Astral Chain

 Switch
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3468 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,079 out of 3468
  2. Mixed: 143 out of 3468
  3. Negative: 246 out of 3468
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Ryijun
    Jul 11, 2020
    7
    Dynamic and cool action. The combat system is unusual and difficult to master. Bosses are good. But the chosen anime style and overall created story limp on one and a half legs. Characters are not registered almost in any way. I mean, the game seems to have a good plot and light drama, but it turns out that all this is not supported by anything interesting. As a result, we only get action.Dynamic and cool action. The combat system is unusual and difficult to master. Bosses are good. But the chosen anime style and overall created story limp on one and a half legs. Characters are not registered almost in any way. I mean, the game seems to have a good plot and light drama, but it turns out that all this is not supported by anything interesting. As a result, we only get action. Well, OK, so that's what the developer intended.)… Expand
  2. pdecou
    Aug 31, 2019
    7
    le jeu ne fonctionne pas bien, les phases d'action sont sympas mais elles ont des problèmes:
    - trop de frénésie de combat
    - la caméra ne vous fait rien comprendre - Après quelques heures, vous devenez si fort que vous n'avez plus besoin de vous enchaîner ni de tactique, c'est très facile. le reste offre de bonnes choses mais aussi des choses laides, de nombreuses quêtes de    le jeu ne fonctionne pas bien, les phases d'action sont sympas mais elles ont des problèmes:
    - trop de frénésie de combat
    - la caméra ne vous fait rien comprendre
    - Après quelques heures, vous devenez si fort que vous n'avez plus besoin de vous enchaîner ni de tactique, c'est très facile.

    le reste offre de bonnes choses mais aussi des choses laides, de nombreuses quêtes de récupération, de nombreuses tâches identiques, et certains niveaux ne sont que des corridors ... dommage pour les 30 images par seconde même s'ils ne se sentent pas beaucoup

    Je pensais mieux    … Expand
  3. Starward
    Oct 1, 2021
    7
    Astral Chain is a mix between Bayonetta and JoJo, and it works out amazing. The combat is very unique and I love the aesthetic of the world. However, the story is boring and the framerate drops make the combat worse than it could be.
  4. caronte69
    Sep 2, 2019
    7
    Parece que los seguidores de la alopecia borraron mi comentario, bueno aqui va otra vez.
    Muy decepcionado que el juego vaya a 30 fps, me esperaba un poco mas de este juego, he visto muchos youtubers y medios de prensa decir que este juego es una maravilla, incluso antes de que salga el juego y bueno, es un buen juego, pero vamos, no es el mejor hack and slash del mundo, devil may cry 5 o    Parece que los seguidores de la alopecia borraron mi comentario, bueno aqui va otra vez.
    Muy decepcionado que el juego vaya a 30 fps, me esperaba un poco mas de este juego, he visto muchos youtubers y medios de prensa decir que este juego es una maravilla, incluso antes de que salga el juego y bueno, es un buen juego, pero vamos, no es el mejor hack and slash del mundo, devil may cry 5 o nier automata mil veces mejores que astral chain,
    les doy un 7 porque los medios me lo pintaron como el juegazo y no lo es.    … Expand
  5. Xplocion
    Nov 8, 2019
    7
    The good: a competent Slash Hack. Character design was done by the mangaka Mazakatsu Katsura (creator of Video Girl Ai / Lehn and Shadow Lady). A lot of action. Dizzying actions Links

    The bad: there is no jump button (it is a skill or consequence of a chained attack). Design of manga characters the Mazakatsu Katsura (creator of Video Girl Ai / Lehn and Shadow Lady), so that several of    The good: a competent Slash Hack. Character design was done by the mangaka Mazakatsu Katsura (creator of Video Girl Ai / Lehn and Shadow Lady). A lot of action. Dizzying actions Links

    The bad: there is no jump button (it is a skill or consequence of a chained attack). Design of manga characters the Mazakatsu Katsura (creator of Video Girl Ai / Lehn and Shadow Lady), so that several of his characters from his manga works seem to be in the video game with other names and attitudes. The novelty and surprises do not last long, the game becomes repetitive. Scenarios reduced to corridors and guided action and scripted by corridors.

    Lo Meh: you are trying to sell this game as the eighth wonder of the world and it is not. It is a regular game. It seems that Mazakatsu Katsura cannot draw more than 7 different faces.    … Expand
  6. Allme223
    Aug 30, 2019
    7
    Story is great but the controls hold it back in so many ways. Never felt like I was truly in control, almost as if i would play and hope that the camera would center since the R stick was used for targeting. Just wasnt as fun as the reviews stated in my opinion.
  7. Timnor
    Aug 30, 2019
    7
    Very average rpg,short,gets clunky at times,not worth full price,would pick up at the 40 dollar range.
  8. NintendanGX
    Sep 1, 2019
    7
    Astrai Chain is a solid Switch exclusive that offers plenty of new and exciting gameplay ideas and mechanics to the character-action genre. I have no gripes with the story so far, or the likeable characters, or the setting, or the way it integrates law enforcement into a character-action game.
    However, it's a heavily flawed example of its subgenre, for just two reasons. I'll be focusing    Astrai Chain is a solid Switch exclusive that offers plenty of new and exciting gameplay ideas and mechanics to the character-action genre. I have no gripes with the story so far, or the likeable characters, or the setting, or the way it integrates law enforcement into a character-action game.
    However, it's a heavily flawed example of its subgenre, for just two reasons. I'll be focusing on these two broad reasons for this review, as I think they're far more important than the pros that have most likely already been discussed.

    1. The game doesn't run at 60fps. You might not care, and you might not "notice it" (which is code for "I don't know what to look for so I'll deflect a criticism I don't understand"), but 60fps has been, and should always be, the standard in these games.

    In a skill-intensive, mission-based action game that encourages you to get the best rank possible during combat, every single frame counts. The controls need to be as responsive as possible with as little input delay as possible, and 30fps makes that so much harder to achieve. What baffles me the most is that this is Platinum, the guys who always target 60fps with these types of games. In a day and age when Devil May Cry 5 exists, there's literally no excuse.

    So what if the Switch isn't as powerful as a base PS4 or Xbox One, don't focus so heavily on visuals if it's going to be a detriment to the overall gameplay when it truly matters This isn't an open-world or sandbox game, this is a linear action game with branching secrets and an emphasis on combat. And if they really wanted people to experience pretty visuals over responsive and gratifying gameplay with minimum input delay, then why not give us the option? Plenty of games now allow you to choose between performance and visual fidelity, even Fire Emblem Warriors on the Switch.

    If someone at Platinum sees this, please include this in an update. In many cases, it can make the difference between an okay game and a great game.

    2. Souls-like elements do not work in a character-action game. For those who don't know, the lock-on is done by pressing the right-stick in, like a Souls game, and attacking is done with the trigger buttons. This is fine in a souls-like, but not a character-action game akin to Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden and Bayonetta. It makes it harder to switch focus between enemies when that type of control scheme is geared towards a slower-paced, more methodical kind of game, but implemented in a faster-paced game that demands the most ergonomic control scheme.

    The game does have different input options, but the way lock-on is implemented by nature makes it a pultry amendment at best.

