{"id":443071,"date":"2023-12-22T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/?post_type=eg_reviews&#038;p=443071"},"modified":"2023-12-22T16:05:24","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T22:05:24","slug":"review-astlibra-revision-switch-rpg","status":"publish","type":"eg_reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/review-astlibra-revision-switch-rpg\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Astlibra Revision"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Astlibra Revision<\/em> is one of those \u201chidden gems\u201d that I was advised to go into as blind as possible. To paraphrase, I was told to trust it would be worth my time to see it through to its conclusion. Now, three weeks and change later, I have finished <em>Astlibra Revision<\/em>. And while I don\u2019t think that advice was totally necessary, I still don\u2019t know how to begin describing the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For lack of a better option, the best way to understand this game is to understand its creator. <em>Astlibra <\/em>was developed predominately by one Japanese developer who goes by the name \u201cKEIZO\u201d. From what I\u2019ve gathered, KEIZO is not a professional game designer. So in addition to his full-time job, <em>Astlibra<\/em> was the passion project he worked on in his free time. In that sense, <em>Astlibra<\/em> isn\u2019t unlike that one RPG Maker game you might have spent a month tinkering with. Except KEIZO kept working on <em>Astlibra<\/em> for <em>15 years<\/em>, releasing chapters episodically until it was finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><em>Astlibra Revision<\/em> is the final version of that decade and a half of work, featuring some extra talent to help the game cross the finish line. This notably includes artwork from Shigatake, who worked on Vanillaware games like <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/review-muramasa-rebirth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Muramasa: The Demon Blade<\/a><\/em> and <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/review-dragons-crown-pro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dragon\u2019s Crown<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since its Steam release last year, <em>Astlibra<\/em> has developed a devoted cult following. Sporting an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on the platform, some have even gone as far as saying it was the best game of 2022. If nothing else, <em>Astlibra<\/em> represents an incredible amount of work on the part of its creator. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019d praise this one <em>that <\/em>much, but I can certainly say that it was an absolute trip, and I don\u2019t regret taking that plunge.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-7.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443150\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><strong><em>Astlibra Revision <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1718570\/ASTLIBRA_Revision\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PC<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendo.com\/us\/store\/products\/astlibra-revision-switch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Switch<\/a> [reviewed])<\/strong><br><strong>Developer: KEIZO<\/strong><br><strong>Publisher: WhisperGames<\/strong><br><strong>Released: October 13, 2022 (PC), November 16, 2023 (Switch)<\/strong><br><strong>MSRP: $24.99<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>It&#8217;s about time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Astlibra<\/em> begins like many RPGs you\u2019ve certainly played. There is a boy (you), and there is a girl (your love interest). One day, demons attack your hometown, separating the boy who is never named and the girl. If you think the remainder of the plot will involve the boy embarking on a tireless quest to reunite with his childhood friend, you are correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite this, <em>Astlibra<\/em> takes some sharp-left narrative turns almost immediately. Following the attack on the village, the boy wakes up in a cabin miles away from civilization. Here, he meets a talking crow, and yes, talking crows are weird even in this fantasy universe. There\u2019s an immediate sense of melancholy and intrigue that sets the stage for the rest of the plot. How did you get here? Where did this crow come from? Wouldn\u2019t it be better to just try to have a happy life here, rather than risk your life pursuing this girl who most likely died?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, as you might expect, the boy\u2019s firm answer to that last question is \u201cno\u201d. And after setting out on a journey that lasts eight years, the boy and his crow become proper monster-slaying grown-ups who finally find other human settlements. And before you know it, the duo quickly get wrapped up in a plot that not only takes them across the world, but time itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This mixture of clich\u00e9s and twists honestly describes <em>Astlibra<\/em> as a whole. The plot is something I want to discuss later, as there\u2019s <em>a lot<\/em> to unpack here. But even when it comes to the gameplay, <em>Astlibra<\/em> proves that you shouldn\u2019t judge a game based on appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ASTLIBRA Nintendo Switch Trailer\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xlMeb2aYGgg?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>But what even is Astlibra?