Axiom Verge

I give it a "maybe". This game is not for everyone, especially if you are used to modern metroidvanias that mix Soulslike gameplay with lighter metroidvania exploration (and a lot of QoL). This game definitely draws inspiration from earlier metroidvanias. If you are aiming for a completionist run, prepare plenty of paper so you can note and map out your discoveries, or follow a walkthrough. There are no tools to help you seek what you might have missed, and exploration is very slow, with limited quick travel methods. But if you are simply on the lookout for a unique world to explore, it is a very unique game, with an amazing soundtrack. Just enjoy and do not worry about missing out a few upgrades or weapons!

Axiom Verge is a love letter to metroidvanias of old, and super metroid in particular. As such, it's difficult not to respect it. But it also doesn't seem to go beyond what those classics delivered, which is disappointing for the time this game came out. My biggest gripe is actually with the gameplay itself. It really feels like this game is intended to play like an old video game. But that just feels clunky today. I constantly hit my square hitbox on corners that I visually cleared, I frequently just grit through enemies either cheesing them or face-tanking because that was the only thing that worked reliably, and the movement options you do get (they are quite sparse) are also clunky with double tapping to dash just being unreliable and easy to accidentally trigger. This game also suffers from the traditional metroidvania ill of only having one actual path forward and loads of uninspired upgrades forcing you to backtrack. This is per se not bad, backtracking being a core gameplay mechanic of this genre, but the single path forward, no fast travel options at all, and the fact that moving though the world just isn't fun, turns backtracking from a genre boon to a chore. On the positive, let me say that the game does genuinely look quite pleasing at times and the world laid out is quite intriguing. With plenty of hidden lore notes, secret puzzles, and visual storytelling, this game does really reward an attentive and invested player. In summary, if you loved super metroid and are happy with a control scheme straight from the 90s, this game is probably a must-play. However, if you come from a more modern metroidvania crowd, this game will probably be more jarring than anything, and you can give it a miss.

It is a good game, although with so much high praises it got, I was expecting more... Maybe I don't really get it. But fun game it is.

Good game held back by a few nitpicks that could have made it excellent. The good… the game itself is fun. Nice nostalgic look with a hint if new age tech. Great exploration/rank system to upgrade self and weapons. Bosses can be a challenge but nothing too bad that takes only a few tries. The bad… played on the steam deck and the pesky phase through mechanic later in game was constantly triggered via joystick. And probably the worst aspect of game that really made it a chore the last 1/4 of the game for me was the map and having zero idea where to go next. The amount of time back tracking and wondering what the heck do I do next was a total drag. Very little to no direction. If that one aspect of the game was changed I would give this an A tier rating. But because of it I would lean closer to B.

This game is atrocious. Everyone who advertised this as a suitable substitute for Metroid deserves some amount of prison time. Every aspect that makes Metroidvanias fun just flat out sucks here. The game commits the biggest sin a Metroidvania could commit: making you feel like you're never making any meaningful progress. None of the core upgrades in this game feel substantial. Aside from getting collectibles, most of the core upgrades exist solely to overcome a single roadblock on the map. Several of the health and power pick-ups are split into multiple pieces you need to collect 5 or 6 of before you're allowed to feel the effects of your effort, which is a baffling decision. And worst of all, there are 28 ♥♥♥♥♥♥ lore pages that surprise you just when you think you're about to get something actually useful. The combat in this game sucks. Gunning down enemies never feels satisfying, only repetitive. Almost none of the 20 beam types feel good to use, and with the exception of a handful, the functional difference between them is negligible. The level design of the world isn't great, and it's made worse by the fact that traversal is neither fun nor fast-paced. The controls for the teleportation upgrades are clunky, and the grapple is always infuriating to use. The attempt at a Metroid 1-like atmosphere is poor, and the soundtrack is mostly generic, dull cyberpunk that fails to leave any sort of impression. The game's story and dialogue also suck, and no amount of lore will change that.

Так и не привык к управлению что с дека, что с пк. Это полный идиотизм, нарочито неудобно. Что мешало добавить поддержку мыши - загадка.

El mejor Metroid no oficial que podrás jugar. Un ejemplo de como hacer de forma excelsa la exploración y los power ups en un metroidvania. Pepinazo.