Axiom Verge

Story, visuals and music are all amazing. Gameplay is pretty sharp and on point, but can be a bit dull at times. Some of the bosses are annoying bullet-sponges. There are some old metroid-isms that can get rather annoying quickly. Also, there's a lot of cryptic BS, some which unlocks the cooler weapons and power-ups; you might need a guide for that, I sure did.
Overall, it's a very worthwhile experience for veterans of the genre. Wouldn't really recommend it to someone that hasn't played a Metroid game before.

I give it a "maybe". This game is not for everyone, especially if you are used to modern metroidvanias that mix Soulslike gameplay with lighter metroidvania exploration (and a lot of QoL).

This game definitely draws inspiration from earlier metroidvanias. If you are aiming for a completionist run, prepare plenty of paper so you can note and map out your discoveries, or follow a walkthrough. There are no tools to help you seek what you might have missed, and exploration is very slow, with limited quick travel methods.

But if you are simply on the lookout for a unique world to explore, it is a very unique game, with an amazing soundtrack. Just enjoy and do not worry about missing out a few upgrades or weapons!

Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Axiom Verge is a respectable entry to the Metroidvania genre, feeling
close to the vibe of some of the older 2D Metroid games. Overall, it does many things right,
creates an intriguing atmosphere through it's soundtrack, artstyle and story,
but does have some rough edges along the way.
Pro's:
- simple but catchy soundtrack that definitely adds to the vibe
- awesome pixelart at times, especially regarding backdrops and certain characters
- uniqe set of gadgets to use
- variety of weapons that allow different approaches to any situation
- interesting story to keep you motivated
- many things to discover off the beaten path
Neutral:
- This is a metroidvania thing, so it depends on how you react to it personally,
but I did get lost ~3 times along the way, not knowing where to go next to progress the story.
There are no "quest-markers" and no reminders, which makes discovering something feel
more rewarding, but also causes you to backtrack aimlessly quite a bit every now and then.
Thankfully the map shows quite nicely where there are still unexplored areas, and you'll most likely find some optional upgrades along the way.
Con's:
- Some enemies and bosses feel like it is impossible to avoid damage,
so straight-up trying to kill them before your health runs out is probably your best bet.
I'd like to be able to gain an advantage through my movement, possibly even
beating bosses without loosing health, but I honestly don't feel it's possible for some of the bosses.
Some enemies jump-attack you out of nowhere without indicators to their hiding-spots. (at least on your first try)
Other enemies tend to slow you down - laser crawlers and steam/sand creatures. Either you wait for them to pass, which tends to be annoying especially when backtracking, or you'll have to accept some damage trying to force past them.
- Finding a health upgrade-piece just to need ~4 more of the same to actually gain any effects is not a fun mechanic in my oppinion. It just spreads out the process and feels unsatisfying.
- There are some secret levels that are apparently procedurally generated. While this could be a nice idea to add to the replayability of the game, these levels felt kind of off. They were mostly a mixture of existing rooms, just with very glitchy visuals. These levels sometimes looked so broken, I couldn't even figure out which tiles you can walk on, or which tiles do damage to you. Also, once, I couldn't even exit the secret level and had to quit to the main menu to get out. That should really not happen in a game.
- there is a dash mechanic that works by pressing the trigger into the desired direction twice.
On my XBox Wireless controller, that was kind of hard to do, especially when dashing diagonally.
On the other hand I would often dash when I did not intend to.
So yeah, some rough edges here and there, but If you like the genre and are ok with some hickups,
I would still recommend this game as it had entertained me well for about 11hours.

I’m 10 years too late, but this is a great game and it still holds up. Gameplay is similar to Metroid, with some cool different gimmicks. My favorite part was the soundtrack, though!

It is a good game, although with so much high praises it got, I was expecting more...
Maybe I don't really get it.
But fun game it is.

I would buy again just for the soundtrack alone. What a masterpiece bringing back my deepest nostalgic memories.
If you fell in love with Metroid on NES, and Super Metroid on SNES, then you will fall in love with this one aswell, and potentially marry it.

I have been wanting to play this game for a while now and I had little to no knowledge about this game beforehand. I am so glad I avoided knowing anything about game because this was an amazing experience and this was overall a really fun metroidvania to play!