ASTLIBRA Revision

[h1]ASTLIBRA – An incredible journey that balances engaging gameplay with an epic story[/h1] [h2][u]Overview[/u][/h2] I felt myself pulled into the game early on despite the slow burn. But I will always remember the moment that slow burn fully ignited a spark in me. Ominous music (Replica is the exact track for reference) slowly ramped up with a vocalized chorus hinting at something powerful ahead. Then the camera panned out for a grand reveal of just why that music was playing. I got chills upon the realization of who I was talking with and what exactly that meant for my characters and the course of the story. I was no longer simply invested in the story. I was completely absorbed and absolutely needed to see it through the end. [h2][u]Story[/u][/h2] ASTLIBRA is a story that is best to dive in as blind as possible and just get incredibly lost and bewildered at everything going on. That slow burn of realization of what is actually happening is amazing. I think it is well written as well. There were many reveals that were impactful and emotional for all the right reasons and none of that throwing shocking reveals that make no sense. That is to say, I was able to predict quite a few twists, but they were guided by the narrative and clever foreshadowing. Signs of good writing. Now, while I really loved the story overall and its characters I do have some criticism. There are some strange quirks in the game of sexualization of the women where there really didn’t need to be. One instance I remember is where a character is laying sick and bed and a few characters just sexualize her laying there for no reason. It was more gross than anything though I suspect it was meant to be for laughs. However, I think it speaks to the game’s strengths that even such moments did not put me off from the game. The actual story content that matters is done really well and I enjoyed it. I just can’t talk too much about it without spoiling. But it’s one hell of a ride that really keeps going and going and by the end I felt incredibly satisfied with the game and was very happy to have played it. I can certainly see myself replaying the whole thing again. But before that I got a DLC to check out. [h2][u]Presentation[/u][/h2] It’s a 2D side-scroller and pretty much looks as you see in the screenshots. It probably looks a bit rough, but I was actually pretty sold on it right away. I rather like the art and sprites. Also you know what’s neat? All the equipment like armor and weapons have their own unique appearance. So there is a LOT of graphical work done here! Music is amazing. Replica is my favorite track but there are tons of other bangers. Wintering Ezo Red Fox was probably the biggest surprise to me. It sounds so different but it totally works for where you first hear it. The music just slaps whether its an emotional punch to the gut or hype music before delivering the beatdown of the century. [h2][u]Gameplay[/u][/h2] ASTLIBRA is a side-scroller action RPG. I found it while looking for games similar to one of my favorite games of all time which is in the same genre – Odin Sphere. Like Odin Sphere, the game is also very story heavy. But the gameplay is till top notch. You will be introduced to many new ways to grow stronger and stronger throughout the game and I found that growth to be an addicting component of the game. I genuinely loved finding new equipment. One of the best ways to grow is to just constantly use and master new equipment and gain a reward for said mastery. In a way it kind of reminds me of Gurren Lagann. You start off beating up slimes with a stick and by the end you’re in epic armor with giant swords slaying all sorts of fantastical beings and more passive abilities than you may known what to do with. The passives aren’t all just power trips either. Some are tradeoffs (die in one hit but significant power boost), some change your ability to traverse the map (extra jumps), change combat, or just general quality of life upgrades. It’s all completely free to respect at any point. The gameplay can be challenging but I’d say its always fair. One of the earliest bosses is probably the hardest time I had in the game but that was because I did not yet have many options. That said, I did have to try one of the final fights in the game multiple times (I say one of, because I am talking about the final story boss before the epilogue which is lengthy and has its own final boss… whom I found easier than the one I mean). So even with a full arsenal of powers and equipment at my disposal it wasn’t a walk in the park. One tip I will give is to take advantage of invulnerability during magic casting. That was pretty much the key for my more difficult fights both early and late game. [h2][u]Summary[/u][/h2] One of the best games I ever played. These days I am often seeking out shorter games. This one was a JOURNEY at around 80 hours played. And I loved every minute of it (well, some weird sexualized moments aside). It’s rare for me to get so absorbed into a game that I am constantly playing it everyday until it’s done. But this game successfully grabbed me and I just could not put it down. As I said in the beginning, I knew I had to see it through to the end. And I’m damn glad I did. Even now months later I still think about the game and get the urge to listen to the OST again. What an incredible experience with so much passion put into the game and story.

