I was very excited because the idea of this game had everything I love:
- Hard Sci-fi
- Pixel Art
- More metroid than vania

But the execution is ok. Traversing the map is not fun, and sometimes is really hard to understand where you need to go.

The weapons are very nice and varied and the gameplay is fun. Overall a solid game, but expected a little bit more

I very much wanted to love this game, and it started off promising! In the end, though, it just felt like a kind of soulless copy of the best of the genre. My biggest issue was that I grew frustrated with the level design and felt like I had to do a lot of backtracking that bogged things down. Seemed like artificial difficulty that wanted to harken back to the games of old, but just felt hollow. Also, some of the enemy encounters just weren't that fun to engage with. To be honest, that could be a skill issue on my part, but it soured the experience for me. Maybe I'll give it another try in a few years, but I'd much rather go back and play the actual games this one was inspired by.

The Metroidvania genre is not defined by Metroid’s thematic elements. It exists because Metroid’s unique and unmistakable design philosophy for a 2D platformer game resonated with a bounty of prospective video game IPs. Castlevania, a peer of Metroid’s on the NES, decided to channel Metroid’s idiosyncrasies with Symphony of the Night all while maintaining its core identity as a lavish, gothic experience. Symphony’s boldness and astute understanding of Metroid’s intricate interpretation of the 2D platformer opened the floodgates for several new IPs to follow in its example, and most of the notable ones understood the homework assignment like Symphony. However, perhaps many developers attribute Metroid’s impact to its science-fiction latent alien environment and its cold, hostile atmosphere. They’re not entirely wrong, but honing in on Metroid’s thematic elements and crafting a new IP using them as a muse may result in something a bit misguided. Axiom Verge, a prominent title in the new wave of indie Metroidvania games, is a game that presents an vital understanding of the Metroidvania genre’s design philosophy. However, I’ve never seen one of Metroid’s many children share such a strong genetic resemblance with one of its parents.

Evidently, Axiom Verge is an extravaganza of science fiction-oriented video game thematic properties as the game’s introduction where a fatal experimental accident occurs in a laboratory and blows the place to Kingdom Come is fairly reminiscent of Half-Life. The setting of this scene is even in New Mexico, for fucks sake. Actually, where the explosion blows our brainy protagonist, Trace, is to the odd, extraterrestrial world of Sudra where he now must contend with its abstract environment and the hostile creatures that inhabit it. Sound familiar already? Actually, besides the eerily similar setting to Metroid catalyzed by something that recalls Half-Life, the comparisons between Axiom Verge and Nintendo’s sci-fi series become alarmingly apparent through its aesthetics and general layout. If Lovecraftian is a legitimate term used to describe something akin to cosmic horror, then I propose categorizing something that resembles the artistic works of H.R. Giger as “Gigerian.” The Swiss artist who brought the Xenomorph to life for the first Alien film was a prominent artistic influence on Metroid’s fear factor and intergalactic coldness, but what happens when Axiom Verge follows up the chain of inspiration stemming from Metroid? Gigerian maximalism at its finest, even if I’m dubious if Axiom Verge is familiar with where Metroid’s iconography is rooted. Each area of Sudra is distinct from one another, but they all exhibit that sublime, industrially interstellar aesthetic. Eribu is a meaty, crimson red whose prominent foreground characteristic is these clumps of blood bubbles that regenerate when they’re popped. Zi exhibits a bevy of industrial activity juxtaposed with possibly the most vacant, dark backgrounds. Kur is an earthier realm on the eastern side of the map whose higher elevation will lead to a consistent snowstorm as the player climbs upward past all of the cryptic, primordial caves in between. The unnatural moody blue aura permeating through the night sky of Edin and Ukkin-Na is quite pleasant to the visual senses. Still, I emphasize the word unnatural to hone in on the extent of how alien everything is to a fault. Yes, I realize that an alien planet possibly existing in another dimension should look bizarre and otherworldly, but take a gander at the Elsenova machination that beckons the player toward her at the beginning of the game. If Gigerian was in the dictionary, a picture of Elsenova or her fellow Rusalki sisters would be displayed parallel to it on the page. Also, there are far too many narrow vertical sections where the formation of ascending platforms are literally crawling with insectoid enemies along the bars, which is Metroid level design 101.

