Axiom Verge

I really love this game. No, more than that. I really love this style of game. The type of ability-dependant progression at the core of the Metroid and Castlevania series offer some of the most satisfying experiences I’ve had over my gaming career. Being of this ilk, what Axiom Verge does, it does very well, and despite culling much of its look from Metroid, Axiom Verge does enough to distance itself from the series making it a familiar yet fresh experience.

The game opens with some super secret science going awry in the year 2005 and your character, Trace, being transported to another planet. Unarmed and confused, Trace runs to the left and right, every once in a while jumping and falling to acquire helpful tools which will allow him to better traverse the multitude of locations and obstacles he’ll come across. If this formula sounds familiar to you, then you might have played a Metroid game in the past, though Axiom Verge does enough in its weapon and item design to distance itself from that series. For instance, just when you think you’re going to need to shrink up into a ball to roll through a tight space, you’re given the assistance of an adorable little droid who can fit into spots you can’t.

On top of this, where Metroid was constantly stacking upgrades onto what your weapon was capable of, Axiom Verge presents you with a numbers of different weapons you are free to choose from and experiment with, each with their own functionalities.

While the game heavily evokes the visuals of the original Metroid at first glance, it becomes clear rather quickly that it has its own unique style, unachievable on the NES due to its limitations. Enemies explode into masses of pixels leaving behind clusters of health orbs that magnetize to your body for example. Each area is distinctive in look, but the music also drastically changes between different locations on the map, often setting a moody atmosphere. The music will go from thumping eighties techno to what sounds like a synthesized, sinister vocal chorus. The music in the game is energetic and eerie when it needs to be and really works to enhance the creepy atmosphere set up by the H.R. Giger inspired art

Axiom Verge achieves what it sets out to do at virtually every turn. From the visuals to feel of the platforming, to the types of weapons and upgrades you acquire, Axiom Verge is one of the finest entries in the ‘Metroidvania’ genre (if we are to call it that) which is doubly impressive when you consider that it was developed by just one person. Though there were moments in the game where I felt hopelessly lost, it's difficult to gripe on that too much since it felt par to the course with the style and era of game that the developer, Thomas Happ, sought to evoke. The game does a great job at doling out upgrades and items at a pace that makes you want to keep going, and while the story wasn’t the main draw that kept me interested throughout, enough of it was delivered periodically to keep it intriguing.

I can’t stress enough how much fun I had with Axiom Verge. I consider it to be among games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid as some of the finest in that particular style of 2D platformer. If you’ve ever enjoyed the Metroid formula, or just want to play a super-cool 2D action platformer with remarkable style, then you should really check out Axiom Verge.