I loved every second spent playing this. been gaming since '92 so this took me back. i really enjoyed the story. they twists. the grind definitely leaning towards oldschool if youre looking to get EVEYRTHING. with that said, super fun. 100% worth every penny spent and every second played. cant wait for the next game from KEIZO. ill wait as long as needed.

This is an incredible little gem of a game that I highly recommend. Great RPG with an epic story, plenty of things to grind out, amazing OST, amazing art, & just gameplay that just keeps going in a great way. This is well worth the asking price and I recommend anyone check it out. It got me hooked until I 100%d everything & I still had an itch to keep going.

One of my first entry when i try modern jrpg. try several jrpg game make me realize how good this game is. All about this game is beautiful. plot, gameplay, character, world design, soundtrack. all of that is beautiful. after the game finished i cried. best jrpg of all time and im not even joking. this game is so underrated

One of the best games I have ever played. Peak fiction, unreal journey and gameplay, truly the finalist of fantasies.

Amazing game. gameplay: Making the numbers on my screen go up never stops being fun story: never ends and gets crazier every time, autistic in a good way bonus meme: includes the writes barely disguised fetishes, which is also autistic in a good way imo

Amazing game that's reminiscent of Ys but much more mechanically complex. Great story and music, easily one of the most soulful games I've played in years. Nothing but respect for KEIZO. Inshallah he shall spend the next 15 years cooking us another masterpiece.

It's a great game. Combat is very punchy, very satisfying. Tons of different progression systems. You're always chasing multiple routes of progressing your character simultaneously. Very engaging loop. Some of the dialogue and attempts at comedy are pretty terrible but the overarching story and its scope are nuts in a good way.

Good gameplay, but it has its clunky moments. Story has enough twists in the middle to engage you. Somewhat replayable. This needs an explanation: it has some sort of incremental story, that means that you'll see the credits like half a dozen times before reaching the true end. Worry not, you don't need to replay the wholle game every time, you just start from where you finished.

*breathes a sigh of relief, sits down and watches the sunset* man...that was goated. Excellent story, gameplay, everything, its firing on all cyllinders. the weapon, armor and shield upgrading that lets you unlock new skills that are unique modifiers are great. note that the demo doesnt do the game justice. the demo has a different plot thats confusing because its a mish mash of everything and i dont think theres enough there to appreciate the weapon mechanics

What a game. Playing on impossible straight away from start to finish of the super long tutorial was a very satisfying experience. Time to start the real game... Baker's Daughter/10.

Fun Game!! Pros: -Excellent level progression. -Quirky graphics (normally I wouldn't normally like graphics like this game has (some of it seems photo shopped), but the developer(s) make it work for this game. -Skipping events and stories (if you die for example) Cons: -Enemy AI (some enemies will walk off cliffs/over holes and fall off the screen). They will also spawn sometimes in the background (especially for Boss MOB spawns). Enemies can also fly off screen and never come back. -Good story, but it's like the "Energizer Bunny" (it just keeps going and going and going and going, and gets very random towards the end; feels rushed). -The ending of the game feels rushed. Just a BUNCH of flat surfaces with parallax backgrounds and enemies plastering the screen. -There are pointless "choices" to make in the game, or only one choice "keeps the game going". The other ends the game (rolls a short, stupid "credits" scene) and puts you right back at the point where you are "making a choice" again. (So, not really a choice). So, choice-less choices... AKA pointless. -After every chapter, the developers decided to run the same exact "intro" cinematic. At least they made it skip-able. VERY stupid. -Stupid "sexual" references (where your characters try to spy on other characters naked), and some boss fights with "shaky female chest" (Not the first game to do this, Dragon's Crown is another example (terrible game)) . Any game that has to do this is "trying too hard", or has a developer(s) that wants to "sleep with a super model" but can't... so they make games with low-grade sex references (female characters with very large chest and "very responsive to physics) to compensate. -About every minute the game stutters for half a second (with lack of options for FPS and VSync), no way to fix this.

