Good pedigree and dreamy visuals might not be enough
Astria Ascending is finally here, taking the shape of a fully-fledged PC and console game, enriching the indie game scene. Although looking gorgeous and emanating high production value, the game was not released by some big publisher. It is actually the love child of Kazushige Nojima, best known for his work on the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts franchises. As such we expected a rich story and an even more vibrant world, with memorable and perhaps even bizarre inhabitants. From the moment you step into the world of Orcanon, you will be blown away by the creativity, if not the originality of the game. The five races coexisting under the rule of Harmony are watched over by the goddess Yuno. The regions and their inhabitants are as different and varied as they come, and they need the protection of the demi-gods to keep up the peace and make sure the bad guys known as noises are kept at bay. You will take control of the 333rd team of demi-gods, who will face the biggest challenge of the last 1000 years. Moreover, they need to face when they have only a couple of months left to live without having precedents or guidance to rely upon. This is the twist that gives a sense of urgency to the entire story: all demi-gods who are called to serve the Harmony are given great powers, but their life span is reduced to only 3 years. As such, the band of misfits of 4 humans and 4 nonhumans have just three months to set things right. After a slow, but not unpleasant build-up you will be confronted by different subjects targeting rather the mature audience, and not the younglings. If the visual style with exaggerated anatomy did not already convince you about this aspect the quests touching on racism, losing of a child or the limits of freedom in society will.
