre veterans.

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Get ready to start your adventure with Ulan and the fated Demigods. They are doomed to die while holding the fate of the world in their hands.

Using zodiac powers, they fight to protect the Harmony from the Noises.

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RPG Site has reviewed Astria Ascending - 5/10.

Not exactly the stairway to heaven.

2021 has been a very good year for JRPGs. In January, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legendsand the Secret Fairy built upon the strong foundation of its predecessor and delivered something extraordinary. By the end of the following month, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox and Bravely Default II both delivered addictive gameplay and memorable tunes. From sterling revisits like SaGa Frontier Remastered and NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 to an instant classic in a long-running franchise with Tales of Arise, we've all been spoiled by a veritable deluge of high-quality helpings.

On paper, Astria Ascending has all of the necessary ingredients to join this luscious list. Legendary Final Fantasy scribe Kazushige Nojima contributes his literary talents! Famously atmospheric composer Hitoshi Sakimoto is on board for the soundtrack! The 2D visuals are brimming with style! But ingredients alone cannot bake a cake. After spending over 50 hours with developer Artisan Studios' talent-packed title, I cannot say I'm satisfied.

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Astria Ascending is not a great JRPG. I would hesitate to label it a good one. In a year of winners, it's not a complete outlier but it's no contemporary classic. Despite a few flirtations with intrigue, the story is generally vacant of anything compelling enough to stick around until the credits. Poor writing compounds the problem and unlikable characters can't overcome it. Gameplay ranges from strong to stale, with just enough gumption and innovation to keep things lively. Pound for pound and for all its pedigree, this is a disappointing experience I'm not inclined to recommend.

RPGFan checked out the turn-based RPG Astria Ascending:

Astria Ascending

Artisan Studios may not be the most recognizable name. But the names Kazushige Nojima (writer of Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X, Kingdom Hearts) and Hitoshi Sakimoto (composer for FF Tactics, FFXII, Vagrant Story, everything Ivalice) should make any classic JRPG fan’s ears should perk up. In Astria Ascending, two RPG legends have tried something a little different, working with a newer, smaller studio. But does their magic rub off on this new adventure?

Nojima loves to write characters who are destined to sacrifice themselves for the sake of saving the world. Well, Astria Ascending has eight of them. On the continent of Orcanon, the Demi-gods are the heroes chosen to protect the central city of Harmonia and Goddess Yuno from the Noises threatening to drag the city down into chaos. Because no good deed may go unpunished, the Demi-gods are “rewarded” with a three-year countdown to death or “ascension.” As this story begins, the heroes’ estimated time to departure is down to three months

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Of course, I can’t neglect J-Ster, the token-laying game played on a hexagonal grid that spurs memories of Final Fantasy card games past. Collecting the tokens by defeating enemies is a decent spin on the typical card-collection minigame. The game involves trying to flip enemy tokens to your color to have the most tokens by the time all of them are laid down. But challenges between tokens involve a convoluted points system that I never got the hang of, putting it closer to Tetra Master than Triple Triad. The writers couldn’t help throwing in a silly, not-at-all subtle reference to those earlier games. There’s also a simple Gradius-style side-scrolling shooter minigame featuring Fedorah, but the less said about it, the better. It doesn’t appear until later, but it’s irritating when you must complete a level of the shooter to advance to some areas of the map.

Ultimately, Astria Ascending is as flawed as it is fascinating. It has its moments, but the story is uneven, the dialogue is rough, and the combat is fine, but it doesn’t do enough to stand out in a crowded genre. It hurts to say that, as at some points, the story feels like one that needs to be heard, and there are some parts that I won’t soon forget. As the satellite falls to Earth, it mostly burns up on re-entry, but there is a painful beauty to it all while it lasts.

Score: 76/100

Henriquejr spotted IGN's preview of the J-RPG Astria Ascending:

Astria Ascending: The First Preview

A promising new JRPG from a former Final Fantasy composer and former Final Fantasy writer.

