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    Axiom Verge

    Game » consists of 13 releases. Released Mar 31, 2015

    A sidescrolling action-adventure that takes inspiration from Super Metroid and other "Metroidvania" games. The player controls Trace, a scientist who finds himself in a strange and hostile world.

    scottmachesky's Axiom Verge (PlayStation 4) review

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    A Game of Clones

    Thomas Happ must be a busy man. When he isn’t developing AAA titles, he’s working, solely mind you, on an ambitious 2D side scroller that most closely resembles, well, you know. Its that kind of game which features copious amounts of backtracking and hard to reach sections that seal off entire worlds until the right power up is discovered. I promised myself I wouldn’t use the term while writing this review. The kind of game that begins with tiny snail enemies, and the first direction to go is actually left and NOT right? Ah hell, Axiom Verge is a Metroidvania (gasp) style game which subverts the expectations of the player just enough so as to make this rather tired genre of gaming receive one last gasp of air.

    Actually, calling it a Metroidvania game isn’t entirely accurate; Axiom Verge is essentially a spiritual successor to the NES Metroid, with a few caveats. Unlike Metroid, Axiom Verge boasts an extensive arsenal of weaponry indicative of an Insomniac title. Trace (the hero) begins affairs simply enough with the “axiom disruptor,” a laser pistol with medium range and the damage rate of a pistol - pea shooter, if you will. Secrets within the game’s world will ultimately reveal a great variety of destruction, including a giant tetherball, a homing cannon, freezing shards, and a shotgun like beam that can maneuver past walls. And that’s just a sampling...expect to find closer to fifteen near the game’s end.

    Where Axiom Verge truly stands apart from being another Metroid clone is in its power-ups. There are no screw attacks, no rolling into a ball bombing previous obstructions, and even no Varia suit; this is where Axiom Verge really works best. In a way, it’s a deconstruction of the Metroid formula, while still performing within the same rules and structure. There are still unreachable areas and impenetrable blocks, and there are new and inventive ways in which to negotiate these obstacles. One of Trace’s earliest power ups is in the form of a power drill that can plow through concrete. There is no double jump or jetpack, but rather a teleportation glitch acquired through lab coats (this game’s version of the power suit). The last example I’ll mention is the glitch gun, a sort-of hacking device which wash away heavily pixelated areas throughout the environment. A neat feature to this tool is the ability to physically alter the properties of most enemies (excluding bosses), typically making them easier to incapacitate.

    Disappointingly, the bosses usually don’t function as Mega Man style puzzles that require a specific tool or weapon. Instead, they’re simply colossal bullet sponges with a couple patterns to evade and that’s it. I found myself resorting to the game’s default disruptor for the majority of these encounters. Every defeated boss does explode into a beautiful mess of bloody pixels, a neat retro effect that is as cool as it is rewarding - an effect which brings to mind the oft talked about voxels showcased in Resogun. The visuals themselves seem plucked straight out of a late era NES style game, and thankfully, Trace is a much smaller size than the gargantuan Samus that comprises nearly a fourth of the screen in Super Metroid.

    There’s a surprising bit of story that deals in the usual sci-fi techno-babble. As mentioned earlier, you play as a reluctant scientist (Half Life nod) named Trace who initially has no idea how he landed on this alien planet. Along the way you’ll encounter a few twists and meet some pretty interesting characters, but on the whole, this game follows the Metroid philosophy of stark isolation. Sections within the world feel unique enough, complete with their own science fiction chiptune soundtrack (it’s pretty fantastic).

    While Axiom Verge is one of the better examples to come out of the Metroidvania style, the amount of backtracking that is required is absolutely ridiculous. I’ve never recalled a game, Metroids included, that forced the player to return to the same sections of the map multiple times. Therein lies the problem with the game’s weapon system; the variety of weaponry is welcome, sure, but some weapons are far more essential than others, and need to be found. But you would only know to find them if you’d decided to return to Kur or Ukkin-na for literally the fourth or fifth time. I understand this game is very old school, and that backtracking is a primary feature in this genre, but the amount of items that seemed to be part of the critical path was gratuitous. Gamers should be encouraged, not forced, to painstakingly comb over the game’s multitude of secrets.

    Aside from the backtracking and boss battles, Axiom Verge proves itself to be a wonderful example of Metroid game, perhaps even to the point of being an official spiritual successor to Super Metroid. Fans have been clamoring for another 2D entry since the two GBA classics, and Thomas Happ set out on the remarkably ambitious journey to make that happen.

    Other reviews for Axiom Verge (PlayStation 4)

      From the Bench: Axiom Verge 0

      Axiom Verge is a game that wants you to know that it carries Metroid in its heart and wears that heart on its sleeve. From the faux 8-bit graphical style, to the midi-eque sci-fi score, and even to the shape of the doors, Axiom Verge spares no effort in reminding you where it came from. The plus side of this nostalgia is that the game is incredibly successful in evoking fond memories of the older Metroid games. The downside comes when you realize Axiom Verge compares pretty unfavorably to both i...

      2 out of 3 found this review helpful.

      Axiom Verge Review 0

      Axiom Verge isn't the first game that has been entirely developed by a sole developer, but the story regarding how the game came into fruition is one for the record books. Working at the talented Petroglyph Games as an engineer, Tom Happ created every aspect of the game over the past five years; the majority of which occurred during his time with the company. Working on the game on nights and weekends, an alpha build of the game was originally part of the Dream.Build.Play challenge in 2012.Since...

      1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

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