REVIEW — This is an Early Access game. That is why the score is only there out of necessity, and it reflects nothing more than the game’s current state. According to the developers, this build represents only about one-third of the final product, so whatever opinion we have of Winter Crow Studios’ game right now will almost certainly not fully hold up later on.

And here comes another disclaimer: the full release is expected sometime between October and December, so the final version is still a little way off.

Another Metroidvania on the horizon

The game is evolving as the developers continue working on it. For example, the intro has already been revised, and voice acting has also been added. Even in this version, it already feels fairly substantial. You can safely say, even at this stage, that the developers are clearly passionate about nearly every aspect of the project. The music will definitely be one of FTTA’s strongest points, especially the background tracks used during boss fights, which feel energetic and memorable. And that description does not apply only to the soundtrack, because the combat itself also feels lively and dynamic. Considering the game is still in development, it already appears properly polished.

Since boss fights were mentioned, at first we may not have much idea what exactly we are supposed to do in a given moment, but we gradually learn what the game expects from us. It manages to do this without becoming frustrating or annoying. The graphics are not hyper-impressive on a technical level, but let’s be honest: that is not something we should necessarily expect from an indie studio that sought funding for the project through Kickstarter. The art style, however, absolutely has the power to pull players in. It looks distinctly colorful, and even though the full release is still at least half a year away, it already feels refined, including in terms of animation. The world feels alive and full of elements that do not initially look interactive, but actually are. It is somewhat impressive just how much attention to detail the developers are showing. Even your companion can be selected, and Winter Crow Studios has built an entire system around that.

It never becomes overly complicated, which lets us focus on our own preferred approach, since different solutions can emerge depending on how we play. And as mentioned before, there is voice acting too. And it is good. It does not feel forced or artificial. How many times have we seen a game that looked good and played well, only for the voice acting to drag it down? Even if it is a slightly exaggerated example, 1996’s Resident Evil was like that too—although in its case, it was so bad that it somehow became good. After all of this, it is genuinely worth wondering just how strong FTTA might become by the end. It is not impossible that it could end up being one of the year’s success stories alongside Grand Theft Auto VI, because almost everything and everyone will inevitably be talking about Rockstar’s game… though let’s be honest, despite what Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick may think, there are people who simply do not care about GTA VI.

It’s fun to play

Considering how far away release still is, the game already feels strong in almost every area. The map is not exactly the best part, to put it mildly. It would probably improve a lot if they added a character icon to it. It serves its purpose, but hopefully the developers are still planning to refine it. Enemies can be staggered, and while the backstep system felt a bit odd at first, good timing allows for satisfying counterattacks. And importantly, the game is not merciless. In many other Metroidvanias, perfection is expected from players almost immediately; here, the emphasis is more on enjoying the atmosphere, the story—which also seems quite promising at this point—and the gameplay itself.

The hand-drawn art style and the balance between mood and challenge are definite strengths. But there are weaker elements too: the game seems particularly stingy with its currency. Maybe Winter Crow Studios will still adjust that, and it probably should, because right now it feels somewhat problematic. Fast travel also costs money. Sure, it is understandable that the game does not want players to become too comfortable, but this already feels like overdoing it a bit. That probably could have been handled differently. And one more thing: the developers are from the Philippines, and perhaps that is why a few spelling mistakes made it into the game. There were some typos, and with certain NPCs you sometimes have to stand in an overly precise spot in order to interact with them.

This is going to be good

So far, Fallen Tear: The Ascension has taken every chance it could to rise toward the level of games like Ori or Bastion. It still has flaws, but even in its current state it deserves an 8/10. And here we have to stress again that this is an EARLY ACCESS title, so ideally the rating box should be left out entirely—but, by obligation, it will still be sitting a few hundred pixels below. All we can really hope is that Grand Theft Auto VI will not overshadow the success this game deserves—though perhaps not everyone is waiting on Rockstar Games’ next cash cow with bated breath.

-V-

Developer: Winter Crow Studios
Publisher: CMD Studios
Release date: March 17, 2026 (Early Access!)
Genre: Metroidvania