It's badass.
Finally getting to pick this up and play feels a bit surreal to me. I've been eyeing this since it originally released. At the time I passed on it, because I was a lame and judgy 17 yr old who wrote it off as too weird and anime. By the time I convinced myself, physical copies started getting somewhat rare in retail but I was able to find an affordable import on ebay. After playing through it, I can't say my initial impressions were wrong but Astral Chain 's over-the-top, seinen-laced DNA is precisely what endeared me to it so much.
I like how the story carries itself with a sincere grace. The game's narrative somehow manages to grip onto you despite its cast of supporting characters feeling somewhat generic. Fortunately, the twins' relationship takes center stage in the latter half of the game and it's all the better for it. It nevers feel quite too serious though and I appreciate that because I am mowing down demons with my funny dog persona after all.
Speaking of mowing down demons... The combat in this game is pure bliss. I love how responsive the dodge feels. Pulling off a row of perfect dodges into a slew of sync attacks against a miniboss/boss injects you with a metric fuck ton of adrenaline and is some of the most satisfying game feel I've ever encountered. The legions are all so varied and fun to use. There are probably some that are just objectively better to use for an entire playthrough but enemy encounters often had me switching legions mid combo depending on the situation. I like that I felt forced to experiment with the strengths of other legions because it leads to combat always feeling fresh even near the end of the game.
As much as Astral Chain tries to cutout the bullshit and throw the player into the thick of action, it also pays an impressive amount of respect to its setting. At the end of the day you are a police officer and the priority is to protect and serve. The inclusion of the IRIS and the investigation notes add an extra layer of immersion that connects you to this world, its people and its history. The game also expresses this through a variety of optional missions within in each "file" outside of the main quest. These missions can range from balancing a tower of ice cream for a snot-nosed kid to destroying a cocky officer's high score in the shooting range with your Arrow legion. Others can be more sprawling side adventures that often end up in you having to save civilians from an Eldritch horror residing in the Astral Plane. I personally think it strikes the right balance of variety and quality of content. I was a little disappointed with the lack of motorbike missions and how much time I spent on that last sliding puzzle (you know the one).
I would be remiss if I didn't throw out a mention to this game's OST. Astral Chain boasts a seamless dynamic soundtrack. The HQ and civilian area themes present moody, serene synths that effortlessly transition into the more frenetic electric guitars and drums once chimeras burst on the scene. The music is a character in itself and cranks some of the most cinematic moments in this game (like the entirety of File 11) from a 7 to a 10.
Anyways this review is already too long. This is easily a top 2 switch game and has converted me to PlatinumGames enjoyer. I hope they can make a sequel granted the funds and material are there. I'm going to go collect the S+ ranks I missed.
Finally getting to pick this up and play feels a bit surreal to me. I've been eyeing this since it originally released. At the time I passed on it, because I was a lame and judgy 17 yr old who wrote it off as too weird and anime. By the time I convinced myself, physical copies started getting somewhat rare in retail but I was able to find an affordable import on ebay. After playing through it, I can't say my initial impressions were wrong but Astral Chain 's over-the-top, seinen-laced DNA is precisely what endeared me to it so much.
I like how the story carries itself with a sincere grace. The game's narrative somehow manages to grip onto you despite its cast of supporting characters feeling somewhat generic. Fortunately, the twins' relationship takes center stage in the latter half of the game and it's all the better for it. It nevers feel quite too serious though and I appreciate that because I am mowing down demons with my funny dog persona after all.
Speaking of mowing down demons... The combat in this game is pure bliss. I love how responsive the dodge feels. Pulling off a row of perfect dodges into a slew of sync attacks against a miniboss/boss injects you with a metric fuck ton of adrenaline and is some of the most satisfying game feel I've ever encountered. The legions are all so varied and fun to use. There are probably some that are just objectively better to use for an entire playthrough but enemy encounters often had me switching legions mid combo depending on the situation. I like that I felt forced to experiment with the strengths of other legions because it leads to combat always feeling fresh even near the end of the game.
As much as Astral Chain tries to cutout the bullshit and throw the player into the thick of action, it also pays an impressive amount of respect to its setting. At the end of the day you are a police officer and the priority is to protect and serve. The inclusion of the IRIS and the investigation notes add an extra layer of immersion that connects you to this world, its people and its history. The game also expresses this through a variety of optional missions within in each "file" outside of the main quest. These missions can range from balancing a tower of ice cream for a snot-nosed kid to destroying a cocky officer's high score in the shooting range with your Arrow legion. Others can be more sprawling side adventures that often end up in you having to save civilians from an Eldritch horror residing in the Astral Plane. I personally think it strikes the right balance of variety and quality of content. I was a little disappointed with the lack of motorbike missions and how much time I spent on that last sliding puzzle (you know the one).
I would be remiss if I didn't throw out a mention to this game's OST. Astral Chain boasts a seamless dynamic soundtrack. The HQ and civilian area themes present moody, serene synths that effortlessly transition into the more frenetic electric guitars and drums once chimeras burst on the scene. The music is a character in itself and cranks some of the most cinematic moments in this game (like the entirety of File 11) from a 7 to a 10.
Anyways this review is already too long. This is easily a top 2 switch game and has converted me to PlatinumGames enjoyer. I hope they can make a sequel granted the funds and material are there. I'm going to go collect the S+ ranks I missed.