There's really no way to write this review without mentioning Nintendo's "Metroid". While many games have spawned from the platforming exploration genre it defined, few have been as true and accurate of a love letter as Axiom Verge. This is not to say that Axiom Verge is a rip-off. Not by any means! If anything, it's a tribute that knows exactly what made Metroid great, and pays homage to those elements.

The title starts in typical fashion with an extremely large (and unforgiving) world/map that you can only access scraps of, at the game's beginning. Each navigation item acquired opens up more of the map, until eventually the player feels like a space ninja, with nothing out of their reach or bounds.

On the topic of navigation and exploration, Axiom Verge is much more true to its roots than many recent titles in the genre. There's no color coded doors or blocks. When you get an item that expands your ability to traverse the landscape, it's on YOU (the player) to figure out or remember where said item can be applied. While this can result in a bit of frustration and backtracking, I found it to feel a lot more satisfying.

As for other factors:
* The graphics are great (Pixel art, but with very intricate and detailed designs)
* Music is phenomenal (the game does a great job of capturing the feeling of isolation and an alien environment through the insturment choice and composition.)
* The story was really enjoyable for me (A lot of things are left unresolved, but done so tastefully as to keep the player thinking about it long after beating the game. Lots of great worldbuilding, and plenty of room for a hopeful sequel.)
* Gameplay in general is also great. (Fairly fast paced, good flow of enemy and platforming difficulty, with some real fun boss fights)

The best way I can really put it is that Axiom Verge is quite frankly the best "Metroid" game to come out in quite some time. (Not Metroidvania, Metroid. Thomas Happ is doing the genre better than Nintendo themselves at this point.) The elements of the Metroidvania genre (platforming, exploration, gatekeeping through items) are handled in a superb manner, and the game has enough personality to be memorable, standing apart on its own. For anyone who is remotely a fan of the genre (especially of the earlier NES and SNES titles) I can't recommend this title enough.

There's really no way to write this review without mentioning Nintendo's "Metroid". While many games have spawned from the platforming exploration genre it defined, few have been as true and accurate of a love letter as Axiom Verge. This is not to say that Axiom Verge is a rip-off. Not by any means! If anything, it's a tribute that knows exactly what made Metroid great, and pays homage to those elements. The title starts in typical fashion with an extremely large (and unforgiving) world/map that you can only access scraps of, at the game's beginning. Each navigation item acquired opens up more of the map, until eventually the player feels like a space ninja, with nothing out of their reach or bounds. On the topic of navigation and exploration, Axiom Verge is much more true to its roots than many recent titles in the genre. There's no color coded doors or blocks. When you get an item that expands your ability to traverse the landscape, it's on YOU (the player) to figure out or remember where said item can be applied. While this can result in a bit of frustration and backtracking, I found it to feel a lot more satisfying. As for other factors: * The graphics are great (Pixel art, but with very intricate and detailed designs) * Music is phenomenal (the game does a great job of capturing the feeling of isolation and an alien environment through the insturment choice and composition.) * The story was really enjoyable for me (A lot of things are left unresolved, but done so tastefully as to keep the player thinking about it long after beating the game. Lots of great worldbuilding, and plenty of room for a hopeful sequel.) * Gameplay in general is also great. (Fairly fast paced, good flow of enemy and platforming difficulty, with some real fun boss fights) The best way I can really put it is that Axiom Verge is quite frankly the best "Metroid" game to come out in quite some time. (Not Metroidvania, Metroid. Thomas Happ is doing the genre better than Nintendo themselves at this point.) The elements of the Metroidvania genre (platforming, exploration, gatekeeping through items) are handled in a superb manner, and the game has enough personality to be memorable, standing apart on its own. For anyone who is remotely a fan of the genre (especially of the earlier NES and SNES titles) I can't recommend this title enough.