80.5 hours played
Written 15 days ago
[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.
