Axiom Verge 2

Genre: Metroidvania

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: Included in Axiom Verge 1 & 2 Bundle along with Axiom Verge)

Axiom Verge 2 is a Metroidvania released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in 2021. The long-awaited sequel to 2015’s Axiom Verge, this game builds on some of the good ideas of its predecessor while venturing in some new directions that make it an entirely different game.

Axiom Verge 2 takes place in the same universe as the first game, but focuses on a different character, Indra, a billionaire and tech genius who is investigating disappearances at a research facility in Antarctica, only to unwittingly find herself in another world where researchers have set up a secondary facility, where they are plagued by hostile mechanical drones, and where Indra finds her abilities enhanced by breaking glass jars containing nanite swarms. The game poses multiple mysteries to the player – what is this place that seems to combine futuristic technology with the facade of an ancient culture, what was the research team doing in this place, and who is pulling the strings behind the mysterious events surrounding the facility.

The audiovisual presentation in this game is excellent, making use of pixel art visuals to depict this strange new world patrolled by machines designed to look like ancient statues, with long-abandoned structures that share this eclectic mix of new and ancient. Players will eventually find their way into a second alternate world with stylized lower-resolution pixel art visuals that set it apart visually from the other world. These visuals are a good deal more colorful and varied than what was seen in the first Axiom Verge.

These visuals are backed by a soundtrack that pairs synth with a Mediterranean flair that makes it something really unique, though I feel like it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. When going into the low-resolution world I mentioned above, these tunes change to more low-fi synth beats more befitting to the look and feel of those worlds. Some noteworthy songs here include White Sand City, Monsoon, Argentum Alias, and Interstitial Drift.

In terms of the gameplay, players expecting a game that plays like the original Axiom Verge may be surprised to find that Axiom Verge 2 has no intention to provide more of the same experience. Right from the onset, players will be fighting mostly using melee attacks as opposed to the firearms of the original, and projectile attacks here are generally limited, such as the boomerang that’s somewhat slow and limited in range.

This limitation doesn’t necessarily mean that this game is difficult – enemies in Axiom Verge 2 do not damage you on contact, meaning that players needn’t worry about avoiding those enemies as much as you need to evade their attacks. This makes for some interesting moments where players can run right through a horde of enemies without taking damage, or even making running right up to a massive boss and wailing on him at point-blank range a perfectly viable strategy.

That’s not to say that bosses in this game are all pushovers, or that they’re simple. Some of the bosses in this game are quite cleverly-crafted, and the way this game handles combat means that players will at times be challenged to be similarly creative in their approach to fighting those enemies. It bears mention that one of the other major changes here are that bosses in this game are technically optional – if you prefer, you can simply slip by a boss and move on to the exit. Defeating bosses gives players the ability to power up their character in various ways, but they don’t act as progress gates, meaning you can always come back to challenge a particularly tough boss after you’ve gained new power-ups and abilities.

Speaking of abilities in this game, these are fairly unique, and spread across both your human character and the drone, with each gaining new traversal options as you progress. Abilities like the drone’s rubber band-esque grapple ability and Indra gaining the ability to climb vertical surfaces seem particularly good at making this game feel different from others within the genre.

One other thing that seems different about Axiom Verge 2 compared to its predecessor is that its world seems more open-ended, and at any given time you may very well have multiple options for exploration, meaning the game is a little less prone to the “okay, where do I go now?” frustration that’s all too common in Metroidvanias (although that still happens on occasion). This is partly due to the additional world that players will primarily explore as a small drone, which not only makes these sections feel fairly unique and adds an element of variety, but it also makes this feel like a more fleshed-out part of the game.

When it comes to complaints, I think the challenge level is pretty erratic, going from laughably easy to fiendishly hard and back surprisingly frequently. Also, the map doesn’t do quite a good enough job pointing out landmarks. Speaking of the map, as one might expect in a good Metroidvania, it’s fairly large, and unfortunately players won’t get a way to fast travel until multiple hours into the game.

However, these complaints are relatively minor, and overall Axiom Verge 2 is a great game that sets itself well apart from its predecessor to be a great Metroidvania in its own right. There’s plenty of good exploration, unique abilities, a compelling story, and a great presentation. Fans of Metroidvanias should definitely check it out, and may find it worth a look even if they didn’t care for the first game.

tl;dr – Axiom Verge 2 is a Metroidvania that is a big departure from the first game, focusing on a new character, with new enemies, a completely different set of abilities, and a compelling new sci-fi plot to follow. This game has excellent exploration, some fun and unique traversal options, and while there are definitely some areas where it could be improved, this is overall a must-play entry in the genre.

Grade: A

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2021 Game Awards:

Winner:

Best Metroidvania – Before you bring out the torches and pitchforks, hear me out. I thoroughly enjoyed Metroid Dread. However, I felt like its one major new mechanic, the EMMI robots, ultimately made for multiple issues that made that game worse to play, and the overall world design was unfortunately more disjointed than I feel best suits a Metroidvania. Meanwhile, Axiom Verge 2 is a game that does multiple clever things within the genre, including enemies that don’t damage you upon contact, bosses that are skippable, an alternate low-res world you explore with a drone with different gameplay mechanics… and all of this is in a game that plates very differently than the first Axiom Verge. Metroid Dread may be more visually-impressive and a more noteworthy release for what it represents, but no Metroidvania thrilled me more in 2021 than Axiom Verge 2.

Runner-Up – Game of the Year, Most Underrated, Best Music

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