Artisan Studio is a French and Canadian developer that specializes in 2D RPG games. The studio’s first project was Super Neptunia RPG, a 2D entry in the Neptunia franchise. Now it’s back with a new adventure, Astria Ascending.
On the surface, Astria Ascending intrigued me with its wonderful hand drawn artstyle. In an age where more and more games, especially Japanese RPGs are going full 3D, having a different look can help a game stand out amongst a crowd. The 2D art invokes familiarity with Vanillaware titles like Odin Sphere or Dragon’s Crown. The colors are crisp and the backgrounds look sharp. Unfortunately, a captivating artstyle can’t save what a sloggy experience the game is.
Astria Ascending takes place in Orcanon, where a group of eight chosen individuals called Demi-Gods protect Harmony, which is some sort of peace agreement between the different races in the game. In order to keep the pact of peace, Orcanon’s races eat Harmelons, which suppress certain abilities. The Demi-Gods gain immense power and abilities to fight off antagonistic beings called the Noise, but in exchange are only given three more years to live before another group comes along and does the same thing.
About Author
