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Anyone playing Axiom Verge?

jb1234 said:
Oddly forgettable.
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weird way to put it, but yeah, it is.
I loved the game when I played; thought about going back in and 100%ing it after I finished, but never did. that was probably like 6 months ago, and now I don't think I can remember more than a couple of bosses
 
I have to ask... are any of these indie metroidvanias even worthy licking the bootstraps of Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night?
 
Just bought it on sale from PS. It's a pretty fun game. A bit challenging as well which I like.

The soundtrack is quite interesting.
 
I played it for a while. Then I got stuck, and people seem to have a demented fetish for being super coy about giving advice on the game, so I dropped it.
 
I bought it and I've been playing it. It got hard all of a sudden (I died three times!) and I'm considering giving up. I don't dislike the game, but I'm also not very enthusiastic about it.

I don't even remember a boss room that features disappearing platforms. I've defeated most of them so far by jumping and shooting in a corner.
 
I can't believe this guy did everything on this game by himself. Did he get help for any aspect of it? Just the music alone is top shelf work, to think that he also programmed and designed every stitch of the thing is amazing to me.
 
Brashnir said:
Symphony of the Night kinda sucks, so yeah.
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Disagree.

Axiom actually reminds me of Symphony in that it is dripping with style. The difference for me? Axiom plays much rougher.

Full disclosure - SOTN is one of my favorite games ever. The style, soundtrack, atmosphere, 'time and place' factor but above all the gameplay.
 
BlanketFort said:
Disagree.

Axiom actually reminds me of Symphony in that it is dripping with style. The difference for me? Axiom plays much rougher.

Full disclosure - SOTN is one of my favorite games ever. The style, soundtrack, atmosphere, 'time and place' factor but above all the gameplay.
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People crap on Super CV IV for being "babby's first CV game," but SOTN is about a billion times easier. It sucks.

Its popularity is based entirely on style and nostalgia. The late 90s are littered with terrible popular games.
 
Played it a bit when it came out on the Wii U. Was okay but was more annoyed with it then I expected to be. Hell I wasn't expecting to be annoyed by the game at all but I was. Didn't feel it was bad though. Not even close. However I wasn't over the moon either or expecting to be. Was pretty indifferent I guess going into the experience. Never finished it in the end. I will eventually though as I'm currently in "finishing games" mode so I have the backlog somewhat cleared by the time the Switch comes out.
 
Brashnir said:
People crap on Super CV IV for being "babby's first CV game," but SOTN is about a billion times easier. It sucks.

Its popularity is based entirely on style and nostalgia. The late 90s are littered with terrible popular games.
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Yep, SotN is terrible.

We got ourselves a badass up in here.
 
I lost interest in it after a few hours. Can't exactly say why, but it just didn't grab me like I was expecting.

Brashnir said:
People crap on Super CV IV for being "babby's first CV game," but SOTN is about a billion times easier. It sucks.
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The hell are you talking about? You can't even compare the two. And where is this Castlevania IV hate brigade? I've never seen it.
 
I had a great time with it. As a big Metroid fan, I loved it. Very much Metroid, with some unique worthwhile elements. There's a few things that bothered me, some of the boss fights were so so, some secrets/powerups hidden in ways that are basically impossible to find without a guide... Some of the weapons are total fluff, which I guess isn't too bad though. The narrative is a bit obtuse, obviously intentionally so, but it works as part of the overall package. The visuals, atmosphere, and OST are killer.

Looking forward to what comes next from Happ...hopefully we'll here something soonish.
 
Brashnir said:
People crap on Super CV IV for being "babby's first CV game," but SOTN is about a billion times easier. It sucks.

Its popularity is based entirely on style and nostalgia. The late 90s are littered with terrible popular games.
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The first time I ever played SoTN was on PS3, and I thought it was amazing. It's clearly a masterfully designed game. Nostalgia isn't required.
 
Been meaning to pick it up for a while. Is the Vita version good? Seems like something that I would enjoy playing on a handheld, but that earlier post in the thread has me concerned.
 
Best Metroidvania I've played since .... I don't even know.

It was an amazing experience. Was just the right length and begs for multiple play-thoughts.
 
Just trying it now, playing the Vita version. I love the feel. It feels very Metroid (though I'm not a Metroid expert or anything).
 
I started this up the other day, thinking, "Why did I stop playing this? I loved it!"

Then ran into the next room and it's that goddamn scorpion boss. Urgh.

