Axiom Verge - Review
- Feb 4, 2018
- 3 min read
Developer & Publisher: Thomas Happ Games Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PC, Nintendo Switch & Wii U Genre: Metroidvania Mode: Single-player
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by: Chris Griffith
fanatics gaming review contributor
A New World
The protagonist is a scientist named, Trace. While working is his laboratory, there’s an explosion, and later awakens in an alien world called Sudra. He begins getting these cryptic messages from a being named Elsenova, sort of explaining why you’re there, and what happened. The story is ok, but not great. It’s just kind of there to give you a reason as to why you’re playing the game. It really reminds me of the old 8 or 16 bit era-type stories. With that said, I’m happy with how the game ends, and there is a special ending if you put in the work.
Just the Right Amount of Retro
As I was progressing through Sudra, I couldn’t help myself but to think this was a direct homage to Metroid. I actually thought the game was going to give me the morph ball at one point. The level design was really thought out, and put together quite nicely. Each new part of the map had its own look and feel keeping the game feeling fresh while backtracking. I was able to advance to a different part of the map without having to retrace my steps too many times, and if f I ever had to go backwards, it was usually due to my own volition to grab a power up or new weapon.
Speaking of which, the variety of guns were nice, but I found myself only using two or three of the guns. On one hand it’s nice to not have to go searching for one item just to progress through the game, but on the other hand, some items felt completely useless. From what I could tell certain guns were more powerful than others, but not specific to any boss encounters. It all comes down to personal preference.
Save/checkpoints were plenty to be had. It was almost to the point where it didn’t feel like there was penalty if I died, because the nearest save spot would always be right around the corner. I understand having a checkpoint right outside of a boss room, but there were too many in my opinion, and by the end of the game, I wasn’t valuing my health or lives at all.
Looks Like What I Remember
Axiom Verge looks and feels just like the games from my SNES days, but with some modern improvements of course. Trace reacted just like I wanted him too. Not too floaty while in the air, which is a big pet peeve for me in a game like this, where platforming is so important. The game gives you the ability to “lock” where you’re standing. It’s nice being able to shoot diagonally without the fear of running into an enemy, or off a ledge. You are able to be more precise with your shots, or wait until an enemy comes into range, then blast them away.
The puzzles and secrets were done fairly well. Some of them made me feel a little obtuse, and the only way to find them was based on dumb luck, or randomly shooting every wall I came across. That got old for me rather quickly, so admittedly, I didn’t find every secret the game had to offer.
The audio is almost non-existent, and that’s exactly what I wanted out of this style of game. Aside from the sound effects, there isn’t a soundtrack playing behind everything. Sometimes that can cause me to rush through a level, and not explore as much as I should. Instead, the game has this erie vibe to it, and the feeling of danger could happen at any moment, which in turn naturally slows me down to actually play the game.
Back to Reality
When I started this game, I thought it was just going to be a Metroid clone. It did not take very long for the game to prove me wrong. Sure, it feels like Metroid in a lot of ways. I mean the genre is named after Metroid for crying out loud. At the end of the day, Axiom Verge takes on its’ own personality in all the right ways, and it kept me wanting to come back for more.
If you already enjoy the metroidvania genre, or want a new experience, then Axiom Verge is the game for you. One man, Tom Happ, is the sole person behind this game. He did all the art, level design, music, and everything else to make Axiom Verge in what you see today. He started on this game in 2010, and it was finally released on March 31, 2015.
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