A mobile anime RPG without gacha? Ex Astris is a premium game with an addictive combat system
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SHOULD I PLAY EX ASTRIS?
If you have a phone powerful enough to run it, you should absolutely pick it up. Ex Astris is a brand-new mobile RPG from the creators of Arknights. It’s got everything you could want from an anime RPG—lovable characters, great combat, and a beautiful world—but there’s no gacha and no microtransactions. It’s refreshing to play a mobile title that’s not designed around monetization beyond the initial price to buy it, and if you’re into these kinds of games, it’s definitely worth paying for.
TIME PLAYED
So far, I’ve sunk six hours into Ex Astris, which was enough time to unlock four of the five playable characters. I’ve battled all kinds of enemies, including some terrifying bosses, and after tough fights, I’ve recovered by taking naps and cooking meals in my spacious traveling coach. I’ve also had a chance to explore a wide range of environments, craft up some staff-boosting items, and learn more about the game’s strange sci-fi world.
WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT EX ASTRIS?
• Fun, challenging combat. Ex Astris blends turn-based combat with elements of a real-time battle system, and the result is incredibly engaging. During my turn, I could select a character’s avatar to have them unleash an attack. That sounds simple enough, but if I chose the right attacks at the right time, I could chain character skills and unleash powerful combos. These combos could be devastating, and it was extremely satisfying to pull one off.
Of course, the fun didn’t stop when my turn was over. During the enemy’s turn, I could press buttons to block or parry incoming attacks, which allowed me to shield myself from damage and exploit enemy weak points. This system is all about timing, so I had to give every battle my full attention. Learning enemy attack patterns wasn’t always easy, but it felt amazing to take down an enemy without letting them get in a single hit.
• Gorgeous visuals. Ex Astris has a fantastic-looking cast of characters, but it also takes place in an absolutely stunning sci-fi world. The locations I explored were surprisingly varied, and every area was filled with details that made the world feel more alive. Sometimes I’d notice a flock of birds flying off in the distance, or a rushing waterfall at the top of the mountain. Traveling is a big part of Ex Astris, and visiting new locations was always a blast.
• Innovative cooking and crafting systems. Lots of RPGs these days include cooking and crafting, but Ex Astris uses these features in an interesting way. Cooking and eating a meal gave my party a status boost, which is pretty standard, but I wasn’t limited to preparing one dish at a time. I was able to serve my main course with appetizers and side dishes, which allowed me to combine different effects and give my party the buffs they needed.
• Crafting meets inventory management. So far, I’ve only been able to craft one type of item in Ex Astris, but this seemingly simple system has tons of depth. Status-boosting accessories can be woven at a loom and can be made in different shapes. Once crafted, these shapes are placed on a small grid. The more efficient your placement is, the more items you can equip. I love this sort of inventory management, and I can’t wait to use my organizational skills to make my characters absolute powerhouses.
WHAT SUCKS ABOUT EX ASTRIS?
• Tutorial overload. There are a lot of tutorials in the early sections of Ex Astris, and after a while, it got to be too much. Sometimes I’d get an in-depth explanation for a mechanic that I wouldn’t use again for another hour or so, which meant I forgot everything I learned. There are in-game notes that explain every feature, so I could check them when I needed a refresher, but I wish the tutorials were doled out at a more reasonable pace.
• The translation could use some polishing. Ex Astris doesn’t have any major translation errors, but strangely structured sentences and awkward dialogue made it difficult to get into the game’s story. It takes place in a world where humans have discovered a new planet completely different from our own. It’s a fascinating setup, but I had trouble keeping track of everything that was going on. Currently, Ex Astris doesn’t have English voice acting, so I’m hopeful that the writing will be cleaned up if they add voice-overs at some point in the future.
PLATFORM TESTED
iOS via iPhone SE 3. If you want to see if it'll run on your phone, you can check the recommended specs here.
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