General Gaming Asterigos (high fantasy indie ARPG for Xbox consoles/PlayStation consoles/PC/Switch) - reviews from OpenCritic posted

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Introducing Asterigos, a new high-fantasy action RPG

BLOG.PLAYSTATION.COM

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Embark on an unforgettable journey into a beautiful yet dangerous world of swords and magic.

 

Official website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

Looney Tunes developer

[DPCyric]

The main character design is a bit generic but I kinda like it anyway. Looks like something I will get in a Humble Monthly one day 

[Phaseknox]

This comes out October 11th for $34.99, it has been one of my most anticipated games of the year so I’m really looking forward to it.

[Mr.Vic20]

I played the demo on Steam and bought it right away, its colorful, the combat is solid, and its kind of charming. 

[Xbob42]

I played the demo as well and thought it was kind of charmless and felt kinda bad to play. That said it was only for like 10 minutes.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 minute ago, Xbob42 said:

I played the demo as well and thought it was kind of charmless and felt kinda bad to play. That said it was only for like 10 minutes.

 

So a 10/10 game for Phase

[Mercury33]

I’m def interested if it controls well. I like the look. 

[crispy4000]

 

[JPDunks4]

This is available on Xbox too, didn't realize that from the title.

[Mr.Vic20]

And it comes out on my Birthday!  

[Keyser_Soze]

23 minutes ago, JPDunks4 said:

This is available on Xbox too, didn't realize that from the title.

 

Just part of @Commissar SFLUFAN's anti-M$ agenda

[XxEvil AshxX]

Is it just me or does that narrators accent come and go like the wind?

[Phaseknox]

 

[XxEvil AshxX]

I did not get "souls like" from that gameplay trailer.

 

To be honest if I glanced at it I would swear it was Immortals Fenyx Rising. 

[Phaseknox]

1 hour ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

I did not get "souls like" from that gameplay trailer.

 

To be honest if I glanced at it I would swear it was Immortals Fenyx Rising. 

I think that it might include some Soulslike elements, but it’s not a straight-up Soulslike. The art design, graphics, gameplay and combat look similar to Immortals Fenyx Rising, but that’s an open world game while this is more of an interconnected open-ended level based game.

 

The game is currently preloaded on my PS4 and unlocks to play tonight at 9PM, so I’m going to start playing it as soon as it does and post some impressions of it here before going to bed.

[skillzdadirecta]

I'll grab this eventually... I HAVE Imortals Fenyx Rising and never bothered to boot it up.

[best3444]

1 hour ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

To be honest if I glanced at it I would swear it was Immortals Fenyx Rising. 

 

Yes and a little Kena: Bridge of Spirits mixed in, too. 

 

I'm not interested in this at all. Phase will love it I'm sure. 

[XxEvil AshxX]

I'm definitely interested in it. At $35 it's tempting. I'm just gonna wait and see what the general consensus on it is. With Scorn, A Plague Tale, Grounded 1.0, and the RE Village update this month, I don't even know if I would get to it any time soon. Might be a good get on a black friday or holiday sale.

[crispy4000]

I played the demo on PC.  Interestingly enough it has FSR 2.0, and this was the first game I tried with it.  Works out alright at 1440p Quality for my old GPU, which I'd take over 1080p, so that's good.

 

The game, I think someone with more experience with Souls-likes can judge better.  It's alright, but a little jank with the run animations and such.  Maybe with the later upgrades and better learning the hitlag it'll be more fun, but I think I'd rather go back and try Fallen Order again.

[Phaseknox]

I just played four hours of this, and I’ve been enjoying it. It doesn’t make the best first impression as it begins rather abruptly kind of just throwing you right into things without much exposition, and the look and feel of it comes across like a somewhat low budget linear third person action game. However, once you reach the city things get better. It becomes more of an adventure RPG with NPCs, quests and open areas/environments to explore. The graphics are more impressive looking than the beginning forest area as well.

 

While it has some Soulslike elements, it’s not a complete Soulslike. It’s more of a hack ‘n slash action adventure game with RPG elements such as leveling, unlocking abilities, skills, perks and upgrades which there are a lot of. Other than for perhaps the look of the main character and maybe the combat, it’s not really like Immortals Fenyx Rising. It’s more of a level based game with different zones.

 

So far it has been delivering in almost every aspect that I enjoy from this genre. It has an interesting story, a likable main character, good graphics, solid gameplay, fun combat and well designed levels.

[Mercury33]

17 hours ago, best3444 said:

 

Yes and a little Kena: Bridge of Spirits mixed in, too. 

