Ascension.exe

First impression

I start with the Linux version. No settings, no menu. While trying to tab out, I can see that the game aggressively holds my cursor and doesn’t let me access anything ony my desktop while the game is open. I guess I have to commit to it

My first two deaths

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvaoquFkZWQ

Its nice that all the controls are shown in the beginning. The way makes it clear where I have to head towards. It is confusing that I’m lead into a building but my task is to destroy a stone shrine. First I missed the main room in the building, the hole. So I was lost. Then I found the hole and… fell in. In my second playthrough I interacted with the hole and I just died. Not really a fun mechanic

The playthrough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjqH7cl5TlA

It took me additional 5:30 minutes (after dying twice) to finally being accidentally on the right track. It feels very good to not be completely lost anymore and the journal helps with the step by step manual. Then I get the quest to collect 7 poster and I’m feeling dread. More walking aimlessly. It goes on kinda well. When finding the poster on the table I have a choice. Do I walk towards the light on the left (maybe the broken stones) or the random tree on the right, which maybe is just an off area tree under a lampshade? I give a try with the tree and it went well. Feeling relieved. Doing the burning in the house goes all smootly. Sitting at the computer now. I like that it asks me if I want to proceed and I genuinely state “No”. I’m not sure about the consequences of my actions but it lets me proceed. The way out was a bit tense but ending was still quite abrupt but still well implemented.

Overall thoughts

I’ve spent a lot of time being lost and wandering around very slowly. I saw some visual cues but finding them involved the walking anyway. I read the game page after playing the game and saw the credits (4 people team?) and some hints for the game