    Oh, but that's not the only souls-like element in the game. While this issue is less noticable than the framerate problem, it's worth noting that you cannot jump into the air by normal means. A feature in DMC, Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, and Metal Gear Rising, is done away with in Astral Chain. I wouldn't have minded so much if they hadn't thrown pace-breaking obstacles at you that could've been dealt with in a number of ways given the player was fast enough. But there's even souls-like gimmicks and hazards that make their way into this game, like sticky floors in the 4th mission, which stop the player dead in their tracks. It's an unfair disadvantage that doesn't add a worthy challenge, but rather hinders the player in a game that expects them to play at their best and make precise dodges. The pace of the fight comes to a crashing halt when you transition from a dodge to an unskippable stumbling animation after landing in said sticky substance, and it can cost you a perfect S+ rank. And the worst part is that it would've been a passable feature if you were able to jump more easily to attack in mid-air, much like Nero from DMC5 when things get dicy on the ground.

    These two subjects and the problems inherent within them do not prevent the game from having worthwhile, enjoyable content within it, nor should they deter you from getting the game at £40. They are, however, easy enough problems to fix given Platinum's calibre. If they did update the game and provide an option for people to weaken the visuals for a smooth 60fps, then my score would likely go from a 7 to a 9. but as things currently stand, it is a severely disappointing aspect of what could've been a new rival to DMC5 and its threshold of the best character-action gameplay.    … Expand
  9. MrSpiffy
    Sep 5, 2019
    7
    After finally finishing the game I found the game to have certain issues that most highly rated games should not have. Firstly, I believe the games most redeeming quality is its combat which should come to no surprise since it was developed by Platimum games; but its animation, voice acting, and story is pretty subpar. The faces of the main characters look off putting, the voice acting isAfter finally finishing the game I found the game to have certain issues that most highly rated games should not have. Firstly, I believe the games most redeeming quality is its combat which should come to no surprise since it was developed by Platimum games; but its animation, voice acting, and story is pretty subpar. The faces of the main characters look off putting, the voice acting is pretty poorly done and takes some Tim to get used to, the story reminds me off some cheesy anime plot lines, and there are quite a few graphical glitches and frame drops when in combat with your legion. The out of combat gameplay within the world also posses its own problems with its bland side missions and graphical issues all of which aren't really saved by the combat when moving through the main storyline. Finally, the biggest issue from the game is its pacing, many say the game gets better as you move forward (which is undoubtedly tru for the combat aspect of it) but the rate at which you reach those points is quite slow. With games only real redeeming quality being its combat, the games other issues stands out heavily within its beginning and middle portions of the game and become tolerable when the game finally reaches its later portions. Overall, with the removal of all the review bombing (and right fully so its a pretty crappy thing to do) the perfect scores that were placed to counteract the review bombing are still there and are in my opinion over inflating its score. The game is fun yes, but it still holds a slew of problems that should be discussed and not dismissed solely because it's a Nintendo game that was review bombed.… Expand
  10. MassSpecFella
    Sep 6, 2019
    7
    I'm very disappointed. I don't enjoy any of the non-combat aspects of Astral Chain. The platforming is awful. Mini games are tedious and get in the way of the action and cutscene story which I do enjoy. However even then the combat is chaotic. Its difficult to see and time incoming attacks. I feel like the game could have been a lot more fun for me personally had it focused on action likeI'm very disappointed. I don't enjoy any of the non-combat aspects of Astral Chain. The platforming is awful. Mini games are tedious and get in the way of the action and cutscene story which I do enjoy. However even then the combat is chaotic. Its difficult to see and time incoming attacks. I feel like the game could have been a lot more fun for me personally had it focused on action like DMC5 or Bayonetta 2.… Expand
  11. Meeleepit
    Oct 10, 2019
    7
    So in my experience the combination of fighting and detective work makes this game super fun.

    What i don't like is the super complex combat system. it might be because i am a old school gamer and not used to bashing millions of buttons but it feels over complex ed. Graphics is superb considering this game runs on the switch. Sound track is epic . Best enjoyed with the pro    So in my experience the combination of fighting and detective work makes this game super fun.

    What i don't like is the super complex combat system. it might be because i am a old school gamer and not used to bashing millions of buttons but it feels over complex ed.

    Graphics is superb considering this game runs on the switch.

    Sound track is epic .

    Best enjoyed with the pro controller and not with the joycons at all.

    Unfortunately this games is not worth the full retail price.    … Expand
  12. proffk
    Nov 9, 2019
    7
    Below average game from Platinum Games. The combat is good but you fight the same enemies over and over again. Confusing story with many plotholes. Not much replay value.
  13. Craigjeffery
    Feb 25, 2020
    7
    Astral chain was not for me. While playing i found myself mindlessly mashing right trigger (right trigger is your combat button) while my legion did whatever he wanted. You auto lock into an enemy, and just spam right trigger. that’s about it. My total play time after beating the game was 20 hours, and what a drag those 20 hours were. I couldn’t wait to beat every level just so i could getAstral chain was not for me. While playing i found myself mindlessly mashing right trigger (right trigger is your combat button) while my legion did whatever he wanted. You auto lock into an enemy, and just spam right trigger. that’s about it. My total play time after beating the game was 20 hours, and what a drag those 20 hours were. I couldn’t wait to beat every level just so i could get it over with. There are lots of collectible items located in the few sections of the game, some which require a bit of back tracking. while easter egg hunting can be fun, in astral chain it gets old and tedious. There are many different styles to play and attributes to give your legion, but i just couldn’t get into it. The game in my opinion was underwhelming, tedious, and boring. These are just my opinions, overall this is a very solid game, but all i can recall of playing this game was that i couldn’t wait for it to be over just so i could say i played it. Watch some gameplay, do your research to see if this game is for you. I wish there were more motorcycle levels, as those were the best parts of the game. Also pretty good music, the main hub music is still stuck in my head. (uwuuuuuuu naniiiiii)… Expand
  14. Alberto_Rahl
    Mar 4, 2020
    7
    Un buen inicio para una franquicia nueva aunque una llegué a adaptarme del todo a los controles.
    También lo encontré un tanto corto. Creo que lo terminé en unas 35 horas. Me hubiera gustado que hubieran explorado más la parte de investigación del juego, que al final se quedó bastante corta.
  15. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    7
    Excellent game in almost all its aspects, artistic design, visual section, good soundtrack, a good story, great customization of your character with a lot of movements, in general, everything is outstanding. Now, that in the middle of 2019 we are playing a hack and slash at 30 fps when we come from gems such as nier automata, bayonetta or devil may cry 5 is sacrilege and it really becomesExcellent game in almost all its aspects, artistic design, visual section, good soundtrack, a good story, great customization of your character with a lot of movements, in general, everything is outstanding. Now, that in the middle of 2019 we are playing a hack and slash at 30 fps when we come from gems such as nier automata, bayonetta or devil may cry 5 is sacrilege and it really becomes rare to play with this performance. The performance of this game on switch is unforgivable despite the fact that it is surely an achievement that moves at 30 fps stable, but it is something that I value a lot in this type of games. Removing this insignificant detail for many and important for others, the game is excellent. I look forward to it on PC.… Expand
  16. Luxox412
    Sep 25, 2020
    7
    Although it is a very innovative game, with its own characteristics, it is a very predictable game, the levels become tedious over time, the main and secondary missions become very repetitive, so it does not become very replayable when finishing it, despite that it has an operations selector, in addition the secondary characters are not very influential in the story so empathy with them is lost.
  17. Mordgesr
    Jul 21, 2020
    7
    The main disadvantage of the game is the unusual control of two heroes at once. More precisely, one hero and his "weapon".

