Savant - Ascent
Savant - Ascent
Game
Game2023
Savant - Ascent REMIX
Developer D-Pad Studio
Savant - Ascent REMIX is an explosive shoot-em-up / scrolling shooter, starring an acrobatic wizard on an elevator-ride. Unlock destructive spells & acrobatic moves as you survive through a tower brimming with robotic fiends! From the Steam store page
202 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 31, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
90
LovedLoved
162 positive · 18 negative
95% range 85–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 162 | 18 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 8 | 0 | 11 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
264 of 292 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Overwhelmingly positive, praising the free upgrade, polished gameplay, and soundtrack.
Players overwhelmingly praise Savant - Ascent REMIX as a superb upgrade to the original, often highlighting that owners received it for free. Many describe it as a polished, fast-paced arcade shooter with excellent music and visuals. [1][3][13]
Some criticism focuses on short playtime, simplistic mechanics, and occasional technical issues like stutters or control problems. A few players feel the remix lacks depth compared to the original. [7][33][36]
Praised free upgrade for original owners · polished gameplay and visuals · excellent soundtrack
Criticised short playtime · simplistic mechanics · technical issues (stutters, controls)
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 9, 2026. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Savant - Ascent REMIX sits at 90% positive across 180 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 202 · most liked firstThe Laser Sharks from Savant Ascent Remix. I designed all the characters after giving the music-track a listen. They appeared briefly in the original game, but Remix gave me an opportunity to give them a proper spotlight. Left to right that's Blitz, Breaker and Flash. #pixelart
neutral · AI labelView post →First the devs said "You own the original? Here, have the new one for free" Then they said "You say everything feels spongy? Here, let us just retune the entire game real quick" Then they said "You miss the powerups that much? Here, let's get classic mode going" It's a good time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ya'll, I've been getting ready to start posting videos again, but I think Savant Ascent REMIX just might single-handedly pull me out of hiatus because I have GOT to tell ya'll how great this game by @dpad.studio is! I'll brag here, but yes I know, time to bump up the difficulty ;)
positive · AI labelView post →Two weeks until Nintendo Switch™ launch of Savant - Ascent REMIX. We are excited! The game hit #Steam last year, but porting to console is just such a different hurdle. This is the first project we've ported ourselves - so please wish us luck 🤞😬
neutral · AI labelView post →I played this game nearly 10 years ago, figured it was a cute but one-note affair, left a suggestion for the dev and they responded right away, and I moved on with life. Randomly in 2024 I saw this game pop up in my news feed and thought "there is no way that game is still getting updated." I downloaded the Remix version and imagine my surprise to find a completely polished and overhauled experience with an absolutely banging soundtrack. This is obviously a passion project and it shows. Savant…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Glad i bought the original, for that seems to be the reason i got surprised by having this one in my library all of a sudden. What can i say? - Wow! Just Wow! Play it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →store.steampowered.com/app/2279330/Savant__Ascent_REMIX/ store.steampowered.com/app/115800/O... Owlboy (65%), Savant Ascent Remix (15%), and the sound tracks are on sale this week for the 7th anniversary!
neutral · AI labelView post →It's launch-day!! Savant - Ascent REMIX hits Nintendo Switch™ and we're going to spend be sharing gameplay tips, fan-art and a thank-you message to all our fans once the game is live in all regions! Join us on this exciting day 💙 D-Pad Studio
neutral · AI labelView post →Now, a decade later, we're prepping to launch Savant - Ascent REMIX on Nintendo Switch™ - celebrating the game that kept us going. It's got new stages, power-ups, re-worked cutscenes and a dedicated soundtrack by Savant himself! Mark you calendar on Dec 5th! www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
neutral · AI labelView post →Gameplay is all about shooting and dodging, there's no so called platforming in typical sense. Basically you have stage that changes like lift sliding up or train driving and focus on taking down foes. After dodging your fire power is increased for a fraction of second so it takes big part of the gameplay. Music is decent and game is pumping new stuff every second so make sure to grab your wanky glasses to see what's going on before chaos starts. Art style is cool and complex. Cutscenes are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Steam] Savant - Ascent REMIX ($3.99 / 60% off).