 

I'm not interested in this at all. Phase will love it I'm sure. 

Yeah I thought more Kena as well. 

[Phaseknox]

Here’s a good review of the game:

 

 

I’ve played it for 12 hours now, and I’m having a great time with it. It’s a bigger and more content packed game than I was expecting it to be considering that it’s a $35 indie title. It’s more of a AA game than an indie IMO, and it should have been released physically as well because I would have liked to have had a physical copy.
 

It’s definitely a Soulslike game in a lot of ways, but also more of a faster paced hack ‘n slash action adventure game as well. It’s kind of a hybrid game that’s a mix of Darksiders III, Dark Souls and Venetica. If you like somewhat cartoonish third person action adventure RPGs then I think that you’ll dig it. It’s one of the better games that I’ve played this year, and it could end up being my GOTY.

[stepee]

I played through the demo which appears to be up until you reach the city and then has a special boss. It was pretty fun, I thought it was actually VERY elden ring like, I guess that’s because it’s souls like, but I haven’t played much of the other ones. Seems fun though, I’ll probably get it around winter sale time.

[Phaseknox]

On 10/9/2022 at 7:32 PM, stepee said:

I played through the demo which appears to be up until you reach the city and then has a special boss.

That’s pretty much the tutorial, the game really begins after that. I think that you’re going to really like it. I haven’t been this addicted to a game in a while, it’s big, varied and fun. Third person action adventure RPGs are one of my favorite genres, and this game delivers in almost every aspect. It’s well worth the $35 asking price.

[best3444]

12 hours ago, Phaseknox said:

That’s pretty much the tutorial, the game really begins after that. I think that you’re going to really like it. I haven’t been this addicted to a game in a while, it’s big, varied and fun. Third person action adventure RPGs are one of my favorite genres, and this game delivers in almost every aspect. It’s well worth the $35 asking price.

 

Don't make me get this!

[Phaseknox]

50 minutes ago, best3444 said:

Don't make me get this!

I think that you might like it if you like somewhat cartoonish third person action adventure games. It has a decent story and characters, varied environments and fun combat. It’s a little low budget, but still fairly well made and polished for the most part. The only bug that I’ve encountered so far is that sometimes the enemies don’t acknowledge you until you either get close to them or attack them first, but that doesn’t happen too often. The graphics are pretty good especially for a lower budget game. It looks a little like Immortals Fenyx Rising, so if you like the look of that game then you should like the look of this as well. The main character Hilda that you play as is cute, spunky and well voiced almost like a Disney character. All of the other characters are voiced too, but their performances are hit and miss. Some are good and some are bad. It’s only $35, so for that price it’s probably worth checking out if you have an interest in it.

[stepee]

13 hours ago, Phaseknox said:

That’s pretty much the tutorial, the game really begins after that. I think that you’re going to really like it. I haven’t been this addicted to a game in a while, it’s big, varied and fun. Third person action adventure RPGs are one of my favorite genres, and this game delivers in almost every aspect. It’s well worth the $35 asking price.

 

I think you are right and this is probably my kinda thing. I’ll probably still get it on a steam holiday sale though just because there is about a game a week I want to play coming out starting next week.

[best3444]

43 minutes ago, Phaseknox said:

I think that you might like it if you like somewhat cartoonish third person action adventure games. It has a decent story and characters, varied environments and fun combat. It’s a little low budget, but still fairly well made and polished for the most part. The only bug that I’ve encountered so far is that sometimes the enemies don’t acknowledge you until you either get close to them or attack them first, but that doesn’t happen too often. The graphics are pretty good especially for a lower budget game. It looks a little like Immortals Fenyx Rising, so if you like the look of that game then you should like the look of this as well. The main character Hilda that you play as is cute, spunky and well voiced almost like a Disney character. All of the other characters are voiced too, but their performances are hit and miss. Some are good and some are bad. It’s only $35, so for that price it’s probably worth checking out if you have an interest in it.

 

I've been reading reviews and I'm going to wait. I have so many PS5 games to play that I bought, too. Plus I heed to play Psychonauts 2 on XSX which I have had downloaded for almost a year. 

[Phaseknox]

@Mr.Vic20

 

Have you been playing this? I think that you’re the only person here other than myself who bought it.

[Keyser_Soze]

21 hours ago, Phaseknox said:

@Mr.Vic20

 

Have you been playing this? I think that you’re the only person here other than myself who bought it.