    What is the disadvantage? If you are playing with breaks, then it is difficult for you to get involved in management again.

    If you do not take this moment into account, then the idea itself is simply excellent.
  18. TealMudbro
    Jun 23, 2020
    7
    Extremely fluid and exciting although convoluted action, let down by an overly anime clichéd plot that should've been left in the 90's.
  19. gabeams
    Jul 12, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, I got a lot of hype for this game. It's a good Nintendo exclusive, but I don't know if worth the actual price. The gameplay mechanics are good, there is a nice design for characters and a good soundtrack, but that's it. The history's very predictable, there is bad character development, the side missions are not attractive and some times the camera goes wild. After the mid-game, I was running to end because of the poor history, and in the end, we got that "epic" boss fight(well-done design btw) and the final cliche anime act. For me, the game remembers a lot from animes that I watched when a child, with nonsense reactions, unnecessary mysteries, and some bad conversations.

    For closure. Worth play, it's a good exclusive, but now it's expensive for what delivers.    … Expand
  20. DaVinciGhost
    Sep 7, 2020
    7
    The game as a whole is interesting enough. The graphics are good and the story is interesting. My biggest issue is with it feeling so repetitive. Every mission follows the same formula. The combat isn't very great. Yes if you take the time to learn every bit of it you can do better combos but ultimately feels pointless. Most of the game can be played with one legion. As a whole it's worthThe game as a whole is interesting enough. The graphics are good and the story is interesting. My biggest issue is with it feeling so repetitive. Every mission follows the same formula. The combat isn't very great. Yes if you take the time to learn every bit of it you can do better combos but ultimately feels pointless. Most of the game can be played with one legion. As a whole it's worth a playthrough but I couldn't sit with it longer than an hour before I got bored.… Expand
  21. Zski
    Jul 1, 2022
    7
    This game does a lot exceptionally well, but sometimes it feels like it’s doing too much to the point where it seems to have an identity crisis. To start with the strengths: the graphics are fantastic, especially considering it’s on the Switch. The art design is really cool, and everything in the game has a truly unique feeling that it’s hard to compare anything else to it. TheThis game does a lot exceptionally well, but sometimes it feels like it’s doing too much to the point where it seems to have an identity crisis. To start with the strengths: the graphics are fantastic, especially considering it’s on the Switch. The art design is really cool, and everything in the game has a truly unique feeling that it’s hard to compare anything else to it. The environments look good, the aesthetics look good, and while the enemies look good, they feel a little bit like random/generic. The music is fantastic and very creative use of a soundtrack. I would have never considered to use all of these styles of songs on one soundtrack, but they pulled it off perfectly. Everything from the smooth techno of the precinct, to the low tuned background guitar while exploring the city, to the hard rock during combat. The sound design is one of the things that stand out the most about this game. The overarching plot isn’t anything special, but the setting of the world is extremely cool. Playing as a supernatural police officer who uses astral ghosts as weapons that are not observable to most others - super awesome concept.

    The gameplay is good and engaging while in combat. It starts slow, but as you unlock more summons and more abilities, it really makes it very involved. It’s pretty unique controlling both your character and your summon at once, especially in a twin stick control layout. It works well, despite it being a bit overwhelming sometimes. However, the detective part of the game is where I found it to be very weak. It’s nice because it gracefully adds context to what is happening, but it completely ruins the pacing. 15 minutes of action hack and slash immediately followed up by 30 minutes of walking around and talking to witnesses, trying to find the one clue that is tucked away in the one spot you didn’t look. This is the identity crisis I was referring to. As much as I enjoyed it, I had a hard time really getting focused on the game because it would fluctuate between two vastly different play styles. That and it constantly tried to sneak in RPG elements, but they were so minor that I often forgot about them. For example after an hour long mission of rotating between detective gameplay, platforming gameplay, and combat gameplay, it takes you back to the precinct where you can level up - I completely forgot to do this between most missions because it felt like something that was an afterthought, rather than a core feature of the game. This is what kept me from scoring the game higher. Overall, it’s an extremely unique game that brings a lot of good features, but it suffers from a major identity crisis that makes it difficult to really fully engage with.    … Expand
  22. Sensou
    Oct 10, 2022
    7
    The coolest animation on a game. Feels so weird that the game captivate me with its running animation. It's just an animation, come on.

    The combat moves also feels so slick and awesome. Although most of it is just smashing button but the game provide a more in-depth kind of move-set and combo that you can learn and make the combat more engaging(?) I guess. The exploration is decent,    The coolest animation on a game. Feels so weird that the game captivate me with its running animation. It's just an animation, come on.

    The combat moves also feels so slick and awesome. Although most of it is just smashing button but the game provide a more in-depth kind of move-set and combo that you can learn and make the combat more engaging(?) I guess.

    The exploration is decent, not really that great but good enough to make you attach with certain chapters. The game design is good so you won't get lost while exploring the area but you might miss out several side quests because some of them not live on the map.

    That being said, I understand why some people said its getting pretty tedious as I feel the same way. As you progress in the game, exploring feels more like a chore rather than you explore out of your own curiosity. When in combat, the game always throw you to red places (never pay attention to the naming of that place) which feels that you always keep repeating the combat again and again even thou you are fighting a different monsters in every chapters.

    The rest of it is fine but why every developers follow that kind of trend where the protagonist can't talk? Is it to make it feels like we are them so we can make our own reaction or response to certain situation in the game?

    Finish the game and I don't think I will replay or even revisit every chapter to complete it.    … Expand
  23. sinetic
    Feb 15, 2022
    6
    After 2hrs the game becomes boring and repetitivedue to the chain mechanic. There is no point to upgrade gear.
    The game has great visuals and nice soundtrack and thats it
  24. GAGMR
    Sep 11, 2019
    6
    This game would be great, if the camera wasn't complete and utter dog **** It's moving constantly where you don't want it & sometimes goes up ur arse or ur enemies arse. Platinum really screwed the pooch on this one. It doesn't help when ur trying to chain enemies & the camera screws up & makes it impossible. The combat in this game is also mixed bag, because you have to control 2This game would be great, if the camera wasn't complete and utter dog **** It's moving constantly where you don't want it & sometimes goes up ur arse or ur enemies arse. Platinum really screwed the pooch on this one. It doesn't help when ur trying to chain enemies & the camera screws up & makes it impossible. The combat in this game is also mixed bag, because you have to control 2 characters & one is constantly doing stuff you don't want them doing since it's AI controlled. Then there's the jank platforming which is so fricking bad you will constantly fall just because of the games physics not knowing if you landed on the platform or not. I used so many healing items just cause the game kept throwing me off a cliff even though my chimera was on the ground. Then theres this one boss fight where the guy is sonhuge you can only see his feet & the camera freaks out the entire time, trying to chain his feet/arms was so infuriating because the camera just kept rotating along with me which makes you unable to move properly. I was really hoping this game would be better than bayonetta 2 but because of how bad the chain system works due to the **** camera it's not. It's just a failed attempt to try something new. I am almost certain that all these positive reviews are from people playing the game on casual or unchained mode, which makes the game playable with one hand. If you like Platinum games you'll probably still enjoy this but if not then definitely skip it, unless you just want to play it on baby mode the entire time. If they fix the camera issues, janky platform system & the AI of the chimeras it would be a lot better. It's also pretty generic in terms of side quests, most of which involve fighting, sneaking or finding something. There was one quest where you "play a video game" and I thought it was gonna be an actual retro game but it was just you in a suit with a retro filter on top. Performance is also pretty bad, & can dip into the 20 FPS range or lower. Lots of pop in as well in clustered areas, especially late game. Don't get me wrong, I like the game but it has too many flaws to recommend it to anyone else but platinum game fans. Nier Automata, Bayonetta or even Metal Gear Rising are all superior to this one, though. Your character also has no personality & is basically just an empty husk for you to kill stuff with. They could have done something with the character considering they've done so with past games. Like I said & keep saying, it's a good game but they've done better.… Expand
  25. Slava_Gedich
    Dec 24, 2019
    6
    It is not a bayonetta and mgsr or dmc. Here you can find game with innovated system of control by two characters in same time. And a lot of exploration and collecting some objects. It is not a pure slasher game. Here a lot of QTE. Just be prepared to find new type of game. Don't expect new bayonetta from this game.

