By Andrew Webster, an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
ASTRA: Knights of Veda Preview – Art meets melee in this beautiful 2D hack and slash adventure
07.09.2023 - 13:41 / thesixthaxis.com
Things are not going well in the kingdom of Planis. Once a thriving, bustling place, it’s now teetering on the edge of destruction as a lethal plague devastates its populace and its mad king Magnus watches the destruction unfold. You’re chosen by the goddess Veda to save this world, and alongside the other Knights of Veda you must set things right, battling against the forces of evil in order to restore Planis and set its people free.
We have to talk about the visuals when discussing Astra: Knights of Veda. This is a beautiful 2D RPG, and one that brings to mind the decade old Dragon’s Crown with its bold, hand-painted style and hack and slash gameplay. It feels as though you’re watching paintings come to life, and that extends from the central characters up to the bosses that you’ll face. During our hands-on at this year’s Gamescom, I asked developer FLINT how they created such impressive visuals: “the best artists of Seoul in Korea came together, that’s why the artwork is so brilliant,” they replied.
We were able to experience the opening of the story mode, with animated cutscenes setting the tale in motion. These look fantastic, mixing artwork and motion in an evocative way. You’re sailing into battle, setting landfall with the army host.
You’re dropped straight into the midst of this brutal battle, with the defenders decimating your attacking forces. Still, you’re able to make your way to the castle walls and climb the battlements, even when many of your fellow soldiers are cowering behind the walls. You’re then put straight to work, and here the feeling of Dragon’s Crown becomes even stronger, with hack and slash action the order of the day. Alongside your standard attack you have a series of skills which are on cool-down. Alongside your regular combos there’s a parry and shield effect which creates spinning shields around your character, and a powerful charge attack which does a serious amount of damage.
You wade through enemy soldiers until you come across Frederick, a giant, gladiator helmeted enemy with a huge hammer who is intent on putting an end to you. There’s a focus here on dodging, and it feels as though there’s a hint of Dark Souls energy about both the combatant and the way you need to take him down. Things seem to be going well, but then he slams you to the floor with a heavy blow that looks as though it’ll mean your end. At the end of this section you’re saved in the nick of time by the enigmatic Edward, who gives you a nonchalant nod having just impaled someone. He seems pretty strong.
You don’t last all that much longer though, with your quest seemingly cut short at the very outset with your death. However, it’s here that Veda, the Goddess of War, steps in and calls you into her
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