The first thing that dispels most of the prejudice is the game's prologue, which is bombastic and well-directed. The game throws you into the role of Koen, the eldest son of a peasant family in Vale Sangora. This is a classic "Slavic" backdrop characteristic of the 14th century.

Ascendance squanders a decades-long wait with shallow combat, a one-dimensional new protagonist who retroactively damages the franchise's legacy, and a runtime so brief it barely justifies its existence as a standalone release. ​

When the word apprentice is mentioned in conversation, I immediately think of the story about a little boy named Lapitch, his boots, and the world that awaited him to explore as one great adventure.