I was pretty active in PixelFade's discord for a while and was frustrated by the team's lack of commitment to a release date. My complaints didn't seem to get through to the team so in frustration I left.

However. I can see that their answers (being that there was a lot to work with) were totally valid. There is a *lot* in this game. And it all has that classic PixelFade feel. Each girl has a unique personality and progression that feels genuinely polished for a romance VN. Almost every choice in the game has a legitimate effect on your standing with the romanceable characters and this makes them *all* matter.

Being that it's still in early access at the time of this being written, there are a couple goofs in grammar and spelling (like one character's name being spelled both Eveline and Evaline in certain places) but I assume those will be fixed as early access comes to a close.

I've seen a couple people talk about the unintuitive nature of squaring in on a route, and to an extent I agree. Sometimes the choices don't feel like they line up with how they should affect the route you go into. But I assume this is another quirk of the game not being completely done yet. I won't call it a legitimate problem quite yet because of this.

Space operas are not very common, so this gives a greatly needed breath of fresh air into the VN genre. If you're on the fence about getting this, just get it. It'll be worth your time.

Oh My God! This Lovely game was DEFINITELY worth the wait! From the Intriguing Story, to the Amazing English Voice Acting, to the Music, to the Humor, to the Action, to the Romance between you and the Main Characters in the game, To the Animation, to the fact that Everything, especially the story and the cute moments, the funny moments, to the sad ones, to the heartwarming ones, to the moments that make you cry, it all just Grips you and Never lets go, and it keeps coming, and the writing of everything in this Masterpiece that PixelFade created, it's all beautifully done. And I have to say, even though I have only played this game for only around 9 hours, it kept me playing for those hours, over the last 2 days. Any game that does THAT is a game that is definitely worth owning, and all of your time to check out. Granted there will be people who try to trash this game, but don't let them. PixelFade did an Amazing job, and it all shows in this Experience. The graphics are Gorgeous, the English voice acting is Amazing, the Music is Riveting, the Romance is well-thought-out, the choices in this game really make you think, the humor is absolutely hilarious, the tearjerking moments will make you cry, the heartwarming moments will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, the characters are well portrayed and acted, the girls you meet in the game are all amazing, especially the three main girls, Iris, Luna, and Vaela, and even characters like Helen, Nova Sky, Kai, Zeke, and everyone else are just as amazing to hear as you will ever experience. The backstories of each character are also well done, and some of them are very tearjerking, so you have been warned. But in the End, Astral Ascension is an Experience No One should pass up on, i can't recommend this even nearly enough, it is THAT good. Buy This Game Today. Well? What are you waiting for? Go get it already!

Story: 10/10
Music: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Voice Acting: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Humor: 10/10
All Moments: 10/10
Fan Service: 10/10
Side Characters: 10/10
Choices: 10/10

Final Tallied Score: 100/100: PERFECT!!!!

Astral Ascension is an Experience that No One Who Loves PixelFade Games Will Ever Come To Forget. This Experience is a Masterclass in how to do an English-Voiced Visual Novel Right, it is an Honest-To-God love letter for English-Voiced Visual Novel Lovers from The Most Beautiful Women In All Of Existence.
Well Done, PixelFade! Absolutely, Positively, Totally, Completely, Utterly, and Truly Well Done! ^~^ <3