A Dreamy Premise
Origin Games’ Astral Soul Rising is a fantasy MMORPG set in a heavenly dimension plagued by the throes of conflict. Take up arms as a fledging warrior to preserve the peace between immortals. At first glance, Astral Soul Rising appears to be a magically epic dreamscape of cosmic proportions. However, the gameplay experience desperately lacks substance.
Shallow Class System
Begin your journey as one of five classes: Assassin, Swordsman, Pikeman, Magician, or Archer. RPG veterans are sure to have certain expectations for each archetype. The Assassin class sports high mobility and damage but significantly lacks defensive stats. The Magician and Archer specialize in ranged DPS and crowd control. The Pikeman holds down the fort as the tried and true tank, and Swordman completes the cast as an all-rounder. Usually one would have to consider the pros and cons of each archetype; however, they have no substantial bearing in Astral Soul Rising. Each class is equally flashy, so choosing one boils down to personal aesthetics.
Brain-Dead Game Play
Combat is extremely easy and doesn’t require much input from the player; using the auto-battle feature is viable even for high-level boss fights. Like standard MMORPGs, you improve your power by grinding mobs, doing quests, and improving your battle gear. In addition, there are servants and glyphs which develop your battle power. Levels 1-80 are a rinse-and-repeat of repetitive quests. Group dungeons are eventually available but still provide very little challenge. At the start of the game, players receive a deity-like transformation that trivializes fights even more, albeit on a large cooldown. This transformation could be an interesting gameplay feature to give yourself an advantage in times of crisis but instead is just something to do when you want to flex on weaklings. Overall, I genuinely had more fun using the flight mechanic to explore the open world than any combat present in my hours of playing.
All Flash, No Fun
On a positive note, Astral Soul Rising excels at character customization. Outfits, weapons, and hair can be customized to fit personal tastes. Of course, your mount and servant NPC are customizable as well. The surplus of options ensures your character feels uniquely personalized. If you’re seeking stylish graphics, look no further, but if compelling gameplay is your aim, Astral Soul Rising isn’t for you. Even by casual gaming standards, Astral Soul Rising is quite repetitive and non-engaging. Astral Soul Rising does not distinguish itself within the genre and inevitably sinks into obscurity amidst other shallow, grind-heavy MMORPGs.
