Astor: Blade of the Monolith Review

There was something about Astor: Blade of the Monolith that caught my attention back when it was initially revealed under the name Monolith: Requiem of the Ancients. Sure, I’d played many fast-paced action titles before, but this one showed promise! As developer C2 Game Studio’s debut outing on PC and consoles, is this an enjoyable Action RPG? Or should the developer have stuck to mobile games?

Astor: Blade of the Monolith takes us on a journey across the planet of Gliese, a once-peaceful land ruled by a technologically advanced race known as the Makers. Now, plagued with vicious beings known as the Hiltsik, the remaining citizens of Gliese wait in the hope that the Makers will one day return or that a hero will rise to bring them salvation.

The game opens with our protagonist, Astor, and their friend Zan exploring an old Maker temple, where they stumble across some sort of prophecy relating to a hero who will reawaken the Makers. Three guesses as to who that might be? Well, it doesn’t take long for Astor to be bestowed with a fancy new sword and some flashy abilities. Just in time, as the Hiltsik are here to cause havoc! Zan then concludes that Astor is “The Chosen” spoken of in the prophecy, and the two set out to figure out what to do with this newfound strength.

Honestly, the story isn’t all that engaging. Having Astor as a silent protagonist, replying to conversations with shrugs and nods is a little jarring. It felt like the plot was almost an afterthought as the pacing feels rushed in places, which is a shame given just how much world-building could’ve gone into such a fascinating fantasy land.

Whilst Blade of the Monolith does have its own individual style, I was often reminded of a few Legend of Zelda games in its design. That’s not to say it’s an obvious rip-off, because it isn’t, but the unique character designs and mythical environments are reminiscent of the pointy-eared hero and his journeys across Hyrule. Let’s not spend time comparing the two, though, as whilst this title may not be super detailed, the varied world is a joy to explore, from ancient ruins to the frozen tundras, every location is bright and colourful. Likewise, the creatures of Gliese are all interestingly designed, and though there may not be a wide variety (particularly when it comes to enemy types), these masked, pupil-less characters are full of charm!

Audio felt rather minimalistic, but not in a bad way. Characters aren’t fully voiced, only offering the occasional word or grunt, although the narrator that occasionally chimes in makes me feel like I’m listening to a fairytale audiobook. Quite soothing! The music also evokes a feeling of tranquillity and definitely fits the overall aesthetics very well. Overall, it’s a style I wish more games would go with, and although I previously mentioned being reminded of Zelda, I also thought back to games like Fable and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

From a technical standpoint, Blade of the Monolith is rather average. There are a lot of noticeable clipping issues with both scenery and characters, with some seemingly hovering a few inches off the ground. Once or twice I was forced to skip a cutscene or restart entirely after a conversation wouldn’t trigger, leaving both Astor and the NPC stood locked in place. During combat, there were times when locking onto an enemy and attempting to attack them resulted in Astor swinging towards the screen instead, despite what direction I pushed the left stick in. Then, whilst not a technical issue rather than an odd design choice, each enemy defeated results in a very jarring black-and-white effect on screen, which had me thinking I’d been killed until I finally got used to it!

During your adventures with Astor, you’ll mainly be hacking and slashing your way through enemy encounters and a good number of interesting boss fights. And though this is fun for the most part, it’s not flawless. You’ve got your basic light and heavy attacks as well as block, parry, and dodge defensive manoeuvres. It works fine, if a bit floaty, and the four different weapons feel different enough to make it worth swapping what you have equipped depending on the enemy you’re up against.

In addition to the basic combat, you’ll learn a wide variety of skills as you progress. These very quickly improve the combat mechanics by adding air combos, parry finishers, and so much more. Then there’s also runic powers that can really help against a swarm of tougher opponents, and they look great in action. It all blends together to create a surprisingly enjoyable and diverse combat system, with it opening up the more you play.

Exploring such a vibrant, varied world was perhaps my favourite part of Blade of the Monolith. There are lots of side quests to take on and secrets to uncover, with the latter making use of an ability that shifts you into the spirit realm. This can uncover hidden doors, rebuild ruined bridges, and other such things. There isn’t much straying off the beaten track, which is a shame because this is a world just begging to be explored.

Overall, whilst I wasn’t blown away by Astor: Blade of the Monolith, it was nevertheless an enjoyable hack-and-slash with a lot of charm. Though the first hour or so may not leave a great first impression, sticking with it just that little bit longer opens up a robust and satisfying combat system that is sure to keep fans of the genre satisfied. I’d definitely like to see more of the world of Gliese and get a deeper understanding of the lore, but as the developer's first foray into the world of PC and console gaming, it’s a decent title!