I enjoy everything else about the game and the soundtrack is *magnificent*, but the attrition style bosses really grind things to a halt. I'm determined to finish it one day, but I'll have to start again now because I'm far too rusty for slog against that thing.

Or if anyone knows a way I can cheese that thing, let me know.
 
FriedConsole said:
Just attempted the Vita version today. Sound was messed up and then a hard crash. Guess waiting for the Vita version was a mistake.
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Not at all. I actually might say it's the best version, looks and feel more natural on that system than it did for me on PS4.

I did drift out of it pretty quickly though. I'm almost definitely going to go back and finish it in 2017.
 
Its not THAT good as someone claims (not near close to Shovel Knight perfection), but still must play for all metroid fans.
 
I've avoided a lot of the Metroidvanias that came out over the last decade. I'm curious what else I should pick up after reading some of these replies.

I've played every Castlevania, Metroid, Shadow Complex, Strider, and.... I can't think of much else. I need to look into Ori.

I'd love some recommendations to this who think Axiom Verge and SoTN are not even top 10 in the genre.
 
Played it earlier this year, got it iirc f´rom the summer sale.

I love Metroidvania games and this one just hit home. The gameplay is Metroid trough and trough with a lot of innovations and twists. The powerups are great and subvert a lot of expectations that you have from classic Metroid games.

Also that artstyle, so unique, so alien. It feels weird yet fitting and organic to the world.

Also as a general hint OP:
There is no perfect choice of weapons for any given enemy, its all up to personal preference. Although of course some work better than others for a given battle, especially bosses.

Aaaand i am listening to the soundtrack again while at work... One of the best soundtracks i have heard this year.
 
Bought it and finished it on Vita. I really liked the game and I thought it was great Metroidvania.
Loved the weapons and it really encouraged exploration.
If I had more money, I'll get it on PC too.
 
Played it earlier this year. Fantastic Metroid clone. Well worth the money. Solid experience on the Vita as well.

Worldshaker said:
I've avoided a lot of the Metroidvanias that came out over the last decade. I'm curious what else I should pick up after reading some of these replies.

I've played every Castlevania, Metroid, Shadow Complex, Strider, and.... I can't think of much else. I need to look into Ori.

I'd love some recommendations to this who think Axiom Verge and SoTN are not even top 10 in the genre.
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I second Ori and recommend Guacamelee, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse and Cave Story.
 
Argh. I'm so torn. Lots of positivity here but the people saying it's mediocre and comparing it to Metroid 1 is holding me back. My backlog is quite large as it is.

Still, I would love to support a nice game made by one guy, especially since he followed through on a Vita version.

Too bad there's no demo. I'm worried about just how rough it plays. Plus, super-obscure secrets aren't really my thing. I don't like wandering around wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do.
 
Finished it a couple of months back! Was really impressed by it. Sticks to the classic formula, but adds some really innovative perks and power-ups. I didn't really find it hard until the last couple of bosses, and I'm usually not too hot in this genre, maybe I got lucky with finding the right power-ups early on.

Great adventure! Have fun duckroll
 
Absolutely fantastic game. Right up there with Ori and Shadow Complex as the best follow ups to the original games.

Does some really cool stuff with the upgrades as well that differentiates it from what's came before.
 
HotHamBoy said:
Argh. I'm so torn. Lots of positivity here but the people saying it's mediocre and comparing it to Metroid 1 is holding me back. My backlog is quite large as it is.
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To quell your fears about it being too much like Metroid 1, that's more of general feeling than anything else. Axiom Verge is very much a modern take on that formula with all the features you'd expect. It has a more forgiving save system and is not nearly as obtuse. It has a larger variety of weapons that are fun to experiment with. It has a map that lets you set points of interest. And, it tells its backstory MOSTLY through lore that you collect on your way (similar to Metroid Prime's logs).

Some posters call the game mediocre but gaming is subjective. Not everyone will fall in love. That said, Steam reviews are "overwhelmingly positive" and the Metacritic score is strong at 80. The game is not perfect but it scratches the Metroidvania itch better than many indie titles.

HotHamBoy said:
Too bad there's no demo. I'm worried about just how rough it plays. Plus, super-obscure secrets aren't really my thing. I don't like wandering around wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do.
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It doesn't play rough at all. Everything about the play control is great. The variety of weapons makes for fun experimentation. The controls are tight. You can shoot in all directions. You can hold down a button to stand in place and shoot in any direction, too. Some abilities are dedicated to a single button on the controller (while the main weapon has a selection wheel).

