Axiom Verge

It's an indie (made by one person) retro game HEAVILY inspired by the NES Super Metroid in practically all its aspects, the story, world-building, gameplay, art direction and so on, so it’s really important to keep in mind that it has that characteristic slower pace and clunkiness of old platformers and really relies on the Metroid side of the Metroidvania genre. In that aspect, Axiom Verge is not dynamic like modern entries in the genre, and it can easily become a burden to some. There is no fast-travel (besides a big area that works as a bridge to connect all main areas), the map is labyrinth-like and there is no hand-holding at all, and all that gives the gameplay that old-school retro feeling, so for a modern point of view, accustomed to more dynamic, digestible and fast-paced Metroidvanias, they can have a big problem to grow a liking of this gameplay’s slow pacing and overall lack of hand-holding. The bosses were OK, they were not hard and some were quite cheap, clunky and simplistic with the way you were supposed to approach their fights. There is a wide variety of weapons, but I believe they’re not well-balanced, since most are only good for really specific combat scenarios and you might end up using at least 2 or 3 main weapons throughout the game. It has a fair share of items and special abilities that you discover as you explore, with some changing the way you approach movement and exploring the game. Lastly, I think the hidden secrets present throughout the different areas are a mixed bag of good and bad, some are quite harsh and unfair with no major hints or signs that make the secrets solvable, while others ask for a different approach with the evolving gameplay core mechanics. The story is fine, it has a decent sci-fi vibe and writing to it with some plot twists and an unveiling mystery, but I think it lacks a good and impactful presentation. The graphics and art direction are almost a reimagination of the classic NES Super Metroid but more polished, detailed and with a background. I really enjoyed the designs of the war machines and the whole cybernetic mixed with a horror-like style. So, I recommend this game for those who are going to enjoy the retro and nostalgic feeling that the game brings, or for players who are open to acquiring the taste for a more classic, retro and pure Metroid-like experience (without playing the actual Metroid).

It's... Decent. They're definitely better (not to mention cheaper) Metroidvanias out there, but this one is a good time. The boatload of weapons you get to play around with is easily the highlight for me. A lot of rooms and environments look VERY similar which makes it difficult to navigate compared to something like Super Metroid or Cave Story. Worth getting during a sale though.

Encore, un autre jeu que je trouve très original et qui devrait même figurer dans l’esprit des jeux cultes de Nintendo. Je m’explique… • Les bosses paraissent tout le temps impossibles à battre, jusqu’au moment où tu trouves leurs points faibles. • Les larbins ne peuvent pas être anéantis par la méthode facile de type «hack and slash», tu dois trouver la bonne parade d’exécutions appropriées pour chaque ennemie. • Les casse-têtes sont très bien réfléchis; parfois ils sont faciles et d'autre fois ils sont très difficiles. Ils demandent une bonne dextérité de la manette de jeu tout en utilisant les bonnes compétences acquises pendant l’aventure. • Les passages secrets seront très utiles durant votre aventure pour améliorer vos compétences et raccourcir vos chemins. Peu importe le prix à payer, je conseille ce jeu. Et pour ma part, il mérite d’être noté dans la catégorie «d’extrêmement positif».

норм игра, поиграл с удовольствием

Another great metroidvania to add to the list. Better than the sequel.

Aa

This game is one of those Metroidvanias that's just an instant classic and you'll never forget about it. I think it's so cool that this whole game and the sequel were made by one guy. One of Axiom Verge's strongest things going for it is the music. The retro-like music combined with nice ambience mades the world feel more alive. The lore is also crazy complicated and very deep. If you want to understand any of it, you'll probably have to go watch a video explaining it (or at least that's what I had to do) A couple things that I think Axiom Verge could do better on are the controls and implementation of fast travel. The backtracking gets pretty tedious towards the end of the game. Most of the controls are fine and you can customize them, but the fully upgraded dash was really annoying for me. Having to go in a direction and press the joystick or d-pad twice to dash was just not intuitive. Even with some minor grievances, I would still highly recommend this game to Metroidvania fans and anyone who are interested in the genre. It's fun, has some deep lore, top-tier music, and will definitely stick with you.