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Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is an action RPG developed by Acme Gamestudio and published by tinyBuild. The game draws inspiration from FromSoftware’s best offerings and has a great combat and upgrade system, but it falls flat in a few key areas that hold the whole experience back. will star is set in a fantasy world that is heavily inspired by Greek mythology, with some Roman and Norse elements thrown into its design.
In will star, the player takes on the role of Hilda, a warrior in the Northwind Legion. Hilda travels to the city of Aphes, searching for her missing father and the members of the North Wind Legion. The inhabitants of Aphes have been hit with a powerful curse, turning many of them into monsters who now roam the streets and kill anyone who crosses their path. will star‘s Aphes has powerful boss monsters controlling the city. The survivors gather in a hub known as the Shelter, where Hilda’s few remaining allies can be found. She is sent on dangerous missions out into the city, to uncover the mystery behind the curse and try to find her father.
will star is an action RPG with a focus on weapon switching and special moves. Hilda can equip two weapons at once, along with four specials that are linked to an MP meter that increases when she hits enemies. Hilda is mostly a dodging hero in terms of defense, although equipping weapons like the sword and shield gives her blocking/countering options. There are tons of upgrades and special moves to unlock, all of which are tied to a skill point board, giving the player many ways to customize their version of Hilda.
The expansive Soulslike combat system in will star is easily the highlight of the game, with crazy and fast action, often against groups of enemies with different skills. The weapon-switching mechanic and the specials give combat a fluid feel, as Hilda chains different strikes together into powerful combos. The boss battles include a great mix of massive powers and human-sized elite units that meet Hilda on their own level, leading to some amazing final moments in each stage. will star is also easy on the stamina meter, so the player is free to do a lot of flashy moves without the fear of running out.
The biggest problem with will star is its level design, with massive levels that feel empty and uniform in appearance, leading to many running around aimlessly looking for the next section. will star‘ fast travel doesn’t unlock for hours into the game, which is a cardinal sin of game design, as many of the early missions require the player to run back and forth through the same areas. will star would have benefited from a Steelrising-type a compass object that indicates the direction of the next destination, because it’s easy to get lost. Even the hub tier suffers in this regard, with the Shelter being far too large for its intended purpose.
The world and characters in will star has a great design and the cartoonish images match the tone of the story. The problem is that the story in will star is over narrated, with loads of dialogue that you have to click through to get to the point. will star offers multiple choices that affect how the story plays out, but they’re buried under tedious boxes of text that flow endlessly. will star has a flashback mechanic where the player can see ghostly memories of what happened to the inhabitants of Aphes in the past, but even those tend to last for too long.
It is clear that will star takes inspiration from the Souls series, with its own version of the bonfires that heal Hilda and revive all slain enemies. The game never fully commits to the Souls mechanics, as there is no equivalent to losing Souls and having to pick them up, with the only penalty for dying being sent back to the checkpoint. will star does have a harder hard mode, for those looking for a combat challenge that is equivalent to a FromSoftware title, without the frustration of losing progress over time.
will star has a great world design and a combat system that is similar to the Souls series, being faster and more action-oriented. It’s only the exploration elements that let the game down, as the town of Aphes can sometimes feel a little too empty for its own good, and its inhabitants a little too wordy. Those who don’t mind going back and skipping dialogue should be able to see through the gory parts and enjoy will star‘ better points.
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Screen Rant was provided with a digital code for the PC version of the game for the purposes of this review.
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