neutral · AI labelView post →I've been playing Savant - Ascent REMIX, which is a new version of @dpad.studio's first game. It's a wave-based twin stick shooter where you play as a musician alchemist that fights robots and laser sharks. If that sounds like it goes hard, that's because it does. youtu.be/ejv03bNHx4Y?...
positive · AI labelView post →Actually nothing compared to the original game. The game punishes you by taking away your combo for no reason during some transitional periods due to enemies not spawning fast enough. The catacombs audio queues are wildly misleading for where and sometimes when things spawn. Some hit boxes are not accurate for the player character. Music is still good though.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really great upgrade to the original Savant Ascent adding new content with a challenge! I would suggest to start on easy mode to get the full experience, then progress to playing on normal mode, then hardcore if you so dare to lose your sanity. Learn the enemy patterns, they are the same on each difficulty. The game is still very short, lasting about two hours but still very thrilling. The music is the best, coming from one of my all time favorite EDM artists Savant, Aka, Alexander himself.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Savant - Ascent REMIX is launching in 2️⃣ days! Wanna to #livestream the game early, or write your opinion on it? Get in touch or comment below and we'll fetch you a Nintendo code for the game! ⭐
neutral · AI labelView post →Super-condensed dose of arcade perfection.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm shocked at how much fun this game actually is. Started out struggling with the very beginning, had to get used to the limited movement and all. Then 2 hours later I am getting constantly pounded by the final boss. One hour later, I am beating the game from start to finish without dying once and even getting 2000 combo, and a hardcore mode kill on the first boss. The final boss made me capable of some things that seemed impossible in the first 30 minutes of gameplay. Might even play…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After all these years still a solid game, love remix
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A rare example of a game 'you love to suck at'. Original was good. Remix is even slightly better. If i had time and the patience i could easily see myself practicing more. Great stuff for quick sessions when you want a strong dose of good action done quick.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Savant - Ascent REMIX launches on Nintendo Switch in 5 days! You can grab the game at 15% off during the pre-order period. See you at launch 💙 #NintendoSwitch eShop (US): www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro... eShop (EU): www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Savant Ascent Remix heading to Switch December | Retro Gaming News 24/7. ## Savant Ascent Remix Heading to Nintendo Switch on December 5th ## The indie-developed, retro-style action game **Savant Ascent Remix** is making its way to the Nintendo Switch! This reworking of the original ***Savant Ascent*** will release on **December 5th**, 2024. - **Game Modes Introduced**: The new version includes Classic Mode, Survival Mode, and Time Attack mode, each bringing fresh challenges to players. -…
neutral · AI labelView post →As I haven't played the original this is basically a review for both: It's a cool idea and the music and visuals are good but the game-play is just lacking some an essence of complexity. Creating bounds or rules (in this case having two platforms) for players is to create challenge and allows devs to do more by assuming less - unfortunately this wasn't utilised much in this game On top of that you can finish this game readily in under an hour - So the £8.50 price tag isn't worth it - maybe go…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey, i got this for free. I need you all to understand how important that is. I got this for free because i owned the original, didnt even know it existed until i went to show the original to someone. This is an amazing practice, they didnt have to do that, they put work into updating the game and could have sold DLC or the remake on its own to everyone who already owned it. But "real fans" pay 70+ for their games right? Speaking of real fans paying for games, random example here for no…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →really fun little game. would recommend for the music alone (being a big fan of Savant's music), but it's genuinely a really fun little arcade-y title with some fun mechanics, gorgeous pixel art, and an incredible soundtrack that fits the vibe perfectly. getting the last trophy was insanely challenging but i'm glad i stuck it through. great game, would recommend!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →love it! reminds me of my childhood, getting on the bus and listening to starfish sledgehammer and co. with my friend on our way to school <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This has a lot of gameplay depth for the price. The survival mode is top tier arcade gameplay as always. The rest of this review is about the differences between this and the original. Perfect for hi-score chasers. Perfect for any arcade cabinet, addicting, juicy and plain fun! --- Alas, this magnificent update with classic mode has sparked in me an alluring devotion. Everything fit like a glove and it is euphoric
