Axiom Verge (2017)

Publisher: Thomas Happ Games
Developer: Thomas Happ Games
Director: Thomas Happ
Platform: Nintento Switch

Overview:
After a freak accident, a researcher finds himself on an alien world that has been devastated by a mad scientist.

Gameplay:
This is a classic Metroidvania-style game, which is exactly why it caught my interest. For a while there it looked like we might not get another Metroid game and the IGA-style Castlevanias only live on through Igarashi's independent project Bloodstained, so I was certainly looking to get my fix somewhere. I'm happy to say that the core gameplay continues that proud tradition admirably. There is a good variety of weapons and other powerups that keep combat and exploration interesting.

Story/Characters:
You might expect an action-oriented game like this to be light on plot, but there actually is a decent story to be had, judiciously doled out so that you're not trapped in some interminable text dump. There are some interesting twists and I rather liked Trace's interactions with the Rusalkis.

Graphics:
The graphical style is somewhere between 8- and 16-bit. The main character sprite feels a bit small, but you get used to it. (He shrinks even further when you face some of the gigantic boss battles.) It all looks good and the different areas have distinctive looks to them so it doesn't just feel like a copy-paste level editor was used. I particularly like the design of the Rusalkis, which are rightfully used to headline the game in promotional materials.

Music/Sound:
The music, composed by the game's developer Thomas Happ, is quite good, well-suited to the atmosphere. "Inexorable" in particular has a way of sticking in my head and "Trace Rising" is a good high-energy boss theme. It's all top-tier stuff.

The sound effects do their job and I appreciate how distinctive the different weapons sound.

Conclusion:
If you like Metroidvania-style games, you're going to be quite pleased with this. I could've gotten this for $10 on Steam, but I decided to pay twice as much just so I could play it on my Switch instead and I consider every cent to have been well spent. This is definitely worth having and one of the finest examples of what indie games have to offer.

Rating:
Own It