"A Nosgoth prequel that slides where it should strike"
About
Ascendance is a 2D action platformer set in Nosgoth, the dark fantasy world of the Legacy of Kain series. You move through twelve chapters of side-scrolling combat and vertical traversal, using wall grabs and wing flapping to climb, with vampiric powers feeding into melee against waves of enemies. The campaign hangs on a new central character, Elaleth, whose place in the timeline reframes events from the older games. Progression is limited to basic health and stamina upgrades, and the moveset stays fixed regardless of which character you control. A run lasts roughly three to four hours.
Verdict
Bit Bot Media reached for a beloved name and built a platformer that fights the player at the most basic level. Characters carry a half-second slide after you release the stick, hit detection misfires, and the same combat that opens chapter one is still the combat in chapter twelve. The art, the returning voice cast and the soundtrack deserved a sharper game underneath them. Worse for the faithful, the story bends established lore around Elaleth, a figure most series fans read as an intruder who shrinks Kain and Raziel to make room for herself. What's left is a short, stiff outing held up almost entirely by its presentation.
You'll like it if …
- +you want a short gothic platformer and have no attachment to the original Legacy of Kain canon
- +you forgive loose controls when the pixel art and music are this strong
- +you're curious enough about Nosgoth to sit through a three-hour prequel
You'll dislike it if …
- −you played Soul Reaver or Blood Omen and guard their lore closely
- −responsive platforming and tight hit detection are non-negotiable for you
- −you expect your moveset and options to grow across a campaign
Breakdown
- +a slice of reviewers find the combat flows once you settle into an enemy's rhythm
- −characters carry a noticeable slide after each input, so precise platforming turns into guesswork
- −hit detection misreads contact, and combat repeats the same beats without escalation
- −controls swing between sluggish and outright unresponsive
- +the three-to-four-hour length stays focused and doesn't overstay
- −upgrades amount to basic health and stamina bumps and little else
- −the moveset never changes from chapter one to chapter twelve, whichever character you play
- −no meaningful build choices or reason to return
- +newcomers without series baggage can take it as serviceable prequel setup
- −Elaleth is written as the centre of events long-time fans feel belong to Kain and Raziel
- −the retcon strips the poetic, weighty tone the older scripts were known for
- −the new variable it introduces doesn't slot into the established timeline
- +the pixel art and gothic mood land well
- +the returning original voice cast and the soundtrack are the high point
- +character portrait artwork is a genuine draw
- −facial proportions drift, with mouths nearly touching noses on some portraits
- −at least one player reports the audio mix causing physical headaches
- +no widespread crashing reported
- −no key or controller rebinding, and the options menu is missing basics
- −cutscenes can't be skipped, dead weight on repeat attempts and replays
- −checkpoint-tied softlock bugs can strand a run
- −translation quality slips across languages
score
