Dan Geeks Out: Video Game Review #432: Axiom Verge

Axiom Verge

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

I first got my PlayStation 4 back in 2017. Axiom Verge was one of the first games I purchased for my new console. Fast forward six years later, and I still hadn't played the game yet. Well, wouldn't you know it - I was looking for a good game from 2015 to play for Mop Up Duty. Axiom Verge was released in 2015. Just the excuse I needed to finally give this game a chance.

All I knew coming into this game was that it was inspired by Metroid. Little did I know, this game basically is Metroid. Read on for my full analysis.

Story:

You take control of a man named Trace. Prior to the events of the game, Trace is knocked unconscious in a laboratory accident. He then wakes up in the strange, alien world of Axiom Verge. Exploring this new world, Trace discovers that its inhabitants were wiped out by a pandemic of some kind. This place used to be a prosperous galactic hub that connected many worlds. The only survivors are these giant metallic creatures that are broken down and in disrepair.

Trace discovers that he is a clone of the man who brought this havoc upon these people. Athetos was his name. He wanted to bring the alien technology back to Earth to help advance humanity, but the aliens said no - so he wiped them out. He was never able to bring the alien technology back home, instead finding himself trapped while hooked up to some sort of computer. The surviving aliens cloned Trace from Athetos's DNA in order to defeat Athetos and undo the damage he'd wrought upon this alien world.

At least I think that is what is happening. I'm sure I got some details incorrect, or glossed over a few important plot points. This game is somewhat confusing and throws a lot of lore and big, made up words at you right off the bat. I never really had a firm grasp of what was truly going on - so I did myself a favor and simplified things in my mind.

All in all, it works. I'm not sure if the ending is meant to signify that this is an endless loop that keeps happening over and over again or what, but there is a sequel to this game and I am very interested in checking it out.

Gameplay:

As I mentioned in my intro, this game feels like it could actually be an entry in the Metroid series. It looks like Metroid. It sounds like Metroid. It controls like Metroid. You have a big map to explore. It is separated into sections. Each map is filled with enemies, hidden items, and branching paths to take. The world of the game, while big, never seems overwhelming. And the map does a great job tracking your process and letting you know where you've been and where you haven't.

This game acts like Metroid in the sense that not all areas are accessible right off the bat. You can see somewhere you know you need to go, but the platform is too high to reach. So you know you have to come back later when you obtain a high jump.

Combat is like Metroid in the sense that you shoot your enemies, and they drop health or bomb items for your character. Actual upgrades are scattered throughout the entire game. Save rooms look almost exactly like save rooms in Metroid games. Boss battles play out like they would in a Metroid game. Seriously, Axiom Verge is Metroid, yo.

There are some differences that set it apart, however. The one that stands out the most to me is the weapon variety. In Metroid, you only had a small number of weapons, and most of them served some kind of purpose when it came to helping you solve puzzles. In this game, you have a mammoth variety of weapons, and they all serve one purpose: to destroy your enemies. Play around and find out which ones work best for you. All these weapons help accommodate different play styles for different players.

Another big difference is in the drone that you can deploy. As I was playing through the early sections of this game, I kept seeing narrow passages that my character couldn't fit through. I thought it was only a matter of time before a Morph Ball inspired upgrade came into play. Everything else was ripped off directly from Metroid. Why not this? Turns out I was wrong, but in a good way. You obtain a drone that you can send off into these tunnels. It can jump, it can attack, and it has many different uses. Even when I wasn't trying to explore secret passages, I'd send my drone ahead to scout, especially if my character was low on health.

The biggest difference from Metroid however is in the whole "glitch" aspect of the game. You have in your possession this glitch ray thingamabob. When you shoot your enemies with it, it glitches them and alters their code in some way. A lot of enemies, it makes them easier to defeat. Some enemies changes their makeup entirely. For example, there are flying enemies that you can glitch, and it turns them into flying platforms you can use to reach the next area. You can also use this glitch ray on the environment to uncover hidden platforms or secret areas.

The game itself took me about 11 or 12 hours to complete, and I only collected 55% of the game's secrets. I've never been one of those players that has to collect everything. I just want to see the majority of what the game has to offer, and then move onto the next one. I feel I more than got my money's worth out of Axiom Verge. But it is good to know that there is still a LOT more hidden in this game's world if I ever wanted to come back to it and clean up a bit.

Graphics:

These screenshots may not look like much, but this is a very good looking game. You have to see this game in action to appreciate it. It looks like an 8 bit Metroid game with modern improvements. It has awesome special effects, giant bosses, and some really cool looking backgrounds, but still the game manages to maintain that classic feel to it like it was released in the 80s or 90s. Just look at some of the blocks and textures in this game. Classic Metroid. There are also some hints of Rygar, Celeste, and Bionic Commando to be found in this game's visual style.

Sound:

I really like the music in this game. Loud, in your face techno beats really get you pumped up during the combat intensive areas of the game. Axiom Verge knows how to scale back and give you some quiet, eerie moments as well. This really helps build the atmosphere of the game.

Sound effects are also good. Everything meshes together perfectly to create a really fun and intense experience. And I'm 100% here for it.

Overall:

I don't know why, because most of the reviews for this game have been positive, but I really didn't expect to like Axiom Verge when I first started playing. Once I fired up the game, that feeling lasted all of about 30 seconds. Right away this game grabbed my attention and made me do that sitting up in the chair thing.

The game is just flat out good. There is no way around it. Great controls, an interesting story, a wonderful atmosphere, awesome graphics and music, and a giant, fun world to explore. I really, really had a good time with Axiom Verge. Anyone who is a fan of Metroid will probably love this. I don't see how you can't!

What are some negatives? Well, there is a lot of backtracking. A LOT of backtracking. Normally you expect that in games like this, which is fine. But Axiom Verge takes things to a whole new level. Especially when you have to backtrack through vertically scrolling areas that require precision jumping. I am referring specifically to that area on the far right side of the map. It's a pain in the butt.

The game can also be quite hard at times. It's never too frustrating, because save points are aplenty and when you die you respawn at them with full health and items. But there are a ton of frustrating enemies that block your path that are bullet sponges and can do major damage to your character in no time. Just getting from one save point to another can be a real chore sometimes because I found myself dying so often.

The good to this game definitely outweighs the bad, however. I can't stop thinking about how much I liked this game. Just like I felt with The Evil Within - my previous review. I am very lucky to have played two awesome games in succession like this. Mop Up Duty hasn't always been kind, and some real clunkers have come along my way in the last year. Let's keep the good times rolling!

THE GRADE:

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1982 reviews:

1983:

1984:

Frogger II: Threedeep!