Savant – Ascent REMIX will have you scaling a robot-infected tower while jamming out to some very great tunes.
Developed and published by D-Pad Studio, a small team from Norway with a keen interest in pixel art and creating games such as OwlBoy, a story-driven platformer where you can explore and fly in a world set in the sky. Along with Savant – Ascent REMIX – An adrenaline-fueled indie, action elevator ride up a tower infested with enemy robots of different shapes and sizes.
Starting in Savant – Ascent REMIX, you are introduced to the game through a short yet epic cutscene with your character being thrown out of the very top of the tower. Watching it all unfold as you come crashing in through another window with some already sick beats, this would be where you learn how to play in the tutorial, where all your mechanics will be explained. Pay close attention, as this will make the game harder or easier for some players.
With the basics of Savant – Ascent REMIX, such as aiming with your mouse cursor and holding down your left mouse button, you will start to shoot in the desired direction at the first target, an angry-looking bot. Though there’s nothing to worry about, while you’re in training, bots will not engage or hurt you… That only comes after training.
When loading your first shot, it will release a blast of bullets and then shift into a stream of single shots. When you stop shooting, you will recharge your shot, and upon releasing it again, you will give another burst of bullets while continuing to hold the mouse button. This gives you a steady stream in a straight line, so aiming is very important, and you’ll need to make sure to keep track of what’s happening on your screen as it’s about to get hectic.
After having mastered shooting and burst shooting, your next step will be to master rolling between two spots, which can be used with either your left or right arrow button or just the A and D keys on the keyboard. Pressing W or the up arrow on your keyboard will allow your character to jump between the two spots, though your character is limited to moving to and from. Savant – Ascent REMIX also offers you a double jump, which can turn into a triple jump when necessary.
Savant – Ascent REMIX’s Next tutorial would be the power shot, an attack so powerful it can wipe through stacks of enemies, though as powerful as this shot is, it doesn’t last forever. Each shot you fire will decrease a charge bar at the bottom of your screen, though it can be recharged through basic attacks or taking down some of the more serious bots.
Each section of the power bar does have its own unique shot, and when full, it will allow you to fire four powerful lasers, though each shot decreases how much you can fire. So, be careful to save the most important shots for the harder fights ahead.
Once you have completed the tutorial phase of the game, prepare as your ascent up the tower begins now. Bots of all shapes and sizes will come at you from many different directions, some will spin at you while others will launch fire shots at you. Sadly, staying in the same spot for too long can also get you killed, as some bots will also close the distance to you. On the plus side, destroying bots will also net you a score, so the more you kill, the higher your total score.
As you ascend to the top of the tower, you will come across the first big, bad known as Vario, a masked figure that comes out of a fractured-looking orb. Good timing and timed power shots will be your best friend in this part of the tower as Vario will pop up where you least expect him, trying to crash onto you as if he were a rock version of Mario. After darting towards you, you’ll need to successfully dodge to get a little present from him in the form of a cube. However, it doesn’t stay there for very long, so you’ll need to shoot them as soon as they appear.
While you’re under attack from Vario, you must keep in mind that the orb he came from is your main priority, and destroying it will end the battle between you and Vario. You’ll get a cutscene of your character picking up Vario’s mask, though it vanished before your eyes, and the tower you’re trapped in simply grows. Having lost what little hope there was, you’ll once again have to ascend further up the tower to the Assembly.
Through the ascent of this tower, you will have to face scores of robots hellbent on stopping you; they’ll take on many different shapes and sizes, all with their unique abilities and tricks to try and end your run. Timing and dodging are key to your survival, but so are bullets and odd chests with wings. These chests will give you one of two things.
The first item you have a chance of getting from these winged chests will be parts of what look like records; yeah, the old vinyl records, but these come in gold. Each piece of record will fully recharge your power shot and also give you some much-needed health.
Upon destroying one of these flying loot boxes, any enemies around will also go down as the box gives off a massive explosion that destroys any nearby bots while leaving you safe and filled up for the next wave of crazy. With each vinyl found, a new song is unlocked in the new levels.
While each level has its own unique song, if you happen to like a song, head into the pause menu and change the song from the playlist. Each song has its unique beat and rhythms. You can hop, bounce, and fight to your own style, making the destruction even more fun and chaotic.
With your elevator ride pulling you in different directions, or rather angles, you will sometimes need to adjust your strategy on the fly while having to face long-range and short-range bots, or even bots that want to cut the chains of your elevator. You’ll have to stop them at all costs. The game features a 90s arcade feel to it.
Dying while in a run, although tedious, isn’t the end, as you’ll also find out soon. You’ll find checkpoints as you progress, and these are where you’ll get to continue where you left off if you die. So, at least you won’t have to start over again and go through an endless struggle.
The characters and environments are phenomenal, with animations being smooth and immersive. The music is phenomenal, keeping you focused on the tasks at hand while wanting to shake and rock to the music. You’ll find yourself losing if you start getting lost in the music, this is because you might end up just enjoying the music instead of fighting.
Overall, Savant – Ascent REMIX really is a game worth playing with killer music, awesome vibes, and challenges to keep you busy for hours. Savant – Ascent REMIX really is a nostalgic game that’ll remind people of old arcade games, and the retro designs just add another layer on top. With some really good music and a lot to destroy, this could be your next favorite, too.