    P/S My final score of this game after I finished this game is 6/10    It is not a bayonetta and mgsr or dmc. Here you can find game with innovated system of control by two characters in same time. And a lot of exploration and collecting some objects. It is not a pure slasher game. Here a lot of QTE. Just be prepared to find new type of game. Don't expect new bayonetta from this game.

    P/S My final score of this game after I finished this game is 6/10

    Story is really bad and twist really obvious.
    60-70% of time you have boring running and grinding some stuff (like collecting crystals, searching portals and etc.)    … Expand
  26. devenge
    Sep 1, 2019
    6
    Another J-act game .just like the old ones .It's not fun anymore . only finger pains.
  27. Zenol31
    Sep 2, 2019
    6
    it's an acceptable game, the overall game is pulled down somewhat by a structure of missions that doesn't match the studio's desire to mix the beat 'em up and investigative genres, and further by large approximations and other technical problems — all of which have a significant impact on the enjoyment of the game.
  28. joshbreviews
    Jun 13, 2021
    6
    I really, really, really, REALLY, wanted to like this game. I tried to with every fiber of my being. But every waking moment of this thing is begging you to hate it. I know this review will be downvoted to oblivion, but I can't just let this slide.

    PROS: -very unique and interesting legion system -music is over-the-top, but great ...and that's it. CONS -corny, campy, and    I really, really, really, REALLY, wanted to like this game. I tried to with every fiber of my being. But every waking moment of this thing is begging you to hate it. I know this review will be downvoted to oblivion, but I can't just let this slide.

    PROS:
    -very unique and interesting legion system
    -music is over-the-top, but great

    ...and that's it.

    CONS
    -corny, campy, and predictable story. you know who the final bad guy is the very moment he delivers his very first line.

    -atrocious, borderline ironic english voice acting and mocap

    -visual diarrhea of nauseating particle effects

    -no freaking reduced-graphics-60-fps option for such a fast-paced and demanding game

    -legion system is incredibly clunky and clumsy; you will spam legion abilities and ride your dog and axe, and that's it.

    -absolute chaos on screen all the time, resulting in devs having to dumb it down with constant slow-mo moments

    -horrible checkpoints, forcing you to replay cutscenes and battles you've already beaten. no, not all cutscenes can be skipped.

    -IRIS STARTING. IRIS SHUT OFF. INFORMATION DISPLAY. AD INFINITUM.

    -annoying time-wasting detective sequences.

    -incredibly insulting time-wasting blue quests

    -female faces look incredibly gross and alien, with overly large heads and bug-like eyes, meanwhile, the guy models, olivia, and brenda are normal-looking? why??? make them all normal!

    -incredibly overly long mission structure with truly awful time-wasting blue quests and red quests, making it an absolute chore to get S+ rank. it wasn't great in nier automata, it's not great here. (but nier is an infinitely superior game and story).

    -brain-dead gold slime encounters - you figured it out once, it's all the same per mission
    -awfully bloated with very little substance in terms of gameplay and story (cats and toilets? really??). blue and red quests are amazingly meaningless.

    -baffling time-wasting mini-tasks like healing red shift, catching running bad guys, picking up red matter, eavesdropping, etc.

    -absolutely annoying and clunky platforming with annoying "cool" recovery cutscene that is un-skippable; plus, recovery takes you to some random predetermined point instead of where you fell, making it super disorienting to retrace your steps, especially in the same-y astral plane

    -astral plane is just recycled red blocks, masquerading as new levels, like we wouldn't notice

    -mission progress resets every time you replay it, forcing you to do all the time-wasting activities all over again. why??? what???

    an incredibly poor showing by the devs. they only got away with it cause 3rd action rpgs are few in the Switch market.

    and yet, i'm in the minority...so, hurray for astral chain 2?    … Expand
  29. carreracarrera
    Sep 1, 2019
    6
    Es un juego con graficas un poco pobres. Creo pudo haber dado más. Además después de ver su trabajo en mier autómata esperaba más.
  30. donmopa
    Apr 9, 2020
    6
    I could not find the awesomeness that everybody found in this game. Thematic is interesting and also the legions gave new mechanics. However, the camera is a total disaster and fights at some points feels like smashing buttons with no contemplation,
  31. Nisverah
    Aug 30, 2020
    6
    The game is pretty mediocre. The puzzle elements and platforming seems out of place and unintuitive while the combat itself has ups and downs. Larger enemies especially were lackluster. I heavily suggest playing any other Platinum game such as Bayonetta or Nier, as this is definitely the worst of the 3, as all I could feel was disappointment and frustration in its design choices.
  32. Ponchorelo7
    Feb 3, 2020
    6
    As per usual with Platinum games: all style, little substance. Combat is fun, flashy and enough to keep you entertained through it's surprisingly long story. BUT THE STORY. By far the worst part of the game. It felt as though someone wanted to make a crappy, sub-par shonen anime, but decided it would bes best as a game. If you like Platinum games' stuff you will love this. If you're aAs per usual with Platinum games: all style, little substance. Combat is fun, flashy and enough to keep you entertained through it's surprisingly long story. BUT THE STORY. By far the worst part of the game. It felt as though someone wanted to make a crappy, sub-par shonen anime, but decided it would bes best as a game. If you like Platinum games' stuff you will love this. If you're a Switch owner, give it a shot.… Expand
  33. GreenMenace
    Sep 28, 2022
    6
    Astral Chain delivers on a game that feels “different” from other games. I stuck by the game and beat it, and while I can say it’s a good game, I’ll also say it’s not the game for me. Platinum games does a very good job developing a system that rewards players for perfecting the game/combat. I’m not into fighting combat perfectly—I just want to fight. And the game had plenty of satisfyingAstral Chain delivers on a game that feels “different” from other games. I stuck by the game and beat it, and while I can say it’s a good game, I’ll also say it’s not the game for me. Platinum games does a very good job developing a system that rewards players for perfecting the game/combat. I’m not into fighting combat perfectly—I just want to fight. And the game had plenty of satisfying mechanics and fights in it. My biggest complaint is how the other dimension looked. The color hurt my eyes and there was little variation in color as I had to puzzle my way through an ugly dimension.

