Ascendancy

Genre:

Strategy

Year:

1995

Developer:

Logic Factory, The

Publisher:

Softgold Computerspiele

Perspective:

Isometric, Other

Theme:

Sci-Fi / Futuristic, Turn-based, Space

Releases:

DOS (1995)

Also known as:

Ascendancy: Macht der Allmacht, Ascendancy: De Galactische Uitdaging

Ascendancy is a cosmic strategy game that, in its time—and perhaps even today—was considered one of the best in the genre. From the start, players are likely to be captivated by the pleasing music, which remains engaging for a very long time, leading one to wonder whether it was recorded by a live orchestra or generated by a computer. The game features excellent graphics for its era, showcasing beautifully drawn planet surfaces and detailed buildings and ships. An unprecedented number of races, each well visualized, add spice to the game with their so-called special features. Each race has one, and these traits can dramatically change the course of the game in the player's favor (e.g., stealing technology from the Dubtaks, accelerating building with the Nimbuloids, etc.). The great design of the spaceships is truly a visual feast, and coupled with the ship construction feature—where the player arms and equips the ship themselves—we have another aspect that perhaps has not yet been surpassed in scope. The ability to set the size of the universe at the beginning of the game, which can be quite vast, and to determine the behavior of your opponents, is incredibly useful. The game also boasts an incredibly long technological tree, which arguably has no parallel so far. The only aspect that might draw criticism is the less sophisticated intelligence of computer-controlled opponents. However, the so-called Antagonizer was subsequently released, effectively a patch that enhances the intelligence of the opponents.