 

He's waiting for his 4090 so he can really blow the doors off this game

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Game Information

Game Title: Asterigos Curse of the Stars

 

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Oct 11, 2022)
• PlayStation 5 (Oct 11, 2022)
• Xbox One (Oct 11, 2022)
• PlayStation 4 (Oct 11, 2022)
• PC (Oct 11, 2022)
  

 

Trailer:

• Asterigos: Curse of the Stars - Gameplay Overview trailer
• Asterigos: Curse of the Stars - Gameplay trailer
  

 

Developer: Acme Gamestudio

Publisher: tinyBuild

 

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 73 average - 63% recommended

 

Critic Reviews

FingerGuns - 9 / 10

Acme Gamestudio has delivered an incredible debut with Asterigos: Curse of the Stars. If like me, you’ve been suffering from Souls-like burnout, this might be the game for you. It’s gorgeous to look at, constantly engaging and an absolute joy to play. Asterigos is not just one of the best indie games I’ve played this year, but one of the best, most complete games I’ve played in a long time, indie or otherwise. It’s an outstanding, honest-to-goodness adventure made with love, sincerity and attention to detail. It is incredible; play it.

Hey Poor Player - 4.5 / 5

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a triumph, a title of such confidence and quality that it feels like the work of a veteran studio, rather than a studio trying its hand at the genre for the first time. With a truly flexible combat system, an engaging and deep narrative, and a gorgeous visual style that makes the most of its Greek and Roman inspirations, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars easily overcomes any minor criticisms that can be raised against the slightly lacking level design and quality of life issues. Even if you’re like me, and felt like you had already had your fill of Souls-likes for 2022, give Asterigos: Curse of the Stars a chance, and you’ll likely find yourself falling in love with the genre all over again.

33bits - Spanish - 85 / 100

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is the perfect mix between Souls and hack & slash. I would have liked that the formula of the first one had been respected more in some aspects, but due to its variety of enemies, scenarios and the different weapons to use, Asterigos leaves a great taste in the mouth, becoming one of the best soul-slashes I've ever played. in this last year.

Gaming Nexus - 8.5 / 10

Very few indie games have quantity and quality that can match those of triple A titles, but Asterigos: Curse of the Stars definitely makes the cut. This is an outstanding first project from Acme Gamestudio and I can't wait to see what's next for them. What you'll find here is a polished narrative-driven Souls-like adventure held back only by some frustrating design choices.

Rectify Gaming - 8.3 / 10

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars truly shines as one of the best games in its class.

GameGrin - 8 / 10

Despite its difficulty not fitting the soulslike expectation, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars manages to be a phenomenal entry, as long as you don't come in expecting challenging gameplay.

Worth Playing - 8 / 10

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is just plain fun. It's a solid, enjoyable and well put-together action-adventure game where my biggest complaints are largely nitpicks and a few qualms about the exploration. Sure, you can point to various things it was inspired by, but it manages to stand out on its own merits, and it's an enjoyable experience. The distinct art style and combat help it define itself, and the story is engaging enough to keep you interested. It's well worth a look if the concept remotely interests you.

Gamer's Palace - German - 78 / 100

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a solid action-adventure. It's easier than it seems at first sight and a few flaws with controls but overall I had a lot of fun with it.

IGN Italy - Italian - 7.7 / 10

An action-RPG without unnecessary frills, perhaps a bit anonymous and derivative, but with ideas capable of creating sparkling and noteworthy gameplay.

PC Invasion - 8 / 10

While there are some notable flaws and shortcomings, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars does manage to entertain and provide the necessary thrills.

GamesCreed - 3.7 / 5

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars should've been one of the most thrilling action role-playing games in the vein of the Souls series, but the level design lets the game down. However, with over 22 bosses with a wide range of attacks and numerous mythology-based settings, it’s undeniable that the game delivers a satisfying and comprehensive experience. Acme Gamestudio did a decent job uniquely delivering their first game and if they can adjust the balancing of the two genres, a sequel to Asterigos can set a new benchmark.

COGconnected - 72 / 100

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a great entry point to Soulslike games. Its accessible combat, difficulty options and pleasant atmosphere will entice many to the game. However, the unintuitive level design and lack of a detailed map can cause frustration and result in you aimlessly roaming the grounds. Although it may not do enough to appeal to veterans, those interested in dipping their toes into the genre should start here.

Hardcore Gamer - 3.5 / 5

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars combines the style of traditional RPGs with a soulslike template, resulting in a challenging but more accessible game that's able to forge its own identity without hiding its influences.