    I was slightly disappointed by the detective side of things since quests felt run of the mill. A good sort of standard, but nothing spectacular. Even then, I can’t hate it because it gave a nice change of pace from the action. This game was a well designed game, through and through—it just didn’t click with me.

    I highly recommend Platinum Games (which includes Astral Chain) if you like a beat em up game with a skill ceiling that rates your progress.    … Expand
  34. TheBox
    Sep 4, 2019
    6
    -Combat flow is good, (not great) but the enemies die toooooooo fast to really comprehend how they died.
    - Particle flashy effects from both Legion and Enemies are BRIGHT.. too bright for my taste.
    -Alot of Stop and Go action(Fight for like 10 seconds, roam for a bit after fight is done, fight again for like 10 seconds after roam, rinse and repeat) - Enemy Execution is the same no    -Combat flow is good, (not great) but the enemies die toooooooo fast to really comprehend how they died.
    - Particle flashy effects from both Legion and Enemies are BRIGHT.. too bright for my taste.
    -Alot of Stop and Go action(Fight for like 10 seconds, roam for a bit after fight is done, fight again for like 10 seconds after roam, rinse and repeat)
    - Enemy Execution is the same no matter what enemies you fight. Executes ONLY appear when enemies are **1 hit**(from anything) away from death so imo, no point in really adding in the execute
    -Using the Legion to collect those Red miasma things on the map doesn't feel right as it should be the player(Feels like you telling your little brother to get the pencil when you can easily do it yourself).
    -Humans on the verge on extinction but yet, city scales are huge, overflowing with human life. LOL! Didnt get the sense of urgency that Humans are really really gonna go extinct.
    -Platform levels are pointed out RGT 85's video on his channel.
    -Controls get clunky during a chaotic fight
    -Camera angle meh, at times it works but at times, the Legion eats the whole screen. Tight corridors really makes the Legion too much(Yes you can Make the Legion vanish but just a bit more roaming and you're back into fighting, just to recall the Legion back).
    -Legion AI can be stupid at times and not do what you'd want it to do but i guess that's just AI's being an AI.
    -BGMs aren't memorable compared to the likes of what Nier Automata had to offer.

    Highly subjective so take this with a grain of salt.    … Expand
  35. RoxasIrving
    Sep 3, 2019
    6
    Positive +Gameplay +Music
    +Customization


    Negative - 30 Frames
    -Boring Investigation
    -Horrible side missions
  36. MSR
    Sep 4, 2019
    6
    Juego decente, pero con el hype que se había generado alrededor de él me decepcionó un poco. De todos modos no es un mal juego si te gusta el género.
  37. LarxiGamer
    Sep 23, 2019
    6
    Juego que me ha decepcionado bastante debido a su lento inicio machacando en tutoriales obligatorios, el juego es una delicia visual y goza de un gran sistema de combate pero no me ha convencido lo suficiente como para ponerlo a la altura de bayonetta 2 por citar uno. Su banda sonora es buena y su jugabilidad aunque algo difícil al empezar gana enteros según se va adentrando en su universoJuego que me ha decepcionado bastante debido a su lento inicio machacando en tutoriales obligatorios, el juego es una delicia visual y goza de un gran sistema de combate pero no me ha convencido lo suficiente como para ponerlo a la altura de bayonetta 2 por citar uno. Su banda sonora es buena y su jugabilidad aunque algo difícil al empezar gana enteros según se va adentrando en su universo y vas desbloqueando a los diferentes tipos de legiones.
    Aunque a grandes rasgos es muy bueno no me ha conseguido divertir ni hacer que me interesase más por su historia, gráficamente es excelso pero su universo tecno noir no termina de casar teniendo estilos artísticos tan maravillosos como los vistos en bayonetta. Gran juego cuya compra recomiendo pero que a mí me ha dejado bastante frío.    … Expand
  38. david_quaglia
    Sep 30, 2019
    6
    the game is beautiful and really funny, good made at all. but i gave a 6 because the final chapter destroy the entire game, story and gameplay. I'm very disappointed.
  39. Hideyasus
    Oct 26, 2019
    6
    Esencia de platinum pero nada rejugable y misiones secundarias muy pesadas.
  40. Crosi
    Nov 11, 2019
    6
    The gameplay is really the only redeeming feature of this game and it even manages to be an hassle sometimes: the camera will often get stuck in walls or usually in front of your character when in tight spaces and the whole "control your Legionis" thing is uncomfortable to say the least . It's just drawing in circles and will most of the time be a mess because of the camera.
    Story is    The gameplay is really the only redeeming feature of this game and it even manages to be an hassle sometimes: the camera will often get stuck in walls or usually in front of your character when in tight spaces and the whole "control your Legionis" thing is uncomfortable to say the least . It's just drawing in circles and will most of the time be a mess because of the camera.
    Story is bland, characters are bland, the only thing they had do make right was the relationship between the twins and they ruined it by making the MC completely silent (loud gasps ans grunts don't count as interacting).
    Not worth 60$, but fun.    … Expand
  41. HeavyMachineGon
    Mar 16, 2022
    6
    不喜勿喷。
    玩了两三个章节再也没有打开的想法，不是我的菜，卡带直接挂网上卖了。
    主角可以从男女中选，选谁谁是哑巴，这是我最不能接受的设定，因为没有被选的性别会全程bb，而自己却是那个林克。 玩法上还是不错的，调查线索，收集证据，然后进入异界战斗，异界战斗有点重复度太高，而且游戏刚开始没多久就能猜到接下来的发展。 画面从来都不是评价一个游戏好坏的地方，但这个游戏的画面我不是很喜欢，想做真实但看着又很假。 背景音乐我直接关了，好吵。    不喜勿喷。
    玩了两三个章节再也没有打开的想法，不是我的菜，卡带直接挂网上卖了。
    主角可以从男女中选，选谁谁是哑巴，这是我最不能接受的设定，因为没有被选的性别会全程bb，而自己却是那个林克。
    玩法上还是不错的，调查线索，收集证据，然后进入异界战斗，异界战斗有点重复度太高，而且游戏刚开始没多久就能猜到接下来的发展。
    画面从来都不是评价一个游戏好坏的地方，但这个游戏的画面我不是很喜欢，想做真实但看着又很假。
    背景音乐我直接关了，好吵。
  42. darkdale
    Mar 21, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is not as good as I expected, considering other reviews I've read. It is still a good game. I'll start saying that I've completed most of the game, but not finished it. From the very beginning, the plot made absolutely no sense. So, you start working for the neuron unit and by your first mission you lose your commanding officer. It's more like he decides to suicide for no apparent reason. Then you get promoted to leader of your unit. Why?. There are more team members with much more experience than someone starting the job that very day. Nonsense. With respect to playability, this is just ok. I don't like the way the environments are restricted. You walk until you get a yellow horizontal line that appears preventing you from continuing. And this line appears when you are really close to the border of the area. There are even times when this visual notification is not appearing. The game just doesn't allow to continue through specific paths even though the way is absolutely clear from objects, and that's it. With respect to controls, at first I've found them complex, but as you play you get along with them pretty quickly. Maybe there are too many different actions available at combat. For me this is being in general an enjoyable game, but forgettable.… Expand
  43. ELYS1UM
    Sep 20, 2022
    6
    I think this game had the potential to be great, but just ended up being mediocre. Great gameplay and music, and a very distinct visual style, but this is the kind of game that absolutely NEEDED to have the time to tell its story, which it just did not have. I wouldn't call my experience bad, but it was just completely... unremarkable as a whole. I think if this game got more time to fleshI think this game had the potential to be great, but just ended up being mediocre. Great gameplay and music, and a very distinct visual style, but this is the kind of game that absolutely NEEDED to have the time to tell its story, which it just did not have. I wouldn't call my experience bad, but it was just completely... unremarkable as a whole. I think if this game got more time to flesh itself out more, tell its story, develop its characters, and refine its gameplay, it would be a lot better for me.… Expand
  44. Hack
    Jun 22, 2020
    5
    As a big fan of Bayonetta 2 I can't believe how much I disliked Astral Chain.