Also, if there's one thing I can admit it's that the vast majority of progression is straightforward. There are few secret-based choke points. If you explore each environment and experiment with some of your abilities then you should generally know where to go and what to do. The most obscure stuff is optional. That said, you still have to expect to think outside the box in particular situations.

I'm surprised people have issues with the bosses. Most of them are just a matter of finding the weapon that feels best for taking advantage of the boss pattern.
 
It's the only Metroidvania I know that reminded me of Metroid while playing it. I like it. It's not perfect (most weapons are pretty underwhelming, you only ever need three or four of the weapons; the glitch gun is pretty ehh), but it's the next best thing after Metroid.
 
Game is pretty good but I thought the bosses were all underwhelming and spammable. Still enjoyed my time with it! The level design and skills were fun.
 
I loved it, but found the ending disappointing and anticlimactic, as in "there must be a true ending and true boss" (there is neither). Just telling so that people playing it now can temper their expectations accordingly and hopefully be less disappointed.

Otherwise the game is fantastic and among the best metroidvanias of all time.
 
I got it on Steam during the Autumn sale, and while I haven't finished it yet because of my attention constantly getting divided on other games, I've still been going back to it regularly.

I kind of like how it's a departure from the usual Metroidvania titles that seem to build more on SOTN than Metroid, and it's almost like a what it might have been like if Metroid expanded more on the original game rather than enhance the acrobatic moveset in Super.
 
Yall are going to think I'm crazy: I actually didn't think much of the music.

I never finished it, I bought it this year on WiiU. It wasn't my cup of tea. I liked a lot of parts about it but it never really captured my attention.


... It reminded me most of Contra than Castlevania or Metroid. You're constantly mashing that fire button in a very Contra like movement. Maybe I'll come back and finish it.
 
I am torn between Axiom Verge and Hyper Light Drifter. I know they aren't super similar, but for some reason I have a stitch in my brain that is making me pick one or the other at the moment :). Anyone have any recommendations?
 
I started this game when I got it,it was free on PSN or on sale,cant remember,otherwise I would not have picked it up because I knew it was a hard game and I suck at those lol and thats exactly what happened...got to the second Boss,couldnt figure out how to even damage him,tried 3 or 4 times and kept dying...didnt even bother to go look on Youtube,maybe I should,game was fun.
 
Picked it up yesterday. Defeated the first boss, but after I bought Ori and the Blind Forest I've not gotten back to it yet. As much as I liked what I saw of Axiom Verge, I think I prefer melee-based games in this genre. I'll get back to it after Ori though.

shiv_ said:
I am torn between Axiom Verge and Hyper Light Drifter. I know they aren't super similar, but for some reason I have a stitch in my brain that is making me pick one or the other at the moment :). Anyone have any recommendations?
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Split the difference: Ori and the Blind Forest or Guacamelee STCE.
 
shiv_ said:
I am torn between Axiom Verge and Hyper Light Drifter. I know they aren't super similar, but for some reason I have a stitch in my brain that is making me pick one or the other at the moment :). Anyone have any recommendations?
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If it helps, Hyper Light Drifter was on sale for $11.99 last week. Axiom Verge is still on sale for $9.99 until. Jan 5th. On PSN. It's also on sale on Steam.
 
shiv_ said:
I am torn between Axiom Verge and Hyper Light Drifter. I know they aren't super similar, but for some reason I have a stitch in my brain that is making me pick one or the other at the moment :). Anyone have any recommendations?
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I'm playing both, and I like Hyper Light Drifter a whole lot more.

It's kind of a technical disaster (at least on Linux, don't know about other platforms) with stuttery visuals and constant screen tearing. I'm not usually too bothered by these things, but it's really bad here.

It's still the better game though.
 
HotHamBoy said:
Argh. I'm so torn. Lots of positivity here but the people saying it's mediocre and comparing it to Metroid 1 is holding me back. My backlog is quite large as it is.

Still, I would love to support a nice game made by one guy, especially since he followed through on a Vita version.

Too bad there's no demo. I'm worried about just how rough it plays. Plus, super-obscure secrets aren't really my thing. I don't like wandering around wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do.
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It's nowhere close to mediocre. It plays great. It's very close to the Metroid formula while also including lots of weapons and abilities that have no counterpart in Metroid.

The only issue with the game IMO is that the use of color is pretty ugly compared to Metroid but it's cohesive and confident in itself.
 
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