At least Axiom Verge shows some restraint with its Metroid siphoning and doesn’t include a female protagonist at the helm of the adventurer role through Sudra’s alien planes. The man in question, however, doesn’t exactly exude the demeanor of an intrepid warrior like Samus Aran. I hate to be presumptuous, but Trace here gives me the impression that he’s a self-inserted character by the developers. I’d wonder which of them drew straws to implement themselves into the game, except that I can safely place the blame on Thomas Happ as Axiom Verge’s single developer a la Cave Story. Does Mr. Happ think that Trace is a badass, or is he an example of a character forced to grapple with a situation way out of his element? The latter of possibilities is plausible considering he’s an ineffectual, scientific type, but Trace consistently combats all of the crazy creatures on this planet with Joe-Schmoe stoicism as if he isn’t really affected. I think the real answer boils down to the fact that Trace has no charisma or personability. His character icon that pops up in dialogue boxes has a terrible resting bitch face and if Mario grew out sideburns like Trace has, it would be a PR disaster. Then again, progressing through Axiom Verge’s convoluted story reveals that Trace is the younger clone of the oppressive lord Athetos who rendered Sudra’s inhabitants as the malformed monsters that roam around the vicinity via the expulsion of a noxious pathogen. If Trace has the potency of a supreme dictator as another form of himself(?), then certainly the developer intended to create a badass rogue capable of grand destruction. Still, there are so many reasons why I’m not following Trace as this cool bad boy as intended. He’s perhaps one of the most indigestible gaming protagonists I’ve seen in a while.

An admirable emulation of Metroid’s formula that Axiom Verge exhibits is its sense of progression. One of the most effective aspects of Metroid was the lack of illumination of where Samus’s objectives were located, and I’m not only referring to the pitch-black hole of space displayed in every background. The first Metroid game on the NES was so cryptic that not having the Nintendo Power issue with the walkthrough at every player’s side was comparable to going spelunking without a flashlight. Axiom Verge does not mimic Metroid quite to that extent, but I appreciate the fact that Axiom Verge respects the intelligence of its players. Admittedly, too many modern Metroidvania games rely on icons to signify where the main objective is located, similar to an open-world game. These titles tend to forget that the modus operandi of the Metroidvania genre is exploration, which can only be facilitated through a vague sense of direction. Axiom Verge trusts that the player should think to check every unexplored spot on the map after they acquire a new power-up, which is a core strength of the design philosophy that attracts me to the Metroidvania genre. I especially enjoy accidentally stumbling upon the spots in Axiom Verge where Trace finds himself in a “secret area” where all of the topography is twisted into what can be described as a malfunctioning simulation, and I likely wouldn’t have known these existed if my main objective was concise. One modern aspect of Axiom Verge not present in Metroid or most Metroidvania titles is that upon dying, any new upgrades and uncovered land on the map will still be retained once the Nanogates flying inside of Trace send him back to the previous save station to preserve his mortality. An argument can be made that this is an example of the modern perks of gaming making Axiom Verge too accessible, but believe that this application mitigates some punitive tedium. Axiom Verge is plenty difficult as a test of endurance between the save stations, which are located with an appropriate amount of space between them.

I’m glad that Axiom Verge incentivizes blind exploration throughout because taking any of the various paths on a whim will almost always lead to a new secret. What lies behind the obscured crevices of Sudra could be a smattering of goodies. The gadgets needed to venture further through the game are usually rewarded on the beaten path after a turning point of progression, such as the drill that cracks the grainy rock formations and the remote drone that can dig through the tightest of corridors. I’ve been told that the grapple gadget used to swing from the roof is taken from Bionic Commando instead of Metroid’s grapple beam, but I’m not that gullible. The most interesting gadget found in Axiom Verge is the “address disruptor” that subverts the matter of enemies and certain obstacles into a pixelated frenzy. On top of the eclectic mix of gadgets, the range of offensive weapons in Axiom Verge is bound to make every gun nut salivate. With diligent searching, the player can collect a whopping total of twenty different weapons that all have unique attributes. My selection that got me through most of Axiom Verge’s obstacles were a roulette of the electric shotgun Kilver, the elongated Ion Beam, and a Lightning Gun that locks onto enemies from above for a connected stream of shocking energy. One also has to appreciate using the classic flamethrower to turn the field into a burning holocaust. The impressive arsenal in Axiom Verge is a blast to experiment with, even more so than in any Metroid game.