    One of the biggest issues with the game is the horrendous frame rate, for some reason the developers targeted 30fps instead of 60fps like with Bayonetta 2, and if that weren't bad enough the game doesn't even hit 30fps most of the time, almost all the boss fights lag massively, so if you're sensitive to    As a big fan of Bayonetta 2 I can't believe how much I disliked Astral Chain.

    One of the biggest issues with the game is the horrendous frame rate, for some reason the developers targeted 30fps instead of 60fps like with Bayonetta 2, and if that weren't bad enough the game doesn't even hit 30fps most of the time, almost all the boss fights lag massively, so if you're sensitive to performance issues you may want to skip the game on this basis alone.

    The game is also very busy visually, with over-the-top particle effects and camera shake galore, it is very easy to lose yourself amongst it all, and it no doubt attributed to the poor performance. There's just far too much going on.

    I found the gameplay to be quite fiddly and clunky, it's nowhere near as fluid as Bayonetta, and not just because of the poor frame rate which didn't help. Having to constantly switch legions just wasn't very fun, and the game overused their mechanics. The camera is terrible too, with it constantly losing lock and just facing completely the wrong way half the time.

    The final boss was also massively overtuned to ridiculous levels, nothing before him was any challenge whatsoever, but he's an 11-minute fight where you need to play perfectly and have tons of consumables (tough luck if you didn't stock up fully before him, and because the game was so easy up until him I personally didn't bother).

    Overall just a massive step back from their previous work, the only saving grace was the music.    … Expand
  45. kiaxxl
    Aug 31, 2019
    5
    Cool concepts from a good developer, but with some truly awful frame-rates at time, which is not good for an action game.
  46. x_jimilan_x
    Sep 4, 2019
    5
    Average game. Too much hype. Seriously, so many people giving the game a 10, really? It's an average game with mediocre graphics/story/gameplay.
  47. Pestana
    Sep 8, 2019
    5
    Not a bad game, but i expected a litle more, the batlles are good and very visuals but i feel kind a repetitive and not satisfacing it all.
  48. polynekros
    Sep 11, 2020
    5
    +
    • decent for the N-indie-ntendo Switch
    • graphics are good and easy on the eye, even on handheld • packed with action, most if the time • soundtrack reminded me of Nier Automata in some parts • ideal for newer casual gamers - • story is meh at best, disappointing, never delivers • action camera us awful, for a couple of hours it will give you a headache • gets repetitive really quick,    +
    • decent for the N-indie-ntendo Switch
    • graphics are good and easy on the eye, even on handheld
    • packed with action, most if the time
    • soundtrack reminded me of Nier Automata in some parts
    • ideal for newer casual gamers -
    • story is meh at best, disappointing, never delivers
    • action camera us awful, for a couple of hours it will give you a headache
    • gets repetitive really quick, same actions, same stages, same cliché dialogue
    • platforming with the chain is mf-ing awful
    • side quests are a joke
    • upgrading is pure simplicity • mediocrity on the go    … Expand
  49. AUMDragon
    Sep 2, 2019
    5
    Meh, it's fun, it's okay. No Bayonetta though. It was a 10 for me in the beginning, but just lost the motivation to finish it. Just lacking and mediocre in many ways.
  50. Carck10
    Aug 31, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lo he visto i esta excelenten es un gran juego selos recomiendo,lo estoy pensando en aquerirlo para hecharme unas viciadas¡¡¡… Expand
  51. DandelionJam
    Aug 31, 2019
    5
    Combat is flat and tedious, you rely on AI and button mash. The art style is passionless and derivative. The protagonists and main characters are flat and uninteresting and the story is predictable and makes little sense. This is not a character-action game because it has no character and dull action.
  52. Luis2087
    Aug 31, 2019
    5
    De lo mejor que ha salido en este 2019, y mas considerando que es para una portátil como la switch, en verdad si pueden comprenlo
  53. FrozenRain
    Sep 5, 2019
    5
    Having played through all the main story files on Pt Standard, I'm kinda dissapointed with the game. Visually stunning, the soundtrack is brilliant, but the gameplay feels pretty bad. Defensive options feel very limited, combos are dulled down in favour of the Legions and sync moves, many of which leave you wide open to damage. Enemies have numerous attacks, especially projectile ones,Having played through all the main story files on Pt Standard, I'm kinda dissapointed with the game. Visually stunning, the soundtrack is brilliant, but the gameplay feels pretty bad. Defensive options feel very limited, combos are dulled down in favour of the Legions and sync moves, many of which leave you wide open to damage. Enemies have numerous attacks, especially projectile ones, which often leave me wonder how on earth I'm meant to evade them aside from running away.

    The ranking system urks me most; unlike other platinum games where they employ the system, it seems to disregard usage of items and damage taken and encourages you to do as much as you can as quick as you can. On the last boss, which was a huge and frustrating difficulty spike from everything else in the game, I had to chug through all my healing items and revives and STILL got an S+ ranking despite feeling like I had just brute forced my way through without learning anything about the fight.

    The story is incredibly messy, and while I really don't care about it in actions games normally, the holes just really, really stood out to me. Character arcs feel unfulfilled, the backstory and lore feels very poorly explained, and the conclusion just doesn't make sense.

    I'll probably never play through it again, or finish the endgame cases for cosmetics, and it certainly wasn't worth the near £50 price tag. I hope Platinum steps up their game for whatever they make next. If you want a properly in-depth action game, pick up Devil May Cry 5 or Bayonetta 2 instead of this.    … Expand
  54. Hateusernames
    Sep 10, 2019
    5
    Once again a game doesn't live up to the hype, or at least my own expectations. This game is dragged down hard by the slow sidequests and investigations. The more I play the more I don't care about collecting thinks or even attempting a lame sidequests. I wanted to like this. But it feels like work not fun.
  55. alexturner381
    Oct 29, 2019
    5
    this game is kinda disappointing.
    Really bad writing (like...wow.), the camera is crazy aaaaand sometimes the gameplay is just borring (i'm speaking about puzzle with car...what an awful idea)

    not a bad game, but hell, not a master piece either !
  56. lalahand
    Mar 6, 2021
    5
    I understand the story in action game may not be super interesting, but this game has a terrible story
  57. Delga
    Jul 6, 2020
    5
    The game was just fantastic. The combat system and the history that makes you keep on going.
  58. DylanJashin
    May 6, 2023
    5
    The worst final boss I’ve had to fight in a long time, how this game is rated this high is beyond me
    And that’s not even mentioning how it’s a game based on giving you so many assets to use during combat, but damn near forces you to use the gun for so many of those combat situations. Disappointed.
  59. oggawain
    Apr 11, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A chaotic mess hamstrung by its own gimmick. The characters are dull and uninspired, lacking the flare of the influences they pull from. The combat as passable at the best, exasperating and chaotic at the worst. The game mechanics feel more "everything but the sink" than designed with any sense of intention or direction. Traversal is a hassle. The controls include motion controls that cannot be disabled from the in-game menus, which disrupts aiming on more than frequent occasions. The level-design is uninspired, and the dungeons suffer the same issue as Dragon Age 2. The script is weak, and the plot weaker, clearly clinging on hopes that players will be appeased by references and allusions to original (and far better) content.
    The concept behind this game has the potential to be great, but the execution leaves it a forgettable mess.    … Expand
  60. DolphinReviews
    Jul 20, 2022
    5
    It's an alright game. Doesn't do anything too great. The core gameplay is alright but the story is pretty generic. It's not worth $60.
  61. Yuke
    Jul 29, 2022
    4
    Spoiler-free.

