Reviewed on PlayStation 4
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March 30, 2015
Axiom Verge takes the adage “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and has it emblazoned across every moment of its 10-hour campaign. This 2D sidescroller pulls in most of the things that made Metroid such a classic experience: great weapons, interesting abilities, and a fantastic sense of progression. But where Nintendo’s classic presents a memorable setting with an evocative atmosphere, Axiom Verge’s world failed to leave a lasting impression on me.
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The sense of character progression throughout Axiom Verge delivers a lot of satisfaction. You’re constantly stumbling upon new powers and abilities that allow you to go back and open up dead ends you passed long ago. Gaining the ability to phase through thin walls five hours in, and then using it to grab a power-up that you saw near the beginning of the game gives a nice feeling of accomplishment for those who pay careful attention to their surroundings at all times.
Likewise, seeing your hero grow from a relatively helpless guy stranded on a strange planet, to a demigod with an arsenal that’d make Master Chief jealous is a smoothly rewarding process. The dozen-or-so guns you get all feel very different, and have specific uses. The glitch gun is handy for transforming deadly enemies into peaceful platforms, while ice beams help to slow down particularly chaotic enemies. My favorite tool in Axiom Verge’s arsenal is a small spider drone which you can deploy and fully control to scout out sticky situations while your main character hangs back in safety.
You’ll need to become familiar with all of your weapons and tools, because Axiom Verge features some awesome, challenging boss encounters. Learning their patterns and weaknesses, and ultimately slaying one of the massive beasts is a good old-fashioned rush. Controls are responsive, and the sensation of movement and combat feel great. Sure, there were a few that had me dying over and over again until I really memorized their patterns, but this was never too much of a burden thanks to Axiom Verge’s quick load times and ample checkpoints
While the combat feels great, Axiom Verge’s sense of exploration is a letdown. The map unfolds as a hodgepodge of identical squares that never really give you any indication of what you’ve stumbled across. While I appreciate a game that doesn’t hold my hand, without a clear objective I found myself getting lost far too often, especially after taking a break and coming back to the game. And without a method of fast-travel, I spent far too much time wandering back and forth across vast stretches of the map in an attempt to figure out just what the hell I should be doing.
One place Axiom Verge fails to learn from the classics is in its world design. Where Super Metroid is littered with memorable scenery and zones that feel completely different, yet spatially connected to one another, Axiom Verge’s locales never really stuck with me. Nothing about the world really felt lived in, or had any memorable personality. Metroid’s world made sense — whether it was a crashed ship to explore near the planet’s surface, or a zone near the planet’s core that’s filled with molten lava. Axiom’s world just feels arbitrary.
That goes for the story, too. Where Metroid succeeds by delivering its plot purely through environmental storytelling and atmosphere, Axiom Verge often grinds the action to a halt and delivers an exposition dump onto you. The story certainly isn’t bad, but I never felt attached to the characters or their problems, so pulling me out of the action ultimately turned into a chore.
Originally written and published by Marty Sliva at IGN Entertainment Articles. Click here to read the original story.
