Axiom Verge

Granting this game is a decade old, its retro style makes it a bit timeless, so I figure I'll drop a review anyway. I wanted to give this game a longer try, though I was on the fence about it throughout my time with it. I do really like the visuals (I know), and soundtrack (I know), the gameplay seemed from my time getting just a little way past the first boss, passable and interesting, if challenging, though I worried it would become boring and frustrating before too much longer, as the 2nd boss was especially boring and repetitive, taking a very long time to defeat even after getting its pattern down and taking no damage the whole time. The platforming was also a little frustrating at points. Ultimately what made me put it down however, is the aiming system. You have to hold one of the triggers to lock the character in place so you can use the movement controls to aim his weapon (d-pad or stick), as the other stick selects the weapon type. I think it would have been better if the r...

Kinda mid, it's closer to Metroid 1 than Super Metroid in gameplay, there are TONS of secrets (some randomly generated and very hard to find) and the items don't appear on the map so I didn't feel there was much point to trying to find everything. The story is awful and doesn't really conclude, just a bunch of weird cliffhangers. Idk why its so popular, maybe at the time there weren't many good Metroidvanias idk. I'd say it's worth it on very steep discount (buy for 5 bucks or less), otherwise it's a waste of money.

Better than metroid.

Great game, great atmosphere, great soundtrack, solid story, nothing much to hate just that it might not be everyones cup of tea - 8.5/10

Axiom Verge is a beautiful representation of the metroidvania genre reborn from the days of Castlevania and Metroid. Couldn't recommend it more, even to this day. It's even better now that it has Archipelago support. :D

40 minutes in. I counted, and I have found 16 directions that I cannot go with no clear path forward. There has been no plot, so I don't know where I am, what's going on, where I'm trying to go, or anything. One boss beaten, two weapons, and one drill. I haven't even found the main mechanic of the game yet! Just lost drilling walls hoping one will break and reveal a path. I shouldn't need a guide within 40 minutes. Edit: I found a 17th way!!!! EditEdit: It's a dead end too.

This is... mostly pretty great. It makes me wish the Steam voting system wasn't just "Yes/No" because it'd definitely not be that far yes. It's a perfectly solid retro-styled metroidvania. Some fun music and vibes and some creative mechanics too. Exploring the world and stuff was pretty fun for at least the first 2/3rds of the game. The last act gets a bit rough though. A few too many annoying to deal with or strong overworld enemies that are hard to hit without just tanking damage. Some bosses that are the same. Towards the end you've explored most of most areas so you end up retracing your steps lots and lots to find the one nook or cranny you might not have used your new ability on in case it unlocks a new area. There's also a classic metroidvania issue of this huge abundance of different weapons you can use - most of which feel basically useless and like you may as well just use the base weapon or one or two others. It's still pretty decent and fun, but to be blunt I can't sa...

The inspiration of Metroid is very evident. The abilities that you obtain are very fun to use. Which is really good because there is alot of back tracking with the new abilities.

I ... can't stand this game... and I love Metroidvanias. I have the phasing jacket, I have the swing, the little bug drone, and have all the guns... now I'm just wondering around aimlessly. It'd be fine if the map was small enough. But there's like 8 different biomes to go through, and they're all a methodical pain in the ass to get through. The swinging is dog crap. I know this indie dev is trying to go for the aged 8-bit Bionic Commando garbage with the swinging upgrade. But it's useless, annoying, unfun, and only useful in specific areas or finding items or upgrades with absolutely no payoff. Even in 2015 you should've had better swinging. I hate the bosses too. It's "satisfying" to beat them, but some of the later ones require too much patience and persistence. Once you figure out how to beat a boss, it's just chippin' away at the boss' big ray gun, while dodging it on a tiny platform... I hate these "member berry" games by indies where they try to polish it with new age...

Reminiscent of the original Metroid, but much more complicated. There are a ton of weapons that function quite differently. The combat is mostly fun. Certain enemies I found to be quite annoying, with no simple way to deal with them. I'm sure there was a way, I just didn't know how. They just move fast and make it difficult to hit them while avoiding projectiles or the actual enemy. Most were easy enough to deal with. The bosses are all elaborate and cool looking. There are some equipment upgrades that make traversal and exploration easier and more interesting. There is one movement ability that is tied to the d-pad and it doesn't really work great, I didn't think so anyway. I know all the other buttons were tied up with other stuff, but it made it very difficult to use to get to some of the secrets and awkward in combat. I actually played this game years ago, but had Axiom Verge 2 in my library for a while and finally decided to play it. Figured I'd give this game a run through again...