    Most overrated game on Metacritic, probably.

    - Story gets only told via text documents and still many things won't get explained.

    - Silent protagonist ist super pointless in this scenario.

    - Camera movement is borderline broken.

    - Fight-System is okay and sometimes fun.

    - Graphics are very good for a Switch game.
  62. Phaidros
    Sep 3, 2019
    4
    I am stunned, how the well known sites and reviewers are hyping this game.
    For me it plays like a 10$ game, unpolished and uninspired. Graphics are nice, but that is all.
    Pro:
    - graphics
    Cons:
    - sloppy programmed acting of the characters
    - uninspired story
    - no reason to play it, basically. Predecessors (Bajonetta, Nier Automata) are way better
  63. AceAscendus
    Sep 9, 2019
    4
    30fps... lmao, this game is overrated and mediocre, just another cheap and uninspired side project for Nintendo by Platinum Games. Astral Chain, Bayonetta 3, Babylon's Fall are all being worked on at the same time by B-Team members and are small side projects to scam idiots out of their money, that is why Kamiya is not involved with them. Platinum game has 2 MAIN projects that are both30fps... lmao, this game is overrated and mediocre, just another cheap and uninspired side project for Nintendo by Platinum Games. Astral Chain, Bayonetta 3, Babylon's Fall are all being worked on at the same time by B-Team members and are small side projects to scam idiots out of their money, that is why Kamiya is not involved with them. Platinum game has 2 MAIN projects that are both currently secret and being designed for next generation consoles, these are the real GOOD games we will see from Platinum Games and Platinum Games have stated that they will own these IPs and want to become a proper independent studio, similar to From Software and Capcom. We are going to see great things from Platinum Games. So these two next gen titles will be PC/PS5/XboxScarlet multi-platform games.… Expand
  64. ps3fan2
    Aug 30, 2019
    4
    Fantastic graphics but everything else is really mediocre or outright poor. Go buy Devil May Cry 5 or Bayonetta for a true action game experience. Gameplay is worse than NieR Automata's.
  65. LenkaGodEater
    Sep 20, 2019
    4
    The character design is amazing and the game has a nice pace to it. Being mission based rather than open world is the better fit allowing levels to be replayed on higher difficulty while seeming out secrets or side quest at times. Overall a must own for switch
  66. bingbang
    Jun 22, 2020
    4
    Definitely a case of game that's not for me. I thought this was the one to convert me to stylish, button combo action, and gave it a solid 15 hours before I had to quit. Frustrating, headache inducing combat. I later switched to Unchained but that only replaced the frustrating combat with boredom. So, yeah. Not for me. Also, playing as a cop. Yuck.
  67. TempoTheMan
    Aug 12, 2021
    4
    cool gameplay at first, and after 6 hours just boring, story that didnt click with me and ended in an anticlimactic and very open way, and **** endgame, just grinding 50 boring missions with an already boring spammy combat to get to the true boss, which also was anticlimactic, I hope you listen to me and dont waste your money on this game unless you adore spamming moves
  68. Ansb
    Dec 6, 2022
    4
    No invulnerability frames, sword mode unprecis, enemy who one shot in last levels, dodge useless, etc...
  69. MaroBaro
    Aug 31, 2019
    3
    I was very excited for this game however it is fairly disappointing.

    Technically the game is a mess. It runs with 30FPS like many have said and that sucks, but the larger issue is that the FOV is tiny which is a huge problem fighting mobs as you are supposed to fling your legion at enemies, then jump to it at a precise moment... however the camera rarely actually points at where you are    I was very excited for this game however it is fairly disappointing.

    Technically the game is a mess. It runs with 30FPS like many have said and that sucks, but the larger issue is that the FOV is tiny which is a huge problem fighting mobs as you are supposed to fling your legion at enemies, then jump to it at a precise moment... however the camera rarely actually points at where you are flinging him. this is why people say the bosses are most enjoyable because you can just target them and more or less the camera will stick to them but for 90% of fights you are fighting at least 3-4 enemies at a time and it is a mess... and you are doing it all in 30FPS. i guess what i am saying is that the fighting, which is by far the main attraction, ends up as a button masher.

    The structure of the game doesn't fare much better although that is mostly a matter of taste, and my taste don't like it :) For a hack and slash action game there are long stretches without actual hacking and slashing.

    During half of the game you end up solving mundane puzzles that are not very thematic. basically most of the puzzles in this game will be right at home in BOTW for instance. seriously, stepping on 2 panes to unlock the next section, have to hit 3 flying balls at the same time to open the next section. simple and uninspired.

    puzzles in action games really break the flow too. for instance you go to training and you get tutorials for all those cool and useful fighting stuff, and next mission was to have to talk to every person in a city block. the mission didn't mark who i need to talk to (just who i have talked to) so I spend the next 45 minutes, ended up watching an youtube video) because there was this kid in a corner not marked in any way, that i had to press A next to.

    Or a little later, I am fighting, its good, then I they tell me i have to hit 3 moving balls at the same time. That took a few tries and completely ruined the pacing of the whole level, which was already ruined because there is a dumb puzzle between every fight.

    And a lot of bosses are puzzles in themselves, like a mario boss. you have to do specific things to be able to hurt the boss. there is no creativity, just use this skill in this exact way and then you can do dmg for a few seconds, rinse and repeat 20 to 30 times.

    in a way the combat is not even that original as it is basically DMC5 crow character, the guy that doesn't fight directly you know but uses animals and stuff.

    overall, i think the game is a technical failure and whatever good design may exist I for one could not get to it. i still have strong respect for platinum games and will pre-order their next game no questions asked. they are trying new things, it just doesn't always work out.    … Expand
  70. evands
    Dec 12, 2021
    3
    Huge repetitive mess!!! It doesnt know when to end. Like 7 times I thought the game would end and then it starts all over again. The director was having ideas everyday and inserting as he pleased.

    It doesnt know if it is a action hack'n slash, or rpg or stealth. Mix all them together and you have a boring repetitive (including the music) game. story is cliche AF. even naruto didnt    Huge repetitive mess!!! It doesnt know when to end. Like 7 times I thought the game would end and then it starts all over again. The director was having ideas everyday and inserting as he pleased.