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>As far as<em> Astlibra<\/em>\u2019s general vibe goes, I can only describe it as a mix of a Vanillaware game like <em>Muramasa<\/em> and early Falcom games like <em>Popful Mail<\/em>. You might immediately look at screenshots and think \u201cMetroidvania,\u201d but <em>Astlibra <\/em>doesn\u2019t quite fit that genre. Don\u2019t get me wrong, there is <em>some<\/em> exploration here, and there are secrets to uncover. But actual platforming a la <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/review-blasphemous-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blasphemous 2<\/a><\/em> or <em>Symphony of the Night<\/em> is basically non-existent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Astlibra<\/em> instead focuses heavily on its combat system, which feels quite good on the surface. Starting off, you\u2019re just a guy with a stick hitting slimes. Even at this stage, you\u2019ll notice that inflicting damage comes with a nice hit-stop that gives your strikes some weight without slowing the action down. Before long, you\u2019ll gain access to the magic system, which lets you pause the action and input basic directional button commands to use special attacks that drain your Stamina gauge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is as much an offensive boon as it is a defensive one, as using magic gives you valuable invincibility frames. Timing your special moves well quickly becomes a core part of combat, especially as enemy projectiles start littering screens.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite starting on such a small scale, I can\u2019t stress enough that the combat in <em>Astlibra<\/em> just <em>keeps growing<\/em>. With each chapter comes new magic, abilities, and entirely new attacks in your core move set. Even at the point you&#8217;d think the game would hit its mechanical peak, it still escalates. This is a good thing, because you\u2019re going to need as many tools as you can get. Before long, you\u2019ll find dungeons with ridiculous amounts of monsters and massive bosses that throw blankets of bullets at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>That said, the game\u2019s plethora of options quickly turns into a blessing and a curse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-3.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443151\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Prepare to grind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If there is one thing I cannot stress enough about <em>Astlibra<\/em>, it is that<strong> it is very much designed for people who enjoy grinding<\/strong>. If you want just about anything in <em>Astlibra<\/em>, you must <em>work<\/em> for it. I don\u2019t necessarily think this is a bad thing, but it does make the game\u2019s appeal very niche in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, take the game\u2019s equipment. There are a ton of armaments you can equip, each different in terms of range, handling, power, and even elemental affinity. However, all equipment \u2013 armor and shields included \u2013 comes with skills you can master by earning enough EXP while using them. Some skills are duds, but others are basically essential. These include things like extending your invulnerability period after getting hit or boosting elemental damage. So to get the most of your character, you better like swapping equipment and filling up every bar you see.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you also must consider how you <em>get<\/em> equipment. Every area in the game comes with its own batch of things to buy, but you can\u2019t just use money to get them. You also need a wide variety of monster materials from that respective area, which you almost certainly won&#8217;t get through standard play. So the rhythm of the game quickly becomes identifying the materials you need, farming them until you\u2019re done, and then repeating the process until you\u2019ve grinded out everything you can in an area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>And this isn\u2019t even getting into how <em>Astlibra<\/em> encourages collecting every item thanks to its Libra system, the skill tree which uses six different currencies dropped by monsters, rare drops in each zone\u2026 the list goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Playing on the Hard difficulty, I found all this grinding was <em>absolutely<\/em> necessary to get through the first half of the game. Because again, this isn\u2019t just to make your numbers bigger; it\u2019s the only way to fully unlock <em>Astlibra<\/em>&#8216;s combat system. You could theoretically drop the difficulty and coast through the game without the grind. But I genuinely wonder if someone opting for this playstyle would really enjoy <em>Astlibra<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-4.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443154\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Make numbers go up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>You wouldn\u2019t think the existence of grinding would impact <em>Astlibra<\/em>\u2019s combat on a philosophical level, but it totally does. As mentioned above, you\u2019ll quickly find that the game loves littering monsters on every screen in front of you. And if your power level is high enough, you\u2019re rewarded with an insane wave of positive feedback. Slaying huge groups comes with satisfying sounds and explosions of gold, items, and experience that <em>really<\/em> gets the dopamine going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know that feeling you get when you see that huge explosion of loot in an ARPG like <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/review-diablo-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diablo<\/a><\/em>? That\u2019s what <em>Astlibra<\/em> has going for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only problem with this approach is that combat starts to show cracks when you aren\u2019t overpowering enemies. Those huge swarms of foes can easily overwhelm you, resulting in situations where you can go from full health to dead because enemy attacks lined up in a weird way. Additionally, the game\u2019s frankly plain visual style doesn\u2019t help matters, as enemies don\u2019t telegraph their attacks super obviously. That last point is understandable given the game\u2019s development. KEIZO frankly did an amazing job given what he was working with. That shortcoming just kind of comes with the territory.