The artstyle makes the level design pretty unintuitive for a Metroidvania, the movement powerups feel very weird and everything that isn't a boss or one of the huge robots looks hideous.
Still the interesting story, setting and general weirdness make this worth trying
«Underrated»
Other reviews4
Barely a recommend, but a recommend nonetheless.
Gameplay is sound and the soundtrack is actually fantastic.
But
-The artstyle is both highly detailed in bosses and certain background details and painfully clunky in the tileset of the stages.
-The plot conveys itself clunkily.
-Many secrets/collectibles are hidden in the "well this block of wall is not an actual block but there's no way you could've known" way, which makes for tedious trial and error.
-Bosses are either completely cheesed or brute forced. None of them feel like actual well designed fights.
The game came out in the early indie game boom so a lot of it's faults are just a lack of a better recent template to draw from and/or expand upon
Gameplay is sound and the soundtrack is actually fantastic.
But
-The artstyle is both highly detailed in bosses and certain background details and painfully clunky in the tileset of the stages.
-The plot conveys itself clunkily.
-Many secrets/collectibles are hidden in the "well this block of wall is not an actual block but there's no way you could've known" way, which makes for tedious trial and error.
-Bosses are either completely cheesed or brute forced. None of them feel like actual well designed fights.
The game came out in the early indie game boom so a lot of it's faults are just a lack of a better recent template to draw from and/or expand upon
«OST on repeat»
I would only barely recommend this. It does some good with solid level design, surreal setting and music, really unique power-ups that help drive the surrealism home. But the pacing is a mixed bag - sometimes it's great, sometimes you have to wander aimlessly. Some secrets feel rewarding and properly hidden, some are obtuse. Sometimes combat can be tense and rewarding that adds a platforming challenge, weapons are diverse and interesting, but other times it's high damage output enemies with movement patterns that are impossible to move around. Bosses have a good sense of scale but, perhaps because of the scale, don't move around much and can feel like underwhelming drawn-out damage sponges. Glitching can be a good spin on a side-scrolling shooter format, but it can take too long even with upgrades and feels redundant with the drill.
Overall, it's a good Metroidvania spin that doesn't lean too heavily on common tropes - though it does still include the obligatory "better jump" and "awkward grappling hook" - but still held back by its own frankly kind of glaring flaws.
Overall, it's a good Metroidvania spin that doesn't lean too heavily on common tropes - though it does still include the obligatory "better jump" and "awkward grappling hook" - but still held back by its own frankly kind of glaring flaws.
Translated by
Microsoft from Deutsch
Microsoft from Deutsch
Axiom Verge is one of those Games for which you would like a "neutral Rating" on Steam. Personally, I have to say that the Title disappointed me, because I expected a little more Action. However, depending on the Player's Expectation and Entitlement, this may also be different. Since there is only the Possibility of "recommend"/"do not recommend," I have to choose The Latter.
Pros:-very good Atmosphere-beautiful Ingame-graphics style-great ideas (both Weapons and Gadgets) Neutral:-Story, well, who was interested in the Story "back then" ever at a Platformer? ;-)-Bosses; All somewhat comically balanced; In general, it does not find it reprehensible that you can "outsmart" bosses (there were already in Turrican 1/2 at that time), I find bleary-again here rather some Reset Points in the later Course Of the game.
-the Control is a bit "over-the-top"; On the one Hand beautiful to have so many Gadgets, on the other Hand the Whole thing often becomes an annoying Finger exercise; With a little Practice, however, you actually get everything to go so far.
Cons:-a lot of extremely annoying Backtracking; Unfortunately, not only as a Bonus for Explorers, but often imposed by the Game in order to be able to get further-consistently lame pace; It is quite annoying That even with advanced equipment in many Areas You "get stuck" on every single Opponent and 90% by "stop & go" durch die Level bewegt; The only Weapon that brought something "Redemption" to this was the Flamethrower, which I found only with the Help of a Walkthrough on the Internet-Soundtrack; I am a big Fan of Music in "Chiptune Style," but here there are for the most part only any rum Dudel; And the one Track in KUR is hard to Beat in Cruelty;-)-supposed "dead-ends"; Unfortunately, you hang out in several Places in the Game and you have to try an extremely big lot, run around etc ... In order to find out what happens next; Some "Secrets" are more obvious to find than the next Ways of the "Main Mission."
-"enemy respawning"; Everyone likes to keep it up as they want: I just don't like it; Especially not when it comes to finding secrets in already known Areas.
Well, Axiom Verge Is not a totally bad Game. For a One-man show, it's a respectable Performance, but you should think beforehand about what you expect from the Game. Anyone who-like me-expects a nice Action Loaded Platformer of a Platformer of a jump ' n ' shoot will probably be rather disappointed. Those who are totally on it are in front of them and looking backwards for secrets and like more the Action-Adventure aspect, may have their Pleasure in it.
What I lack for "Thumbs up": "Main mission" a little More linear, but better "rewards" at The backtracking bag at Secrets, no "enemy respawning" within a "World" of a level, Reset Points at * all * Bossfights right before the Fight.
And those who dismiss my Design Flaws as being owed by the "Retro" style Might want to allude to Turrican I/II (C64/Amiga) again:-)