Savant – Ascent REMIX brings us a revamped take on D-Pad Studio’s 2013 original release, now making the jump to Nintendo Switch. Learn more in our Savant – Ascent REMIX review!
Savant – Ascent REMIX brings us a revamped take on D-Pad Studio’s 2013 original release, now making the jump to Nintendo Switch. This one is a 2D bullet-hell experience in which you’ll go on an adrenaline-filled elevator ride through a robot-infested tower. The game’s soundtrack was created by Aleksander Vinter – a.k.a. Savant – for the title’s 2013 release. And now, more than 10 years later, the game is available on Nintendo’s hybrid console as Savant – Ascent REMIX, which adds some extra content along with an extra bit of polish here and there that make this the definitive version of the hectic but fun twin-stick shooter.
You’ll be taking on the role of the Alchemist, an acrobatic wizard who must do whatever it takes to make it through the tower as you take on a ton of robotic fiends who are up to no good. As you play through stages ripped from Savant’s lyrics, you’ll get to enjoy the hella good soundtrack that accompanies this experience. It’s definitely an “all killer, no filler” scenario since the whole soundtrack – which is available on Steam as a four-disc release – will keep you engaged with this adventure from start to finish.
There are two options for playing through the game’s Story Mode: Classic and REMIX. If you go with Classic, then you’ll be going through the tower as you unlock new abilities that will help you survive the onslaught. You’ll be collecting CDs along the way to gain access to abilities such as Power Shot, which will allow you to launch a huge attack when your Power Meter is full; the Multi Jump, which, as its name suggests, will allow you to perform multiple jumps or backflips in quick succession; or the Ultra Shot, a more powerful version of the Power Shot, to name some examples.
If you go with the REMIX option, then you better be ready for a more hardcore experience! You won’t have access to all abilities, and enemies will also be a bit more aggressive, which definitely makes for a more challenging experience that will test your skills every step of the way. You can also play in Survival Mode, in which you’ll be racing against the clock to try and survive for as long as possible.
In order to tailor your experience with Savant: Ascent REMIX, there are also three difficulty settings to choose from: Easy, Normal, and Hardcore. If you choose Easy, then you’ll be able to take advantage of checkpoints and extra lives. Playing in the Normal difficulty setting will allow you to use checkpoints and extra lives, and your Power Meter will be filled for your run. If you go with Hardcore, then there will be no checkpoints, no extra lives, and the Power Meter starts empty.
Once you rush into action, you’ll be controlling the Alchemist by shooting at enemies with the right analog stick as you dodge by pressing left or right on the left analog stick or the D-Pad as needed. Jump by pressing up on the left analog stick or the D-Pad so that you can avoid incoming attacks by jumping in an arc or to better line up your attacks. When you destroy a chest, quickly press the X button so that you can gain access to the aforementioned additional abilities.
For example, press the R button for your Power Shot once the Power Meter is full. You can fill up your Power Meter more quickly by dodging and defeating enemies. You’ll later gain an ability that will make it possible to spin in place as you build up a ton of energy to fill up your Power Meter – or your Double Power Meter once you collect enough CD pieces to unlock that particular ability. Oh, and every time you collect a CD piece, you’ll also recover one heart of your health! On top of that, destroying a treasure chest will also destroy all enemies in that wave, so if you can break the treasure chest before having to focus on some pesky robots… do it!
Savant – Ascent REMIX brings us a revamped take on D-Pad Studio’s 2013 original release, now making the jump to Nintendo Switch. This one is a 2D bullet-hell experience in which you’ll go on an adrenaline-filled elevator ride through a robot-infested tower. The game’s soundtrack was created by Aleksander Vinter – a.k.a. Savant – for the title’s 2013 release. And now, more than 10 years later, the game is available on Nintendo’s hybrid console as Savant – Ascent REMIX, which adds some extra content along with an extra bit of polish here and there that make this the definitive version of the hectic but fun twin-stick shooter. Savant – Ascent REMIX launches on December 5 with a $9.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Savant – Ascent REMIX review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by D-Pad Studio.