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-9.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443152\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>It gets better, though<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>With that established, one of the interesting things about <em>Astlibra<\/em> is that it gets tangibly better as you progress. As your hero\u2019s capabilities keep growing, so too do enemies&#8217;. Boss battles, in particular showcase better design. These major encounters aren\u2019t terribly impressive early on. But by the game\u2019s midpoint, you start to see more clearly defined attack patterns and strategies that you can play around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combined with your hero\u2019s continuous escalation of power, you eventually do find some fantastically fast and frenetic encounters. Inflicting huge damage with rapid-fire strikes while you time your magic spells just right feels <em>really<\/em> good. I\u2019d go as far as to say it gave me that rush I typically get from Falcom\u2019s <em>Ys<\/em> series. Do I think the game\u2019s superior second half makes the game worthwhile for someone who just doesn\u2019t like the first half? Not at all. But if you at least enjoy what <em>Astlibra<\/em> puts on the table early on, you have a nice payoff awaiting you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On one hand, I do wish KEIZO would have maybe gone back and done more work on the early game to match the quality you\u2019ll see later. On the other hand, I really enjoyed seeing KEIZO become more proficient as a developer as I played. It\u2019s a unique vibe, and it\u2019s only something I ever saw back when I was deep into RPG Maker games in a past life. I have no idea if that kind of thing matters to anyone else, but it did enhance my experience.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-1.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443156\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>A story across time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>Now, at this point I want to talk about <em>Astlibra<\/em>\u2019s story, as it deserves to be unpacked and analyzed just as much as its gameplay. Don\u2019t get me wrong; if you\u2019re looking for the next game to change your life along the lines of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/review-undertale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Undertale<\/a><\/em> or <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/reviews\/rakuen-review-deluxe-edition-switch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rakuen<\/a><\/em> or whatever your favorite indie game is, <em>Astlibra<\/em> probably isn\u2019t it. That said, KEIZO really swings for the narrative fences and takes <em>Astlibra<\/em> to some interesting places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, <em>Astlibra<\/em> is a game about time travel. That isn\u2019t a spoiler; you\u2019ll see the foundation for that laid very early on. But instead of diving right into a sweeping, grand tale, it instead explores isolated, episodic stories early on that I really liked. Even the game\u2019s earliest chapters feature bittersweet, melancholic moments that still make me tear up a bit to remember. <em>Astlibra<\/em> does a really good job exploring \u201cwhat if\u201d scenarios, often not so much landing on a central thesis as it does ask interesting questions. What would you change if you could go back in time? And, perhaps more importantly, what would you sacrifice in that process?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a game that really loves to play at your expectations, for better or for worse. I suspect that at certain points during development, people playing early chapters of <em>Astlibra<\/em> may have figured out certain twists early, which inspired KEIZO to come up with more subversive elements to keep players on their toes. I have no way to prove this beyond that being the vibe I got. But the result is something that isn\u2019t always cohesive, but pretty interesting nonetheless. If you\u2019re someone who values stories full of twists, you\u2019ll like what <em>Astlibra<\/em> offers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-2.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443157\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>There\u2019s no time like the present<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>If <em>Astlibra\u2019<\/em>s narrative has one sore spot, it\u2019s that it can get uncomfortably horny at points. Look, I went into <em>Astlibra<\/em> expecting to fight hot naked RPG gods and\/or goddesses, and that\u2019s certainly here. My gripe is that <em>Astlibra<\/em>\u2019s lewd moments, whether you\u2019re viewing them as humorous or titillating, just aren\u2019t good. One chapter is especially egregious with this, often forcing risqu\u00e9 situations that actively broke my immersion with the episode\u2019s main story. For lack of a better word, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sjsRpaOtfh0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this makes me cringe, it\u2019s embarrassing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Horniness aside, <em>Astlibra<\/em>\u2019s approach to storytelling does mean that its more interesting themes don\u2019t get explored as much as they could. Around the game\u2019s overall halfway point, things get <em>crazy<\/em>. It starts introducing concepts that individually could act as the central conflict for the remainder of the game\u2019s run time, only to stop a bit short and move onto something else. This result in a story that\u2019s fascinating to follow, but doesn\u2019t end on as strong of a note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, if I did have to sum up the overall meaning I gleaned from <em>Astlibra<\/em> as a whole, it\u2019s that we\u2019re all shaped by our hardships. Even if we could go back and change the past, we can\u2019t erase the memories that informed that decision. There is, quite literally, no time like the present. And sometimes, we must face a future full of uncertainty and deal with the consequences as they come.