Asterigos: Curse of the Stars – Review

Our Score: 8.5/10

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is an action role-playing game based on Greek and Roman mythology, where you set out on a perilous trip. To uncover the cause of the city’s curse, explore the magnificent metropolis of Aphes and fight your way past legions of one-of-a-kind enemies and fabled monsters.

Ancient Epic

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars has us play as Hilda. She is a Northwind legion soldier on a quest to discover the precise cause of this curse. Hilda discovers Minerva while looking for her father, the leader of the Northwind legion. The ancient goddess Minerva assigns Hilda the responsibility of locating and dispelling the curse. The way the tale is told in Asterigos is what makes it so unique. Depending on how a mission is executed, there are several outcomes.

For instance, in one of the first missions, Minerva asks you to acquire a certain object while maintaining a low profile. You encounter various other people during the assignment who try to convince you to adopt a “less subtle” strategy. Characters’ interactions with Hilda will be affected by your decision here and at several other points throughout the game. Hilda will be reprimanded if she makes the incorrect choice, but praised if she does. However, gamers who are intrigued can visit New Game Plus to try out any options they weren’t able to make the first time around. You can also undertake unfinished side tasks.

Godly Fight

Asterigos’ fighting is among the most fluid and flexible I’ve seen in an action role-playing game. Hilda uses a total of six weapons, including a sword and shield, a spear, a staff, a hammer, daggers, and magical bracelets. Hilda may wear two of them at once, and she can switch between them while fighting to create what looks like an endless range of combinations given the diversity of foes. To have both close-quarters and long-range strikes, I decided to ride with a staff and daggers. Because the opponents are designed to work best with specific weaponry, players may completely customise Asterigos to their liking. Consider moving back and attacking an adversary with a projectile with a staff ranged attack.

However, you could be better suited using your shield to block while patiently advancing for a hit. There is a style for every player when you consider the environmental fatalities in the game and the three difficulty settings. Be warned: the game’s harshest “challenging” mode is one of the toughest I’ve ever played. Don’t feel obligated to attempt it because there is no accomplishment that is linked to difficulty. Despite the sense of achievement I had when I finished, I wouldn’t advocate going through on the toughest setting.

You encounter various other people during the assignment who try to convince you to adopt a “less subtle” strategy. Characters’ interactions with Hilda will be affected by your decision here and at several other points throughout the game. Hilda will be reprimanded if she makes the incorrect choice, but praised if she does. However, gamers who are intrigued can visit New Game Plus to try out any options they weren’t able to make the first time around. You can also undertake unfinished side tasks.

Death Isn’t So Bad

Asterigos has a death statistic that is similar to Dark Souls but with a twist that I really enjoyed. You will lose 10% of your cash but not any XP when you pass away. You will be returned to the last conduit (save point) you visited and all monsters will respawn. Even if 10% loss doesn’t seem like much, it’s more than you may anticipate. The money counts toward both item and upgrade purchases, therefore it has two uses.

Additionally, you may save at any time, even while in battle. You can save yourself the 10% lost cash if you just load a save file after dying. Any saved game will still begin you at the last conduit rather than the position you were in when you last saved it. The adversaries won’t be there, but you’ll still need to rush back past where you were. It’s a wise tactic to employ during boss battles as it will help you avoid wasting time and money on expensive potions as you try to make your way back.

Looking Strong

Asterigos also has vivid, colourful landscapes that are completely “spoken.” You may hear footsteps, flowing water, a torch’s flames crackling, etc. The backdrops were all lavish and intricate. There were a few pop-in issues, but nothing too dramatic. By moving the camera back and forth, specific items would appear and vanish. At times, it was challenging to control the in-game camera while in a fight. I experiment with the ability to have the camera move on to the next opponent after one is killed.

The largest adversary on screen would frequently take control of the camera, not the one nearest to it. I would be compelled to entice the advertisements away from the larger, slower boss because I played mostly with the staff. I suffered a lot of needless damage as the camera would repeatedly spin around, causing me to disable opponent lock while desperately attempting to dodge roll out of the way to escape damage and reset my strategy for attack.

Final Verdict

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a solid ARPG that will take you by surprise with its polish and uniqueness. You’re sure to have a good time with this title thanks to its world-building, visuals and overall gameplay.