One of the greatest games I've ever played. Fantastic story, interesting characters, epic bossfights and beautiful ambientation and soundtrack

What started as a curiosity of what was going on with this one-dev indie turned into one of the best stories I have ever played through in a video game. It's a slow burn at the beginning, but once events started unfolding it had me hooked right until the final true ending after 60 hours. The gameplay is simple, yet fun and addicting; I often would just go back a few screens just to grind and unwind for a bit. The only warning I can give is that the game can get a bit "suggestive" at times, especially with some of the boss' designs, and this is after the publisher asked the dev to tone it down. 10/10 would recommend to everyone, except for my grandmother

this is a hidden gem of games . systems and game-play that work together , perfect platform ./ metroidvania style game skill learning adaptation. magic usage in split second to overcome overwhelming odds. some minor annoyances that may require you to check the forums but still 9.8/10 even with the minor annoyances after you beat the game +/- additional content which you can challenge before the endgame .. there is still great adaptation after unlocking endgame on the main game. if you wish to find and unlock everything and getting to be even more overpowered in the process. then theirs the second game where you play as the female barmaid after completing the main game which is just as enjoyable all i can say is KEIZO did an amazing job and when you finally hear about this game you will wonder how you never heard of it before as it is just ... 100% WOW with perfection

This game is a hidden gem. Excellent gameplay and story. Worst thing in this game is that you will have to grind a little bit if you want to gain every item and skill.

I had a good impression of the game at around the 30/40hour mark. But then it just keeps going. While the gameplay seems varied, it's rather stale. Plenty of options that all do the same thing. The story started with a smidgen of interest, but was quickly stamped out under the weight of its poor writing. You could argue that it's paying homage to anime and jrpgs with the uninspired plot beats, but they weren't endearing or even funny. Just dull and played out. The gameplay itself and the progression can be satisfying, but it's wasted on a rather shallow experience. There are interesting systems in place, but no real 'game' to make use of them. Just level after level of the same, grindy slop.

[i] "This is the tale of a man who pierces the fate of the universe, ruled by the endless cycle of violence." [/i]

After playing the game for more than 5-10 hours, you will find that this game will far exceed your expectations. The combat experience, art style, soundtrack, and unexpected story can all bring you different surprises. One of the best 2D action RPGs ever. Definitely worth the money. Thanks KEIZO for this masterpiece!

Way better than expected, I’m just a couple hours in and I am totally hooked. The story has a “to the moon” feeling where you know it’s going to be an emotional trip but you don’t know how. Looking forward to seeing more.

ASTLIBRA REVISION: Side-scrolling soul feast. ASTLIBRA GAIDEN: Roguelike hidden gem.

Bruh I been side-eyein’ this pixel muncher for a hot sec, thought it was gon’ be another solo dev gas-n-ghost, ya feel? Like bro cooked up a trailer, got the bag, then hit the ejecto seat. But frfr? Combat hittin’ different—slick like butter on a glitchcore mixtape. Game got that deep lore drip, not just surface-level rizz. Story? Mid-sauce rn, not peak fiction but I’m catchin’ Chrono Trigger static, maybe a dash of "anime bestie went poof, go full sigma to find her" arc. Ain’t deep in yet but lowkey? This got that hidden gem RNG. Feels like I just pulled a shiny in the bargain bin.

What a wild ride. Amazing. Crazy story.

Didn't expect much. Suddenly fifty hours had passed.

Wow, this games pretty darn good.

it hurts good

it's giga

its a gem

Just Buy It.

yes