2021 has seen quite the number of quality Japanese role-playing games already, with still more to come, and based on what I’ve played, I believe that Astria Ascending should be near the top of your JRPG to-do list for this year. In an unexpected but welcoming collaboration, developer Artisan Studios has partnered with Hitoshi Sakimoto, composer of Final Fantasy XII and Vagrant Story as well as Kazushige Nojima, who has written several notable JRPGs including Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy VII Remake. After playing the first four chapters, Astria Ascending offers a lot to look forward to even if it doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary.

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Taking place in the high fantasy world of Orcanon, I found myself in the shoes of the demigods, eight powerful heroes whose job is to keep the harmony together with Ulan as the captain of the group. These warriors do not volunteer but are chosen – andwhere after three years, they move on from the world. These demigods keep the harmony in check by confronting “the noise,” cryptic enemies that attempt to disrupt the balance that the people of Orcanon try to maintain. 

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DSOGaming reports that Astria Ascending will be releasing September 30th.

Artisan Studios unveiled that its upcoming turn-based JRPG, Astria Ascending, will release on September 30th. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team released a new character trailer that you can find below.

As well as introducing each of the eight playable heroes – from stoic team leader Ulan to the elderly but cunning thief Arpajo – the character trailer also shows off some of the turn-based battle mechanics, such as using focus points to upgrade certain skills and the ability to target an enemy’s weakness. The trailer also drops a hint about Astria Ascending’s unique job system. This job system will allow each hero to flex their individual skills.

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Gamespot asked the developers of Astria Ascending what they are trying to achieve with the game.

Storytelling From The Perspective Of Kazushige Nojima

When asked about what makes Astria Ascending stand out, Nojima told me, "I would say it's the age of our heroes. They may be older than the typical party of heroes." That can be a tricky thing to reflect in a story, so I asked him about how he designed characters well into adulthood. "Regardless of the in-game world's design, if a character's age is close to your own, you must be careful so that they don't reflect your personal habits and behaviors; it will diminish the feeling of stepping into a fantasy world and your players will notice that," Nojima stated. He continued, "So, this time I paid special attention to creating a fantasy world with a strong consciousness [of that]."

Characters are, of course, always key to telling a meaningful story, and their backgrounds seem to be important to understanding the stakes of Astria Ascending. "We establish the elements required for each character and the game world--their individual techniques, how to obtain them, where they are needed, then [their place in the world] itself). Then we mixed them into the settings and scenarios to make that world real," Nojima explained. Although we've yet to see how these ideas manifest in the actual game, the expectation is that we'll see cohesion between narrative and gameplay.

Nojima explained that this story--said to be a grand tale of sorts--is contained within a few weeks' time in that world, but several complementary and heavy plot threads could lead your imagination in filling out the world. "Players will have some room to interpret and think about those details and elements. Allowing players to contemplate and consider these details is part of the game's spirit," Nojima said.

Although quite vague in specifics, he attributes this as "part of the reason why Astria Ascending can be thought of as a mature experience."

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Astria Ascending is a JRPG being developed by Artisan Studio which is planned for release in 2021 on PC, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5.

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Explore the vast and beautiful world of Orcanon

Visit five different cities populated by unique creatures and solve more than 20 dangerous dungeons. With over 50 hours of game-play and a range of fun mini-games - including shoot ‘em ups, an original fantasy-themed card game and challenging environmental puzzles.

A grand tale of fate and sacrifice

Immerse yourself in a fascinating narrative rife with betrayal, sacrifice and terrors. A story based around adult characters, Astria Ascending offers a more mature experience and extensive dialog.

A rewarding turn-based combat system

Fight over 200 different monsters in captivating, turn-based combat. Collect and summon legendary beasts into the fight and build up your power to wield legendary Cosmo Breaks.

Meet an unforgettable cast of characters

Pick from eight customizable characters spanning a range of fantastical races and skills, and assemble a heroic team that must sacrifice everything to save the world. With 20 classes to choose from and an array of unique skills to command, their fates are doomed, but the world is not.

A hand-drawn adventure crafted with skill and passion

From a team featuring developers from Final Fantasy, Nier Automata and Bravely Default, Astria Ascending includes full voice acting in Japanese and English, a traditionally animated, fully hand-drawn 2D world and a dynamic weather system.