Because Axiom Verge offers a treasure trove of unique weapons, using the most suitable one to conquer the game’s bosses is like a glorified puzzle. All of Axiom Verge’s enemies are relatively equal to Trace’s human size, but every boss is appropriately the size of a behemoth to signify its greater significance. Their general intimidation is also intensified when they scream DEMON at Trace upon mistaking him for Athetos) when he enters their domain. Because their misplaced grudge against Trace fuels their fury, none of these boss fights are sitting down to die. From the scorpion Gir-Tab, and the stinging wasp Ukhu, to the sentinel first boss Xedur, all of Axiom Verge’s bosses are not to be taken lightly. Uruku is so astronomically massive that Trace is but a bouncing flea in his arena, which makes fighting him difficult on account of the player not being able to see Trace at all times. However, the one boss in the game that is unfortunately underwhelming is the main man Athetos. All that Trace has to do to defeat the vile version of himself is fire upward to destroy a vulnerable tab in the ceiling around four times, and the constantly spawning droids that shoot lasers are the more formidable foes. I expected this wizened ghoul to burst from his cryogenic fluid chamber into something awesomely beastly for a second phase and was disappointed that the game’s final boss simply amounted to the extent of the first one and nothing more.

Axiom Verge, or “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Metroid!” excels in understanding why Metroid’s gameplay and mechanics are effective. As far as a Metroidvania experience is concerned, Axiom Verge is a well-oiled machine. The extensive array of gameplay pertaining to its level design, fair difficulty, gadgets and weapons, and challenging bosses are more than enough to entice anyone who is a fan of the genre. However, all of the meritorious aspects of Axiom Verge are packaged in what appears to be a clear Metroid homage, judging from its uncanny artistic and thematic choices alone. Axiom Verge’s lack of discernible identity, unfortunately, leaves the whole experience as coming into one ear and immediately out of the other. All of its thematic and narrative elements amount to making the entire experience somewhat forgettable. It’s a shame considering the labor of love that was put into its gameplay attributes. A clearer vision would’ve drastically aided Axiom Verge.

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Attribution: https://erockreviews.blogspot.com

Axiom Verge was the first MetroidVania I played on stream. Although I was a fan of the genre, I think this was the turning point for me. I had played game in the genre prior to it like both Ori games and a few others. This game however started me down a path of MetroidVanias become my favorite genre.

The story is really neat. There are some twists and turns. But still pretty typical. The story isn't really at the forefront of most MetroiVanias though. It's the exploration and world building. This game sure has that.

The world is just so strange. So mysterious. Very colorful and varies a lot. Those you meet along the way are interesting. Especially what's on the cover of the game.

Exploring is genuinely fun. Traversal is mostly good. Although one specific traversal move requires you to double tap a direction. I hated this. It didn't work well to be honest. Might have been user error. But I personally hated it. I never got it to work consistently. The game controls well enough but can be a bit jank.

Combat is fun. You get a variety of ranged attacks. This game lean heavily on Metroid side of things. Once I found a weapon I liked, I stayed with it. Rarely changing unless forced.

Challenge wise, it fine but had odd difficulty spikes. There are a few early bosses that were really hard. But for the most part the game is well balanced.

One last complaint is that some enemies are either too small or blend in too well to the background. That was extremely annoying not knowing something was there and getting beat up for something that was not my fault.

The music is absolutely amazing. Like in my top 10 game OST amazing. Axiom Verge as a series as very good music and I highly suggest you listen to it. Music is really important in the genre as you will be going backtracking a lot.

I have given this game a lot of praise. It's such a great game. A bit jank. A bit unbalanced. A few late game collectables are well...not fun to get. They require a mastery of the controls and I gave up. But most can be obtained without a mastery. The dev even put in a few super funny trolls and jokes.

Play this game if you love MetroidVanias. Play it if you love Metroid. It leans so much on Metroid. I love this game, but I personally lean more towards Castlevania than Metroid. It's a great take on Metroid without all the things I hate about Metroid. Please play it.

