I bought the game in one of the Gamersgate sales. It cost $9.99 and it was one of the best buys that I made in the last months. It is a mix of RPG with turn-based strategy. The story, although pretty linear, it is very good and well written. The graphics are not top of the notch but very satisfactory. There are a few bugs but nothing that prevents you from playing the game to the end. The battles are very well balanced. The controls are simple. The worst thing in the game is that it is a little bit short, but other than this it was a great game.If you like turn-based games, this is the game for you even paying the regular price ($29.99) it is worth to buy.

This is quite good game but has no manual, so for your convenience I post here shortcut keys I found :) General ------- LMB click: Interaction with NPC or object (Move/Fight in Battle mode) RMB hold: Free Look Mouse wheel up: Zoom In Mouse wheel down: Zoom Out Esc: Menu (Save/Load/Options/Exit) Pause (toggle): Pause Game Print Screen: Screen Shot Num 0 (hold): 3D Map Num 7: Music volume down Num 9: Music volume up Num 4: Effect volume down Num 6: Effect volume up Num 1: Ambient volume down Num 3: Ambient volume up Adventure mode -------------- W: Move Forward S: Move Backward A: Move Left D: Move Right Z: Zoom In Q: Zoom Out M: Map U: Units I: Inventory & Status B: Magic Book J: Journal & Quest Log F5: Quick Save F8: Quick Load Battle mode ----------- N: Skip Turn E: Wait G (toggle): Show Grid +CAMERA W: Move Forward S: Move Backward A: Move Left D: Move Right Space bar: Reset Position ## How to split a group of units ## In the Units' window, you can split units by drag & drop them into empty slot by LMB with holding Shift key.

This game is good and enjoyable but not excellent. In a way it felt to me almost like a warm up effort for another of 1c's very enjoyable games, king's bounty: the legend. Ascension is a strategy game that just throws you into the midst of a world and expects you to figure it out. You can easily get yourself killed in the first five minutes by getting into the wrong fights or even by being too stupid in the opening dialog. The first section of the game when you are building your strength and discovering the world is immensely enjoyable. I think the lack of a decent tutorial or a manual is in some ways lamentable, but to me it also added to the fun of discovering the world for myself. Unfortunately, I found that about 1/3 to 1/2 way through the game, I broke the system and everything became immensely easy. At first, I saved before every combat because they were deadly things that could cripple or defeat my army every time. After the midpoint mentioned, I never needed to save again, because if a battle went badly it meant I lost a single man. The game has many strengths, such as a fun combat system and an interesting world, but also quite a few weaknesses, such as poor characterization and RPG elements (your character can only grow in 4 stats when he gains a level, and one of them is pretty worthless), some poorly documented quests, and a lack of balance in the combat system that causes combat to become too easy later in the game. Also, bonus stat gains are given based on how you act, and in my opinion the best stat gains are given for making your character act like an arrogant garbage pile. Apparently this makes people respect you and your leadership grows.

I just finished this game from beginning to end. Total playing time approximately 30 hours. It tells a story and is fairly linear so don't count on replayability. There is no manual, and no tutorial but the mechanics are fairly simple so this is not a large oversight. I got no sound in my game except for cutscenes which was an annoying feature/bug (not sure which).

Once you get past all that however, both the turn-based strategy and the RPG elements are top-notch. I found the game very enjoyable and had a great time playing it. The armies you control keep getting bigger and more exotic at such a rate that I never felt the battles getting repetitious or boring. Even at 30 hours I consider this a great software value.

Some tips on play might be in order. The beginning of the game is one of the hardest I have ever seen and the game gets progressively easier after that, though never too easy. When you start make sure you do the quest with the troll first since it is the easiest. Also, make sure you click on the army button (shield in lower right) and move all of your named (unique) heroes to the back row so they don't die instantly on the first round of the next battle. The rewards you get for all shrines, treasure chests, and quests you complete are based on your current level so don't be in a hurry to find all the loot first. Do any battles you can in an area first then scour the area for hidden treasures. Rings that add speed are essential for victory in the midgame and end-game. That should get your through the game without a hitch. Oh and save after every battle for at least the first few hours. The game is hard and I experienced a program crash approximately once every 5 hours of play.