
This story thread echoes the increasingly divisive atmosphere of our world.

One story involves parents whose son has joined essentially a violent extremist cult that opposes Harmonia’s diversity-the city’s most cherished achievement-which his Demi-god parents don’t particularly appreciate.
Astria ascending character customization movie#
The way personal issues bleed into societal issues, and vice versa, is a masterful effort that would make Paul Thomas Anderson reconsider his calling as a movie director the societal butterfly effect is weaved into the story more succinctly (as far as video games go) than the vaunted Anderson would do in his films. The game delves into some heavy subject matter, taking on issues like the complexities of racial divides, getting one’s affairs in order as death looms, and a whole lot of regret about the past. It’s disappointing that the writing doesn’t hold up because Astria Ascending’s story itself is not bad. But I’ll be interested to see what reviewers think of the game in Japan or France, the homes of Nojima and Artisan Studios, respectively, in their native languages. It was a risk for Nojima to go with a smaller developer instead of relying on the vast resources of Square Enix. This game made me appreciate the art of localization more, as it’s something you often only notice when it has problems. But there’s little other writing or narration besides the dialogue, so that’s all you get for moving the story along. For some characters with personalities that are generally more serious (Dagmar, the beefy Arktan sorcerer) or glib (Kaydin, one of the harpy-like Awisis), the dialogue actually works alright. Sometimes in important moments, the writing rises to the level of the storytelling, but mostly, it weakens any drama or personality the story or characters might have had. The entire crew entering the story at once robs them of the opportunity to be established as individuals, and as a result, none of them ever stand out.Īwkward lines like these are the norm in Astria Ascending. After the briefest of introductions for the Demi-gods, the story then delves into the characters’ backstories, taking them to each’s homeland in an impromptu farewell tour. Reversing the typical narrative of traditional JRPGs, this game drops eight characters on you at the outset. If you’ve ever wondered why it is in JRPGs that you usually start with one hero or a few and pick up more along the way, Astria Ascending has your answer. There are many odd choices in Astria Ascending, the most immediate being the story structure. 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. 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. Well, Astria Ascending has eight of them. Nojima loves to write characters who are destined to sacrifice themselves for the sake of saving the world. But does their magic rub off on this new adventure? In Astria Ascending, two RPG legends have tried something a little different, working with a newer, smaller studio. 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. Along with the finely tuned turn-based combat, players can try out a range of side quests and mini-games, including an original fantasy-themed token game.Artisan Studios may not be the most recognizable name. Each character has their own story explored across five cities, 25 dungeons, and 30 hours of gameplay (or up to 50 hours for players pursuing 100 percent completion). In a world where chaos looms, players take control of the Demigods – a motley crew of eight heroes charged with the fate of the world. “An epic adventure with the charm and pedigree of a classic JRPG, Astria Ascending tells an expansive story of fate, sacrifice, and new beginnings. The game was developed in partnership with publisher Dear Villagers and boasts contributions from world-class JRPG developers, with a narrative written by Kazushige Nojima (Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VII Remake), score by Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII, Vagrant Story), and art from CyDesignation (Akihiko Yoshida and Hideo Minaba). You can also read our preview and watch the animated trailer.

Here’s how the developers describe the game. While Quebec-based Artisan Studios isn’t a Japanese developer, they certainly are quite familiar with working with them, as they worked on Super Neptunia RPG for Compile Heart. There are also big names involved on the art side, handled by Akihiko Yoshida and Hideo Minaba’s CyDesignation studio.
