2024 | D-Pad Studio | Nintendo Switch
Disclaimer;
Received game key for free from the developer. This is not a sponsored review, all opinions are my own.
Around this time of the year in 2023 I had the opportunity to sit down with one of the developers from D-Pad Studio to do a playthrough on my livestream of their game; Owlboy. Now, almost a year later, I have had the opportunity to not only get an early look at the Switch release of Savant – Ascent REMIX, but to also assist in testing the pre-release build. I’ve been a huge fan of the work that D-Pad Studio has been putting in their games, with Owlboy holding a special place in my heart (read the review here). I’ve played the original 2013 release extensively over the years as part of my frequent need to play a shoot ‘m up (the Raiden V review being the previous time I craved a foray into this genre). I loved the original game, and loved the PC release of REMIX, but how does the Switch port fare?
This review is based on the release build, and not my experiences with the beta tests.
The Alchemist gets thrown off of his tower as an orb explodes. Now he has to climb back to the top facing an army of robotic enemies. The story of Savant – Ascent REMIX isn’t the most complicated. You fall off of your tower and have to take the elevator back to the top floor. The catch, however, is that a horde of enemies has swarmed the bottom floors. You have to protect yourself and the elevator from a variety of flying drills, sharks, Beyblades and immortal samurai as you shoot your way back to the top. Savant – Ascent REMIX is a remaster of the original 2013 release that provides a massive visual overhaul and a few new modes to play around with, mainly the REMIX mode. The twin stick shooter originally came to be as a collaborative effort between D-Pad and the music artist Aleksander “Savant” Vinter. The collaboration started before the release, when one of the original members of D-Pad, Jo-Remi Madsen, got in touch with Vinter for permission to use a song for a project. After Simon Andersen, the future art director of the dev team, and Madsen started working on the earliest concepts of Owlboy, they got together with Vinter and developed a prototype for D-Pad’s Vikings on Trampolines. From there they started talking about Andersen doing the art and logo for two of Vinter’s albums. The team at D-Pad Studio took the music and wrapped a beautifully designed twin stick shooter around Vinter’s music, with Andersen providing his absolutely stellar pixel art based on some of the work he did on two of Savant’s albums, eventually leading to an old prototype shoot ‘m up getting reworked as a full fledged game. Savant – Ascent served as a multimedia project that expands on the original music album and provides the art with a story. The game was originally developed as a mobile game on a strict deadline, with the Steam release being relatively unintentional. The game ended did surprisingly well after release.
Following the release of Owlboy, D-Pad Studio started working on new projects, after testing a few ideas their focus landed on finishing Vikings on Trampolines as their next release. During the pandemic, the team had to shift gears away from the couch co-op game to focus on something to release in the interim. An adventure mode was in the works to provide players with a single player mode to enjoy, however with the shift in the way that promoting games through social media they had to find a project to help promote their works. So focus shifted to re-releasing Savant – Ascent with additional content. Madsen was responsible for moving the game over to a new engine and Andersen took this opportunity to redraw some of the cutscenes to flesh them out. Vinter joined the team as well and provided the game with a new custom soundtrack. They expanded on the Endless mode from the original release, which translated to the newly included REMIX mode. The cameo bosses also got a bit more of spotlight and with the new engine came redesigned stages. The original intent was to make this version of the game the “Anniversary Edition“, but with the extra time the team ended up adding everything they couldn’t with the original release, remixing the game.
Savant – Ascent REMIX threads a fine line between an all encompassing adrenaline rush similar to playing shoot ‘m ups, while still maintaining a solid level of accessibility. Much like most shoot ‘m ups, the game is relatively short, clocking in at a maximum of 30 minutes on a single uninterrupted run. This allows players to fully commit their attention to that single condensed, action packed moment without feeling overwhelmed or fatigued. Most of the enemy formations are designed around the beat of the music, and as such it becomes really easy to memorize the small segments based on the song. It adds a layer to the game that adds both a bit of complexity and simplicity. Rather than presenting the excellent soundtrack as a support piece for the gameplay, it seamlessly blends the two together. This made internalizing patterns of enemies a lot easier to do, simply by listening to the song. The soundtrack provides the game with a solid beat to breathe to.