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The TL;DR I enjoyed it. I know I list less positives and more negatives, but anything positive to say about it could be said about the original. I wanna suggest the game in hopes that classic mode and owlboy pick up the slack for what feels kind of like a deconstructed bare bones version of the original that takes away a lot to add a little. But that little is cool and exciting, but it is less. If the menu drag gets resolved with the update of classic mode & owlboy, I think that alone would…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After brief reflection, I realized my original review did not emphasize just how good the music in this game is. You have to re contextualize the entire experience around it. Point of fact: This is not a game with a good soundtrack, it is an amazing album that comes with a game attached to it. Back to the original review. Definitely a fun little arcadey shooter. I don't usually go for this sort of thing, and the game's really difficult, but something keeps drawing me back to try again. I've…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Huge improvement from the original game. Enjoyed a quick run through this one.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Way better than its predecessor without any doubt. +More skills, powers, foes, mechanics and BANGERS. +Camera is more far from character's perspective, letting you to watch all enemy in range. +Both classic and remix Mode are available since the game's beginning. +Visuals are so detailed and amazing, specially when you shoot and when you deplete all your power. -Little Stutters on cutscenes (played on steam deck). -New songs can only be play on survival mode 'cus, when you change of zone on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you played the original then this game is just a bigger and better version! I love the new game modes and characters and the expansion of the original story! and its even better because they added the classic savant game mode to the remix!! 10/10 keep up the hard work D-Pad Studio!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got the original Savant for a dollar a decade ago, and got this for free for being an owner. This remake is fine with that consideration, but for a 10 dollar game as of now, I can't recommend it. There are still awkward control elements. You can't shoot when you are jumping. Start button on Xbox controller while paused will unpause and repause a frame later, too bad there's no need for frame perfect buffers. There is no Back button support in the menus, so you have to navigate extra steps to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Savant - Ascent REMIX is a Nintendo Switch game here on Steam, where you can pretend you're playing an arcade shoot 'em up and that your PC is a Nintendo Switch. One disclaimer from me, I never played the original Savant - Ascent, but I also don't think that makes a huge difference when evaluating this Nintendo Switch game, as the defects are fairly consistent and unrelated to the changes in this new version of the game (which I believe was given for free to owners of the original game, so…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For owners of the original game, it's free! And you get what you pay for... First, the most annoying issue: the control scheme is wonky and unclear. The most frustrating way this manifests for me is, on both Deck and desktop it is impossible to properly toggle and/or confirm changes to settings such as screen resolution. No matter what I do, it always ends up reverted to default. This is arguably worse on Deck ('verified', MY AZZ, per usual) because running games above native resolution [on…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A simple rhythmic 2D minigame. Your character goes up 2 platforms all the time, he can only shoot and jump from one platform to another. You can't last long, just three hits from attacking enemies or the boss and you play the level again. The game places extreme emphasis on the precise timing of your jumps and shots. An action soundtrack encourages you into action. that's all. There are only a couple of levels and a couple of game modes that can be played within an hour if you're really good.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Extremely underrated weird almost shmup type thing with Savant music. If you love arcade action please give this one a go it has no right to be so good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun and addictive! A nice little schmup with great electronic music from Savant.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While it looks a lot like the original at first glance, Savant - Ascent REMIX adds a lot and plays differently. REMIX is easily twice the size and introduces additional play modes. Everything that was already there has been mixed up and now feels fresh. The new levels, enemies, and bosses make it more varied and fun. The added mobility, enemy placement, pacing, and alternation between normal and boss stages bring the experience closer to a run & gun shoot'em up. Some of the new achievements…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Savant - Ascent REMIX is a compact, high-intensity action game that’s built around speed, focus, and repetition. It throws you into the action quickly and keeps the momentum going, so it’s easy to say “one more run” and suddenly lose an hour. The core idea is simple: you’re pushing upward while enemies flood the screen, and you’re constantly choosing between aggressive clears and safe positioning. The game feels like it wants you to stay moving, keep shooting, and treat hesitation as the real…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent game, a must-play for all Retro-Arcade Fans, very replayable and with an Amazing OST.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is all thriller, no filler. This game plays how it looks; precise controls, arcade action that gets right to it. The devs understand why you're here. This is your game. Sure it has a few cutscenes, but they beautiful sprite art and animation, so it feels more like a treat than a impedance. This is the game I wanted to make when I was kid! This is one of those games that once you finish it, you start it again, cause you know you can do it better. And the music? Now you're motivated!