My review of Asterigos

[Drakortha]

I'm playing this on Xbox. But if I owned the game on steam I would have put this into a review.

I picked this game up on sale and I didn't know if I was going to like it. But turns out I couldn't put it down until I finished the story. This is a very solid action RPG and I like it a lot. The combat plays a bit like Kingdom of Amalur but without the MMO feeling that let's that game down. It also has a certain charm to it that I haven't really got from a game since the first Fable.

Things I liked:

-The combat system. I don't have a lot to say except that it's very fun and fluid and with practice you can pull off very fun combo's.
-Weapon variety. While more would be welcome, what's here is great. I think the only weapon that's really missing is a bow.
-Enemy Variety. Every area has a great variety of enemy types, making the game feel varied and unique as you explore different zones. I kept being surprised by something I hadn't seen before.
-Art style and graphics. These aren't high fidelity 4k graphics by any means. But it's got a pleasant style to it that's quite charming.
-Characters and Story. What's here is quite good, with plenty of backstory and optional exposition for those who want to scratch beyond the surface. I also liked the characters. None of them feel forced on you and there's no agenda here like you see in many AAA spaces now. It's just a pure fantasy world and I love it.

Dislikes:

-The souls elements let the game down a bit. No minimap, and the journal does a bad job at keeping track of quests. By the end of the game I had probably 2 dozen quest objects in my inventory that I had no idea what to do with. I also found myself having to use online walkthroughs a few times, which to me is a game design sin.

It's an easy 7/10. But I'm giving it a 8/10 because I really liked the entire aesthetic and style and how all the positive elements come together, and it definitely charmed me. Overall I was pleasantly surprised.