About This Game

Step into the Thrilling World of Asuka: The Ascent

Embark on the journey of Asuka Sakai, a spirited young college student from a picturesque farming village in Japan’s countryside. While her days are filled with the beauty of her hometown and the warmth of cherished memories, Asuka harbors a secret passion: street racing. Inspired by her father’s former successes on the track, she dives headfirst into the world of speed, rebellion, and camaraderie, all while reluctantly pursuing an architecture degree at her father’s insistence.

With a natural talent for tuning cars and a drive to challenge any opponent, Asuka quickly becomes a respected and notorious racer, leaving a trail of admirers and rivals. In the quiet hours of the day, she catches up on the thrilling tales of her racing friends through an internet and manga café, where their adventures are shared with each other. However, her carefree existence begins to unravel when she encounters the infamous Shaitan Shadow crew, an enigmatic and dangerous faction in the racing world.

As shadows gather, Asuka finds herself spiraling into a web of secrets and betrayal, questioning the loyalty of those around her and even her self. Memories of her joyful childhood adventures with her father — a time filled with laughter and innocence — contrast sharply with the dark reality she now faces. She must confront the depths of the racing underworld, all while grappling with the haunting question: can she escape before it’s too late?

This is a story where beauty and darkness intertwine—a mixture of stylized iconic landscapes, thrilling head-to-head duels, and friendships tested by betrayal. Experience moments of wonder and joy as you witness the wide-eyed girl who beams with happiness, exploring the world with her father, only to face the horror of her current reality. As you navigate this twists and turns, you will be left guessing until the very end: Will she find a way out, or will she be lost to the shadows forever?

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A Fusion of Old and New

The game combines a casual, stylized visual aesthetic with intricate, textured physics, immersing players in a rich atmosphere filled with captivating characters and storylines that evoke the charm of classic-era games.

A Diverse Range of JDM-Inspired Cars

Choose from an impressive lineup of 40 unique car models, each offering up to 100 variants with customizable specifications. Tailor your car’s tuning capabilities, and enhance both visual and performance aspects with a wide selection of part upgrades, ensuring every ride is personalized and powerful.

Iconic Japanese Locations

Race through stylized recreations of Japan's picturesque countryside, featuring both long courses (6-10 km) and short courses (1-2 km). Experience the thrill of racing at different times of day and under various weather conditions, each affecting handling and demanding new strategies for victory.

Authentic Gameplay Experience

Step into Asuka’s world each day, from visits to lively internet and manga cafes, brimming with racing tales and humor, to catching up on her favorite serialized manga on Webtoon. Manage your racing pursuits by visiting the local online parts store to order new gear or interacting with rivals who approach Asuka with fresh challenges. You can also head to the local mechanic for installations, tune-ups, or even a dynamometer test to measure your car's performance under your unique setup.

Compete in High-Stakes Races

Earn in-game currency by winning head-to-head challenges across diverse race formats: precision races, drift points, cat & mouse, and classic competitions. Players can explore unique settings like the Gymkhana stadium or Nagano’s frozen lake, nicknamed the "Ice Rink," for daily challenges that offer lucrative prizes and leaderboard bragging rights.

Engage with Over 200 Rivals

Meet and compete against more than 200 distinct rivals, each with a unique backstory, personality, and driving style that influences their racing techniques. Nighttime brings intensified racing, as teams gather in parking areas along mountain passes, waiting for their next showdown. The game offers strategic non-linear exploration of different mountains, giving players the choice to challenge rivals in a preferred sequence to reach ultimate victory.

Extensive Car Customization

Unlock extensive customization options for your car’s appearance, performance and sound. Upgrade engine parts, transmissions, ECUs, drivetrains, and exhaust systems, and fine-tune intricate elements like wheel alignment, suspension, gearbox settings, and fresh concepts like cam-shaft valve timing. Many upgrades are non-sequential, allowing constant flexibility to craft the ideal driving experience, whilst also navigating heat, air flow and slip mechanics impacted by tuning. With extensive tuning options, even cars with the smallest engines can be tuned aggressively to compete for the top spot, if tuned correctly.

Dynamometer Precision Tuning

Test your tuning expertise with a dedicated dynamometer, analyzing the specific impacts of your setup on power, torque curves, and air-fuel ratios. Dive into details like mass air flow rates and volumetric efficiency to understand your car’s full potential.

Proprietary Physics Model

Built in-house exclusively for this game, the physics model authentically recreates the iconic clunky, weighted feel of classic JDM sports cars. It offers realistic modelling of clutch, gearbox, torque, aerodynamics, drag, slip dynamics as well as tire pressures, tire deformation and angle slip dynamics. The model allows players to tweak their cars precisely to their driving style, whether it’s high-grip racing, drifting, or something in between.

Immersive Game Atmosphere

Enjoy seamless transitions with minimal menu navigation and a rich library of custom-branded cars, parts, and racing teams. The game is designed for realism, with Asuka’s habits and network integrated into gameplay, allowing players to fully embody her character and experiences without breaks in immersion.

NOTE:

"Asuka: The Ascent" is built for Windows PC as an offline single-player game only, supporting controllers and wheels .