NoobFeed - 65 / 100

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is not the most stable game. It’s generally fine, but on occasion, the game stutters to the point where it becomes unplayable, and this happened several times while playing it. During those moments, you just need to run away from enemies because you will not be able to fight them when the frame rate drops to single digits, but luckily, it does stabilize soon enough. So, should you play Asterigos: Curse of the Stars? It’s a solid action RPG with a good set of upgrades and combat capabilities that are rather generic, but it should keep you entertained for some time.

TechRaptor - 6.5 / 10

The deep, rich world of Aphes is undermined by the illusion of choice and ultimately frustrating combat, deflating all of the potential Asterigos: Curse of the Stars could have lived up to.

Wccftech - 6.5 / 10

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars had the potential of being one of the most exciting action role-playing games influenced by the Souls series, with its ancient Greek and Roman influences, cartoonish art style, unique approach to story choices, and a more gamey approach to combat and character customization, but it falls a little flat due to the bad level design that damages the entire experience. If one can look past this significant issue, however, one will find a decent enough game with an acceptable story and serviceable combat with some interesting twists.

ZTGD - 6 / 10

Asterigos is a weird game in that it feels like it was so close to being excellent. The weird mix of mechanics do not gel well and parts of the game simply feel unfinished. Still it is a fun romp that could get much better with some patches and tweaks. I think the team behind it did a great job for their first game and hope they continue to get chances to make more. There are good ideas and characters here, it just feels like it needed more time or a bigger budget to reach their vision.

ACG - Buy

Video Review - Quote not available

EGM - Unscored

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars has launched at a point in time where I have too many other things going on to give it the attention it’d need for a full review. And yet, after spending some time with it, I really wanted to at least give it some attention. This is the type of release that a lot of you could easily miss, and it’s got enough quirks and rough edges that I think some who try it might give up before getting too far. The more I’ve played Asterigos, though, the more I’ve wanted to keep playing. It doesn’t get everything right, but it does craft a game that feels genuinely unique for everything else I’ve played this year. I might have first discovered Asterigos due to expectations of it being a Soulslike, but what I found was something a little more.

Entertainium - Worth your time

Despite an underwhelming story, this is a solid, accessible, and compelling take on the Soulslike formula.

[Phaseknox]

Those are some fairly good reviews overall, I especially agree with the higher score ones. But I feel that the 6s are a little low since it doesn’t really deserve anything less than a 7 IMO.

 

I disagree with the claims that it’s an easy Soulslike, because it’s neither a Soulslike or easy. While it has some Soulslike elements, it’s not a straight-up Soulslike to the point where that’s what it should be labeled as. And while it’s not as punishingly difficult and unforgiving like a Soulslike (thankfully), it still presents a good challenge on normal and even somewhat on easy especially the bosses. I haven’t tried it on hard since normal was more than challenging enough for me causing me to drop the difficulty down to easy since I like a bit of an easier go of things in games these days, but I’m sure that hard would really offer a challenge to those who want a more challenging experience.

 

I also disagree with the critics saying that the levels aren’t well designed, because I feel that they are. The game world is broken up into several different big zones that are all interconnected, and they offer a good amount of exploration off the beaten path that almost always lead to loot and rewards. The level designs are actually one of the highlights of the game IMO.

 

I’ve played the game for 30 hours now, and there’s still a lot more left to do. So don’t let its $35 price tag fool you, because it’s the quality and size of somewhat bigger budget action RPGs that sell for $40-$50. I would have paid $50 for it if that was its asking price, heck I would have probably even paid $60 for it since it’s as good if not even better than some AAA games that sell for that much IMO.

[Phaseknox]

This is one of the better video reviews that I’ve seen for the game:

 

 

I agree with his complaint about the story, while it’s good for the most part it’s also somewhat bloated with too much long-winded NPC banter and an overabundance of history, past event and lore documents/notes/scrolls to read scattered throughout the levels. They’re optional to read, but add a lot to understanding the characters and story of the game more.

 

Thankfully most NPC interactions are voiced, but there’s also times when they’re not so you have to read the conversations which can drag. There are somewhat cool cinematic cutscenes once in a while, but they’re few and far between. Most story content is delivered by character conversations, and reading text documents which can be somewhat dull. If I wanted to read so much, then I would read a book instead. 

[Phaseknox]

I finished this today, and found it to be a consistently good game throughout. It took me 45 hours to do just about everything in it. It was well balanced, and virtually bug free. It definitely deserves a lot more attention than it has been receiving, because it’s one of the better third person action adventure games to come out in a while IMO.