Asterigos: Curse of the Stars

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a triumph, a title of such confidence and quality that it feels like the work of a veteran studio, rather than a studio trying its hand at the genre for the first time. With a truly flexible combat system, an engaging and deep narrative, and a gorgeous visual style that makes the most of its Greek and Roman inspirations, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars easily overcomes any minor criticisms that can be raised against the slightly lacking level design and quality of life issues.

Very few indie games have quantity and quality that can match those of triple A titles, but Asterigos: Curse of the Stars definitely makes the cut. This is an outstanding first project from Acme Gamestudio and I can’t wait to see what’s next for them. What you’ll find here is a polished narrative-driven Souls-like adventure held back only by some frustrating design choices.

A stellar debut with intriguing story, beautiful visual style and satisfying action RPG combat systems.

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars offers an enjoyable formula with exploration and combat that'll keep you hooked as you forge your way ahead. With that in mind, it could certainly use a clearer sense of direction even if it was implemented via an accessibility option.

Are there already much better games of similar gameplay style out there? Absolutely, but Asterigos can still surprise you if you’re after something different and far less punishing.

A solid soulslike, with some cool ideas in the combat. Despite a few technical flaws and some less-than-original takes, Asterigos is still worth your time. [Issue#21, p.89]

The developers take a brutal and punishing game of survival and spin into an epic journey. Hilda won’t become a beaten and battered casualty of a brutal combat system, but rather a heroic figure that brings hope to a bleak land and its people, with personal stories that have a variety of endings for the Aphesians in this fully fleshed out world. A strong combat system that doesn’t punish players too harshly makes Asterigos: Curse of the Stars refreshing and approachable. Levelling too much can make bosses easy, and locations for quest items can be obtuse, but the game never feels unfair or unbalanced making Aphes a world worth exploring for the rich adventure that it tells.

Asterigos has some promising aspects when it comes to gameplay, but the game feels sorely lacking in the technical department.

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars combines the style of traditional RPGs with a soulslike template, resulting in a challenging but more accessible game that’s able to forge its own identity without hiding its influences. The final result isn’t perfect as there’s plenty of room for more polish. Despite these shortcomings, the gameplay is still enjoyable and the emphasis on storytelling and world building helps make up for it. The biggest divisive factor with Asterigos is that it tries to appeal to both fans of more traditional RPGs and Souls games by combining elements of both, and as a result doesn’t excel at either. But if Asterigos is approached without a purist mentality it can still be a good time.