Axiom Verge

So I got a new game... Axiom Verge



This one looks like a 'MetroidVania' style game.  Exploration, item collections & upgrades that allow you to find your way into previously blocked areas...  Combination of old-school Metroid & Castlevania.  Even the graphics on this game appear to be retro.  I'll get my PS3 controller out for this one.  I'll be back soon with my initial thoughts.
Nice intro animation

This is going to be an easy review to write.  If you've played the original Nintendo Metroid, then you've got a feel for this game already.  It's been updated for today's hardware, but this is definitely a Metroid game.

If the above paragraph did nothing for your frame of reference, then I'll go into more detail.

The Beginning...

Your first weapon
 It's a platforming, 2D scrolling exploration game.  You get a variety of weapons and upgrades that let you explore an alien world, killing various aliens, without much plot or explanation.

Very Giger-eske
 It's a fun game; it's well done in graphics, sound, and control.  I have no complaints about any of those areas.   Controls are fluid and responsive.  I never felt like I was fighting the controls to make them do what I wanted.  The PS3 controller worked great from the outset; I didn't have to do any special configuration or settings for the controller to be detected or operate.  Note: I did already have the PS3 controller drivers installed prior to running the game.  If you need help with that, leave a comment below and I'll point you in the right direction to getting your controller setup under windows.

First boss fight
The only boss fight I encountered was pretty standard-fare.  Hit the thing enough times, and when it starts blinking red, you know it's going to die soon.   When they blink red, you know they're going to move faster and hit harder.  Sure enough, that's applied here too.


Upgrades!
 I didn't get that many upgrades so far; the one I did get was a nice laser drill.  It's handy for getting through certain kinds of rock that may or may not be obviously broken.  I found a few areas that didn't look like I could drill through them, but after some trial-and error, I found a few hidden tunnels.


I love me some old fashioned enemy sprites
The enemies seem to be fairly well varied, both in appearance and in behavior.  Color-shifted enemies are tougher than their original-color counterparts. 

Can't make this jump now, but some upgrade will let me later
 Exploration is fun; they did a good job making it clear that you just can't get beyond certain obstacles until you come back with some kind of upgrade.  Will it be a double jump, or something else to let you hit that switch on the wall? 

Old-school save points
The music deserves a mention.  It's a great techno mix with an 8-bit feel to it.  It's repetitive, but not overly so.  It fits the graphics perfectly, in my opinion.  I believe you can purchase the soundtrack separately as DLC though Steam.

These guys are freaky.

The environment graphics are a great homage to old Metroid style games, in the Giger fashion.  I feel like I haven't scratched the surface yet; it definitely seems like there's a lot more to see here.  I can put it like this: when my timer went off indicating I'd been playing for half an hour, I didn't want to stop playing to write down my thoughts.  I wanted to keep playing, and that's an excellent sign.

What I liked:  The graphics, the sounds, the gameplay...  Pretty much everything.  It's a well made game.

What I didn't like:  Some of the controller buttons to switch weapons were a little counter-intuitive at first.  They'll take getting used to, I think.

I hope that if you decide to pick up a copy of this game, you enjoy it as well. 

Thanks for reading.

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