…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →is fun and very short game, I beat it 2 times but sadly I can't beat it on Hardcore hehe thank you so much devs for the awesome game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Only get if it's on sale. Pros: - Very nice spritework. - Soundtrack is decent. - Simple to understand gameplay. Cons: - Extremely short, with little replay value unless you're into high scores.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Absolute blast of an arcade game, with amazing character & enemy designs to boot!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a really great game and it's easy to pick up and master. Honestly one of my favorite games from 2023
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pressing down should dodge some attacks just saying
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Savant - Ascent REMIX It's just an epic game! What is it? Savant Ascent - REMIX is a fast-paced shoot 'em up, where you try to ascend a tower by battling waves of enemies and some bosses. It's easy to learn but hard to master. I can see this not being for everyone, but if you enjoy fast-paced gameplay and a soundtrack that makes you want to turn up the volume, then this might be for you. Visuals I really like the way this game looks. It's got a bit of an old-school look to it with its…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →simple gameplay AWESOME soundtrack best part of dying is you get to listen to the music another time
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I cant believe the progress D-Pad has made since I bought Savant - Ascent years ago, A clean v2 is crisp, still features a classic mode and remix is insanely chaotic and fun!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game, great music, if you like Savant as a musician it's even better. This is a classic arcade game that never existed.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →KAMGUSTA's mini Review A solid cabinet-style arcade/shoot-em-up with only 2 platforms to move from/to. Super polished and cool to play. You can play the "Classic" or the "Remixed" (aka remastered) version. Keep in mind the playtime is very short, less than 1 hour, but you have to get that far, and it isn't an easy task! The soundtrack is just awesome and a perfect fit for the gameplay. Recommended buy price 10$ Score 7,5/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I honestly cannot describe how awestruck I was with the new update. I played the original ascent game around 10 years ago and I was anticipating this release day by day. The atmosphere you feel playing this is unlike anything you can experience. It is condensed and armed to the teeth with life and racket. A perfect representation of Savant's essence crammed into a game. At first, I was undoubtedly immersed playing Ascent Remix, but it felt like it lacked the touches from the first game - it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Perfect for any arcade cabinet, addicting, juicy and plain fun!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is somewhat of a tribute/rehash of the original. New zone, new bosses, new enemies updated old bosses. Same base. Different (lacking) powerup mechanics, but they are working on it and we believe. There was some game design issues on launch, but devs reaction time was hardcore - they fixed most of the stuff that community pointed out in a couple of days.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really tuff game However a little too short for my liking even for an arcade bullet hell game. Really tight controls and the enemy waves are interesting. Have yet to try out the survivor mode but I have beaten the game on classic and reached the final boss on hardcore. Definitely worth getting especially if on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It was good I am not amazing at these types of games but I really liked what I played
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Savant – Ascent REMIX by D-Pad Studio is a tightly focused, high-energy action game that feels like an arcade experience distilled down to its purest form. It wastes no time setting up its premise—you are the Alchemist, cast down from your tower, and your only goal is to climb back up while fending off relentless waves of enemies. The narrative is minimal and largely symbolic, serving more as a backdrop than a driving force, but that simplicity works in the game’s favor. It keeps the experience…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Savant - Ascent (Original) was probably the first ever indie I bought on Steam. I was pleasantly surprised to recieve REMIX free of charge for owning the first game. They made things "optionally" easier this time around and it's a fun, frantic game with catchy tunes and a nice artstyle. Dodging is difficult to time in this game. Unsure if I can beat it yet, as I never beat the original and I suck at the first boss in this game too, but it's ticking all the boxes for what makes a good Indie game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I get so much adrenaline from the 'Ascension' part every single time I play, not even tranquilizer darts can put me down
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2. Savant Ascent REMIX, I got this game during Christmas from a friend and I played through since it was a short game and I hella enjoyed it a lot with it's music and its twin-stick shooter game play. My favorite part is when you get a hit of the 1000 kills the alchemist will just dance I love it.
positive · AI labelView post →
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