Unlike most twin stick shooters, Savant – Ascent REMIX only offers limited movement. As you’re ascending the tower, you’re constantly jumping, dodging and weaving between two platforms. Like with most shoot ‘m up games, you’re frequently faced with patterns of enemy groups. The limited movement allows players to easily get used to and learn these patterns, as well as pull of some flashy backflips while they do. In Classic Mode you can unlock different permanent upgrades by collecting pieces of a vinyl record across the 5 different stages. These range from a powered up shot, to a collection of chains that you can use to reel in enemies, to outright stealing enemy abilities. The added powers add a layer to the gameplay that makes Savant – Ascent REMIX an incredibly fun and addictive experience. Classic Mode also features a more challenging pool of enemies to fend off. From enemies shielded by bubbles, to enemies that can’t be hit by anything other than your power shot. It provides a neat level of strategizing and resource management. You unlock different abilities by blowing up flying chests (which also function as screen clearing bombs), each of these chests contains a piece of a vinyl record that, when combined, unlock a brand new ability to use against the bosses.
The REMIX Mode overhauls the original formula and makes some of the unlockable abilities available from the start. From the moment you start the first stage, you now have access to your multi-jump, spin-dash and power shot. To give you an extra challenge, this mode allows you to power up based on your score chain. The more enemies you kill within a certain time limit, the higher your combo counter goes, and the stronger the Alchemist gets. The Alchemist will change color going from blue to green, all the way to disco fever form. Each form adds a little bit to your arsenal. Some form will allow you to track enemies with your shots, and the disco form allows you to deal incredible amounts of damage to your enemies. It’s an incredibly addictive game mode that incentivizes you to really learn the most optimal ways to dispatch enemies. During boss fights you can maintain your score by hitting the boss. It doesn’t add anything to your score counter, but you get to carry your form into the next stage. It left me hungry for another run around the block to see just how far I could take this combo counter, even after 1cc-ing (1 credit clear) the game. It’s a process that I’ve only ever experienced in shoot ‘m ups and fighting games. You start a game completely out of your depth and slowly start to learn small steps until you are fully in control of what happens on screen. And for those that feel like they’ve been around the block one too many times, there’s the Survival Mode. This mode pits you against an ever ticking clock that shoots out waves of enemies. This mode also features a new selection of bosses that provide you with an extra challenge.
The Switch version of the game comes with a few tweaks that allow you to get the same snappy experience that you can get from the PC version, but it does have a few caveats. While the game feels incredible when played with a Pro Controller, or a controller with a lot of carry on the joystick, the same can’t be said for the Joy-Con. This is more of a personal preference since I have quite large hands, so most games in handheld mode come with a slight level of discomfort. The aiming still feels snappy and responsive, but will, on very small occasions, stay locked onto an enemy. The auto-aim sometimes has a mind of its own and will cause you to shoot into the void if you hold the button for too long. Both these issues are generally solved by either putting the joystick back to neutral or re-pressing the auto-aim button. I do hope that we can get the option for button mapping in the future to allow players to create their own button layouts. The Switch version does look absolutely stunning in both handheld and docked mode, and delivers a smooth and solid performance on both. If you’re looking for a shoot ‘m up to accompany your commute, then look no further.
Savant – Ascent REMIX is a great stepping stone for those that are looking to delve into the genre of shoot ‘m ups. It avoids a lot of the pitfalls that are present within the genre, like a screen that’s densely populated with colored balls, and condenses it to a very refined distillation that still keeps it accessible and challenging at the same time. By having the player shackled to two spots, it takes away the amount of options you have to think about when you’re watching curtains of projectile flying in your general direction. It makes it easier to really learn patterns, as well as find the best ways to move around them. The bosses are fantastically designed around this concept and they’re presented with a few different attack patterns that create a sort of rhythm when fighting them. Combine that with a beautiful visual presentation to satiate the ocular palette, and an adrenaline pumping soundtrack, and you’ve got yourself an incredibly solid experience. I’ve played the original version of this game off and on for many years now, and I’m feeling like this version will provide me with many more years of excellent elevator action. Savant – Ascent REMIX is a fantastic game for newcomers and fans of the genre alike.
Interstellar dance-off/10
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A big thank you to Simon Andersen for providing some additional background information on the game! The game is available on PC right now and releases on December 5th for Nintendo Switch.
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