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Astral Ascent Arrives on the Epic Games Store

Astral Ascent is a 2D platformer roguelite from the French studio Hibernian Workshop, and its PC version is now part of the Epic Games Store catalogue. The game left early access in November 2023, after a development stretch that began in April 2022.

Players choose one of four heroes and try to break out of the Garden, an astral prison guarded by twelve bosses known as the Zodiacs. Runs blend side-scrolling platforming with quick combat, and each hero unlocks dozens of spells that can be combined into different builds. Death is part of the loop, and every attempt feeds into a stronger next run.

Hibernian Workshop is based in Angoulême, France, and publishes the game alongside MP2 Games. Reviews have been strong, with an 86 on Metacritic, a 92 critic score and 90 user score on IGDB, and an 84 average on OpenCritic. It will appeal most to players who enjoy repeating short runs, experimenting with spell combinations, and learning boss patterns.

On the Epic Games Store, the promotion is a free-to-keep giveaway rather than a free weekend or a permanent free-to-play release, so a copy added during the offer stays in the library. The main theme was composed by Dale North, with vocals from Emi Evans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Astral Ascent support co-op?

Yes. The game includes a two-player co-op mode, so a second player can join a run alongside the single-player option.

Is Astral Ascent available on other platforms?

It launched in November 2023 for PC, Mac and Linux through Steam, and also arrived on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.