I don't know exactly where I first heard about ASTLIBRA Revision, but I remember reading that it was supposed to be an amazing, one-of-a-kind, oldschool JRPG experience. Being curious about this game, I downloaded the demo... and was somewhat disappointed. I didn't really like the visual style at first, and some of the animations looked really stiff and cheap. There wasn't much story to talk of in the demo, either, so I didn't really know what to expect - despite the thousands of positive Steam reviews.

Some time passed, and still had the game on my wishlist, hoping for a good sale so I could give it another chance. Fast forward to January 2025, when the game was on a 25 percent discount. Needless to say, I was eager to give it another try so I went ahead and bought the game.



As soon as I started the game, I realized the demo didn't do the game justice, because so much in terms of gameplay mechanics had to be crammed in a few minutes' worth of play time. The real game, on the other hand, took its time to tell a story and establish gameplay mechanics at a comfortable pace.

Without wanting to spoil anything about the story at all, I can say is that it starts out somewhat slow and personal, and then bit by bit expands the scope of the plot, world, characters and gameplay mechanics, all the while having enough opportunities to play with the player's expectations, sometimes subverting them or leading them down a false path. None of this, however, feels artificial or forced; all aspects of the story fit together organically, which is one of the reasons it all works so well.

If I had to describe the game's plot in a metaphor, it would be that of a large onion: There are layers upon layers, and with each one that is peeled away, tears are going to flow. While there is some comedic relief every now and then, the overall tone and themes in ASTLIBRA are serious, with some downright shocking twists and turns down the road. In most cases, however, the game doesn't keep up the most depressing and hopeless moments for too long, as the main protagonist and his companion usually come up with some kind of plan to turn things around. This theme of never giving up and always fighting for the ones we care about is a common and reoccuring theme throughout the entire game; while there is always a risk of coming across as too cliché, the game mostly pulls it off in a way that works well on an emotional and story-telling level.

All in all I can say that I hugely enjoyed the story throughout the ~70 hours it took me to finish the main game (including all optional content - which is highly recommended, by the way)... Especially considering the game has three subsequent endings: One after finishing chapter 8 of the story, another after finishing the "Final Chapter", and then another one after finishing the Post-Script/Post Story chapter. Yup, there's that onion I was talking about earlier.



As mentioned before, there are some aspects about ASTLIBRA that can be considered oldschool. For example, when you are asked to used a key item in a specific location, the game doesn't necessarily tell you *where* exactly you have to use it. And you always need to select and activate the item manually from your (ever-growing) inventory (or quick-access bar if you put the item there). Additionally, there are a few puzzles that require you to pay attention, both while looking at the screen as well as when listening to certain character's dialogue. However, with the exception of one particularly annoying puzzle in the later half of the game which consists of several parts, these aren't too bad. And if you are really stuck, there are always guides and walkthroughs to help you through.

Another important aspect that needs to be mentioned is the optional content. For example, there are new arena challenges with each chapter of the game (right until the very last), which come with their own unique rewards. I found these arena challenges to be especially hard in the early parts of the game, really struggling during the first two chapters. Afterwards, you should have enough KARON skills to be able to figure out a strategy to make each of these challenges easier.

Speaking of KARON skills, those are passive skills which are acquired by mastering equipment (weapon, shield and armor). Once mastered, you get access to these unique skills and bonuses even without wearing the piece of gear that unlocked the skill, although this costs magic crystals (a resource you keep finding and unlocking throughout the game) for each currently active KARON skill.

Combined with the grow board (a skill/attribute tree that is truly GIGANTIC), tons of equipment, active summon skills (called "possession skills") and various usable items you can tailor the characters attributes and abilities to your particular playstyle, or any given situation. This kind of flexibility is really useful at lower difficulty levels (I finished the game on "Easy"), but most definitely necessary to make optimal use of on higher difficulty levels, such as hard or impossible.

Going back to the optional content, the game kind of expects you to finish it at some point - ideally as early as you can manage. Some of the best equipment can only be gained by beating a bunch of secret bosses, and there is even a hidden sidequest that requires you to gather all weapons, shields and armor, rewarding you with the (second) most powerful weapon in the game (potentially only outranked by a weapon you can gain in the very last hours of the post-story chapter).



ASTLIBRA Revision has a theme of one-upping itself again and again. The story and world? Just whenever you think you know what's going on, something happens that shows you that you know nothing, Jon Snow. And the same is true with the gameplay; in fact, the very final chapter of the game introduce a whole new gameplay mechanic that isn't even hinted at previously! And it does so in a way that is meaningful and "just works" without too much of a hassle.



If you enjoy side-scrolling action-JRPGs, you owe it to yourself to give ASTLIBRA Revision a chance. Especially if you are an oldschool gamer, growing up with games that give you obscure hints to solve strange puzzles (looking at you, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest!). Just be prepared to be hit... right in the feels. But in the end, I promise... It's gonna be a journey unlike any other.