Llegan las primeras reviews (bastante positivas) del Metroidvania desarrollado en solitario por Tom Happ, Axiom Verge, que estará disponible a partir del 1 de Abril en la PS Store en exclusiva para PS4. Habrá un versión para PS Vita con fecha aún por determinar y otra para PC cuya salida se va a Junio.
I'm not sure that I'll actually go back and collect 100% of the items and seek out alternate endings, but that first playthrough is absolutely killer. I found myself scouring edges of the map in search of secrets and really had a fantastic time doing it. It looks great, controls really well, and has a level of difficulty that makes things challenging without making them overtly frustrating. If you've ever been into this sort of action-adventure game, Axiom Verge is positively terrific.
Although it closely follows the Metroidvania blueprint, the brilliantly designed and executed Axiom Verge adds enough new and original features to make it a truly great game in its own right. An absolute must for retro fans.
All in all, Axiom Verge is a wonderful 2D romp in the land of sci-fi and it doesn’t let up once you start. This game could definitely be mistaken for a Metroid game by the uninformed retro gamer and, honestly, I feel that’s a wonderful compliment. I’m pretty sure that was exactly on Tom’s mind when he started work on Axiom Verge many years ago. In fact, I’m impressed that this labor of love was accomplished by one person, let alone the fact that I really can’t say anything negative about the title. And that’s not saying I want to but, you also have the good with the bad. I wouldn’t be doing you, our fans and readers, the justice if I didn’t do that. I’m happy to report that if you’re looking for that perfect game to keep you busy while scratching that Metroid-style itch, then Axiom Verge is just the game for you.
Throughout my time with Axiom Verge I was constantly excited to explore strange worlds, gain game-changing powerups, and fire off a new gun for the first time. Almost everything you pick up feels meaningful, unlike collecting overabundant missile-capacity expansions that you don’t even need. I heartily applaud Tom Happ’s first solo effort. It’s incredible that he was able to nail every component of game creation in one package. I’ll wait as long as it takes for him to build a follow-up. When everything works this well, why let someone else get in there and screw it up?
Axiom Verge is an all-too rare occurrence in video games; a true-to-form experience that effortlessly negotiates the gulf between originality and that of paying an explicit homage to a bygone era by injecting just enough modern sensibility to make the adventure stand independently amongst its peers. All without pandering, diluting or straying too far from the blueprint set forth by games of similar ilk all those years ago. At its apex, Tom Happ's brainchild unequivocally proves just how far video game development has come in such a short space of time and that you can in fact teach an old dog new tricks.
Axiom Verge is PlayStation's very own Metroid. That may sound a teensy bit degrading, but there's no denying that this and Nintendo's own space-faring adventure have more than a few things in common. Still, if being compared to one of the most beloved game series of all time isn't a compliment, then we don't know what is. If you've never seen the appeal of these types of games, then chances are this won't change your mind. Devoted fans of the genre, however, will no doubt adore Tom Happ's opus.
Even so, Axiom Verge is a faithful throwback in design and approach, but the game’s clever mechanics help add flair and originality. The colorful levels, the synth heavy soundtrack, and the varied weaponry create a feel that’s unlike anything seen today, and the boss battles are equal parts challenge and bombast. There are certainly some nitpicks to be hard with the game, but they do little to overshadow Axiom Verge’s core gameplay. When we talk about retro games evolving AND preserving age-old concepts, Axiom Verge is a pitch perfect example.
Axiom Verge is a game that's easy to fall in love with because it hits so many high notes. It takes the Metroidvania model and adds layers of ingenuity that are in a league all of their own, the most notable being the Address Disruptor. Yes it's occasionally drab looking, and some enemies may not fit in with the rest of the world, but when a game is this good, these blemishes quickly fade into the back of your mind. The chilling sci-fi setting, mysterious plot, and a seemingly endless number of abilities keep your mind busy, and your curiosity at fever pitch.
It's not a stretch to say that Axiom Verge is better than the games that inspired it, because it's so inventive and thoughtfully crafted. There's no excuse to hold onto the past when the present is this amazing.
Despite occasional moments of feeling slightly uncomfortable by just how much Axiom Verge feels like Metroid, I still felt compelled to see this journey to the end. The weapons feel great, the character progression is rewarding, and bringing down a massive boss is awesome. While I wish it balanced it's lack of mission explanations with its overabundance of exposition, I still really enjoyed my time in its strange, yet familiar world.
It's just a shame that given the obvious talent and passion involved, it doesn't really have much of its own to add to the Metroidvania template. As charmed and delighted as I often was with its smartly paced escalation, its perpetually teasing construction, I kept waiting for some new element to appear, a eureka moment that either hadn't been thought of in 1986, or that could only be done today. It never quite happens. Axiom Verge seems content to be a homage, rather than a revival or reinvention. That's fine, since there's already plenty to justify your interest, but it feels like Happ has more to contribute than he's showing here.