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-8.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443160\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>How does Astlibra Revision run on Switch?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>Now, given that I\u2019m playing the relatively new Nintendo Switch port of <em>Astlibra<\/em>, I\u2019d be remiss if I didn\u2019t talk about the quality of this version of the game. Overall, it\u2019s pretty good! Everything generally runs at a smooth framerate, and the simple artstyle naturally looks just as good here as it does anywhere else. I can\u2019t directly compare the game to its PC version, but the footage I\u2019ve seen looks similar enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, it\u2019s not <em>quite<\/em> perfect. Near the endgame, the game could suffer noticeable slowdown whenever the screen got excessively cluttered with enemies and projectiles. I also had at least one instance where some enemy graphics flat out didn\u2019t load in one area, though this did correct itself later for reasons I don\u2019t understand. Fortunately, these were incredibly rare issues all told. I\u2019d say this impacted maybe 1% of my total playtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Honestly, I understand why <em>Astlibra<\/em> was ported to the Switch over the other options: it works particularly well as a handheld game. Grinding out materials to upgrade your skill tree and weapons works great in short bursts, especially if you\u2019re looking for something to play while you catch up on some podcasts. The game is relatively punishing if you die, so it\u2019s not quite a \u201cturn your brain off\u201d kind of grind. But I did like playing it in this context. Take that as you will.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Astlibra-Review-5.jpg?resize=640%2C360\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-443161\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot by Destructoid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-weigh-it-on-the-scales\">Weigh it on the scales<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-constrained wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p><em>Astlibra Revision<\/em> is one of the most interesting games I\u2019ve played this year, and I can only conditionally recommend it. If you\u2019re not the kind of person that enjoys grinding for materials and going for 100% completion, I don\u2019t know how much you\u2019d get out of the game. Additionally, <em>Astlibra<\/em> has enough jank across its many systems that I could probably fill another review nitpicking at it. These issues are understandable considering the game\u2019s development, but they are issues regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet when I look back the game in its entirety, I can\u2019t help but feel utterly impressed by it. In both its story and its gameplay, <em>Astlibra<\/em> continuously aims higher than its solo-developer has any right to. And by some absolute miracle, it succeeds more often than it doesn\u2019t. Once I reached the postgame content, I was almost sure I was done with the game and thought I could write my review already. Yet even at that point, it just <em>kept growing<\/em>, and it wound up hooking me for nearly 20 extra hours.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite all the game\u2019s rough edges, that constant feeling of surprise ultimately nudged <em>Astlibra<\/em> into \u201cGreat\u201d territory for me. At many points, I felt just as invested in the story on my screen as I was with the story of KEIZO creating it. Watching someone basically learn game design right in front of you is such a surreal experience, especially whenever you abruptly unlock new foundational combat mechanics that I imagine KEIZO just wanted to add on a whim. It\u2019s a game that can, on occasion, be weird and baffling in ways that few commercial games are. But it\u2019s nonetheless overflowing with passion, and I can\u2019t help but feel impressed by that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Astlibra Revision<\/em> asks a lot from players upfront. It\u2019s very much built for those who like grindy games, and it\u2019s unpolished in ways that you\u2019d expect from a title created by one person. But if you can enjoy what the game puts on the table, you\u2019ll find an engaging combat system and a captivating, if not occasionally bizarre story. It\u2019s an acquired taste for sure, but for those with the right palate, <em>Astlibra <\/em>is a one-of-a-kind experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sub>[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]<\/sub><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How a solo developer built a 60 hour side-scrolling action RPG.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":838,"featured_media":443149,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[19109,19111,19112,19152],"article_type":[23117],"coauthors":[23358],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/443071"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/eg_reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/838"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/443149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443071"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=443071"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=443071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}