I don't have much to say about this game. 2D Metroidvania game with a good looking pixel art aesthetic. As far as I can remember the story is one that.... well it exists but it didn't really catch me up until the veeeery end of the game. Heard it received a sequel. I looked at the steam page and it looks very different from this one but I haven't tried it so I can't really say anything about it. I liked the music, fit the vibes of the game perfectly.

8/10 for a game that was fun to play but not really life changing. Would recommend for those who are looking for an easily digestible experience.

Oynadığım ilk metroidvania oyunu buydu galiba. İşin metroidvania tarafında bazı yetersizlikler tespit etsem de, farklı farklı bir sürü temaya sahip haritalara ev sahipliği yapıyor yine. Platforming biraz daha iyi olabilirmiş yalnız.

Onun haricinde dengeli bir şekilde gelişen yetenekler, ilginç hikayesi, idare eder boss'ları ve çok güzel pixel estetiği ile, hala ara sıra misyonerliğini yaptığım bir oyundur.

He, karışık bir ton uyuşturucuyu aynı anda kafaya dikmişçesine bir his uyandıran soundtrack'leri de cabası.

Popo Sensei was prostelyzing about this game a month or so ago, and that got me hella hyped to try it. As luck would have it, it came out on Wii U a few weeks ago, so I picked it up immediately, and then finally got to playing it over the last few days. My hype and excitment was very well warranted! For reference, my ending stats were: Difficulty: Normal, Time: 8:25:40, Items: 78%, Map: 94%, Death Count: 10.

I'm kind of in two minds about the combat. On one hand, there are SO many different guns you can find (like 30+, but good luck finding them all), and I found them at such a rate that it seemed to compliment the difficulty curve quite nicely. There were a good few I never used and didn't really like, but there were like 10+ guns that had quite a bit of use by the end of the game (I found like 17 of 'em). On the other hand though, I really didn't feel the bosses were that great. A good portion of them felt more like environmental puzzles than bosses, per se, and without something like a Castevania-style backdash or melee weapon, a lot of them just felt like a trick of finding the blind-spot in their line of fire (basically every enemy uses guns) where you could still hit them. Though, I suppose, in a game with so many different types of guns, it would be difficult to make bosses that synergize really well with all of them, but a necessary evil is still an evil.

Continuing on that, the controls are great. They really utilize all of the buttons on the controller (this is the first Wii U game I've seen to actually use the R3 L3 buttons, which I wasn't even sure it had) to make you feel like you have all of your powers at your disposal all the time. The curve on when you get powers is also very good, and the game is very consistent at that "teaching you without telling you"-style that the Metroid games are so good at. Relating back to the combat, the only gripe I have is with the short-range teleport/dash you get. You have to double tap the direction you're moving in to use it, and because you're using a projectile weapon, this makes it very difficult to use the dash to any calculated effect while you're in combat. I tried quite a bit in the last half of the game to find a method to the madness of that dash, but I feel it was just far more considered a platforming and exploration tool than a combat device.

Speaking of exploration, this game is soooo good at it. There are quite a few different sub-areas on the main, large map, with tons of hidden guns and power-ups squirreled away everywhere for you to find. There are even whole sub-dungeons hidden away in some places that guard some killer gun (I think there's one for all 8 main areas, but I only found 2), but those are really well hidden. You can also put two check marks on each main area's map to mark points you want to go back to, and they even stay there between play sessions! cough Castlevania cough. I'm not sure it's really the kind of "isolating" thing that someone like Exhumy Sensei likes in his Metroidvanias, though, because you have a fairly Metroid Fusion-esque story going on.

I won't say too much about the story, other than that it's well written, and surprisingly engaging for a Metroid-type game. You do have a voice that regularly communicates with you though, in a very Metroid Fusion-esque fashion, so this isn't a 0% narrative/dialogue thing like Super Metroid or Zero Mission. I really liked it though. The character dynamics are interesting though, and had a fairly System Shock-ish feel to them, which is the last I'll comment as to avoid spoilings.

Verdict: Highly recommended. This is one of the best Metroid-vania games ever. It's up there with Order of Ecclesia and Super Metroid/Zero Mission as top of the top of the crop. If you like Metroidvanias at all, you will thoroughly be delighted by Axiom Verge.

Side Note: The Wii U port is great, and I never had any problems with it other than some slight framerate dips when entering 1 or 2 larger rooms.