    It doesnt know if it is a action hack'n slash, or rpg or stealth. Mix all them together and you have a boring repetitive (including the music) game.

    story is cliche AF. even naruto didnt have so many cheesy dialogues and predictable story points. You play the chapters already knowing the boss doesnt die and will come back later.

    All the good score were made by people that played 3 to 5 hours max, and all of them say they will come back to play the game later and just give high score fo this **** Even critics didnt finish this game or got to half of it to realize how bad this exclusive game is.

    Buy for 20 bucks if you can, Not worth full price.    … Expand
  71. FranchuteKikito
    Sep 4, 2019
    3
    This is such a meh game, I can not understand the hype around it, It does not excels in anything, is pretty but no different from many other arts I've seen in other Japanese games, and that this level of graphics are running in 30 fps is just a shame.
  72. MrWonderful32
    Sep 1, 2019
    3
    In my 20 plus years of gaming I never seen such an overhyped and overrated game such as Astral Chain, the initial first hour of the game is so slow pace that almost made me stop playing, the framerate is God awful, theres framepacing issues all over the place, the pacing of the game has no direction as it seems to be fluffed up with meaningless busy work, the graphics are okay but theIn my 20 plus years of gaming I never seen such an overhyped and overrated game such as Astral Chain, the initial first hour of the game is so slow pace that almost made me stop playing, the framerate is God awful, theres framepacing issues all over the place, the pacing of the game has no direction as it seems to be fluffed up with meaningless busy work, the graphics are okay but the whole "Cell shaded " look is played out already and it's mostly used to Hide the switch's shortcomings, the whole Cell shaded look is pretty outdated by today's standards, ....yes it was great on zelda botw but now its just redundant and getting old, in conclusion...Astral Chain is just not worth the asking price as it plays more like a budget tittle than its AAA price suggests.… Expand
  73. Neatqt
    Nov 10, 2019
    3
    Cast: 2/10
    Story: 2/10
    Fun: 2/10
    Gameplay: 4/10

    Not Recommended
    ----------------------
  74. jsh710
    May 1, 2022
    3
    boring boring story. confusing colors moving so fast, can't recognize what I playing. waste my time and money. my worst game of nintendo switch.
  75. Nihon
    Aug 30, 2019
    3
    If you want a good action game buy Bayonetta, Nier Automata or MGR. This game has none depth.
  76. Lohenwolf
    Aug 30, 2019
    3
    30 FPS action game. In honesty there shouldn't be anything else to say but I can go the extra mile in telling you why you should stay away from this game, or at the very least dissuade you from paying full price for it. They decided to not let the game speak for itself and will flood you will cinematic shots and anime set pieces that distract away from the actual gameplay (which on it's30 FPS action game. In honesty there shouldn't be anything else to say but I can go the extra mile in telling you why you should stay away from this game, or at the very least dissuade you from paying full price for it. They decided to not let the game speak for itself and will flood you will cinematic shots and anime set pieces that distract away from the actual gameplay (which on it's own is pretty good). If they removed how many times the game decides to interrupt the flow of gameplay it would have been much better. Purchase it on sale if you really have to or try to borrow it from a friend since its only like 15 hours long.… Expand
  77. CaptPease
    Sep 2, 2019
    3
    Couldn’t get it to work at first. After 3 hours of customer service with a woman who definitely hates my guts, I finally got to play the game. It was buggy, generic, and had a lackluster story. Extremely disappointed, was looking forward to this game awhile now.
  78. BrapBrapPewPew
    Sep 2, 2019
    3
    This is a game about making circles... its aggressively mediocre. Boring and bland. What happened? How is this popular? It looks worse than some phone games. I'm disappointed I spent the money for it, was really excited actually. Love the bayonetta series, why did they waste their time on this.
  79. happybear
    Oct 23, 2019
    3
    This game contains a lot of locations in the "parallel world" with extremely poor level design (like "organic levels" in DMC5).
  80. dredpiratejaymo
    Apr 15, 2020
    3
    I thought it was mediocre at best. I couldn't get into it. The story was lame, the battle system was clunky, the art was unimpressive, and the levels were too linear. 3/10 is a charitable score.

    I feel like some of these 10/10 reviews may not be legit...
  81. Ingleberg
    Feb 1, 2021
    3
    boring, combat is a joke, music is awful and repetitive, designed to put you to sleep, just like the rest of the game. couldn't care less about any of the characters or their motivations, this just feels really half @$$ed honestly. i'm done after a couple hours. I can't believe how much money they're asking for this. unbelievable. I've never had a more boring gaming experience in my life.
  82. jlittrell03
    Jul 30, 2021
    3
    The only positive I can give this game is the developers ambition as well as there style. Everything else is either subpar or just straight up awful. This game is severely overhyped. Combat is interesting for about an hour then gets increasingly dull by the time you’ve finished. The story is just straight up bad. It’s the most generic rip off of a bad Shonen with a dash of Evangelion atThe only positive I can give this game is the developers ambition as well as there style. Everything else is either subpar or just straight up awful. This game is severely overhyped. Combat is interesting for about an hour then gets increasingly dull by the time you’ve finished. The story is just straight up bad. It’s the most generic rip off of a bad Shonen with a dash of Evangelion at the end and it handles it extremely poorly. Everything about it is extremely predictable and there really aren’t any likeable characters. Your protagonist that you pick doesn’t say a word the whole time and that severely holds it back. Some games like Zelda know how to do this right, but this is an option where it’s done poorly. On top of all that, the English voice dub acting is just not good. All the supposedly emotional moments are laughable. All of the detective files, which is about 40% of the game, all feel like filler just to pad the runtime and make it unnecessary long. Overall, terrible game and completely overhyped, don’t waste your money.… Expand
  83. Jofe
    May 15, 2022
    3
    Could be fun, but his story is mediocre and the camera problems are unbearables.
  84. Skyward_Hearts
    Sep 3, 2019
    2
    Let me start by saying, no, this isn't a fake review by a Sony fanboy like a lot are claiming all negative reviews are. I am more likely to be a Nintendo fanboy, my favourite games of all time are Nintendo exclusive, the Switch is my favourite console ever, I pretty much only play Switch and PC these days. Not only that, but I am a huge fan of Platinum Games, who I believe are responsibleLet me start by saying, no, this isn't a fake review by a Sony fanboy like a lot are claiming all negative reviews are. I am more likely to be a Nintendo fanboy, my favourite games of all time are Nintendo exclusive, the Switch is my favourite console ever, I pretty much only play Switch and PC these days. Not only that, but I am a huge fan of Platinum Games, who I believe are responsible for some of the best action games ever.

    With that out of the way, let me express how I think this game is utter garbage. First I will list off the positives, as it will be quite quick to get through them all:

    Pros:
    -Interesting world building full of interesting ideas. This is one of the first Platinum Games original IPs that has an intricate and well thought out world design, that doesn't exist solely as an excuse for bombastic action set pieces.

    -Lots of unique and great ideas with combat and exploration using the game's centric gimmick.

    -A distinct visual style with popping colour design.

    Ok, now that's out of the way, let's talk about the negatives, which, in my opinion, is basically everything else:

    -The combat system. Right, so the opening of the game shows you what the combat system is like without the legion gimmick, and I think anyone who would argue this is in any way good is lying. You have one button for attacks and you can dodge out the way. That's essentially as deep as the core combat of your character is, instead of having a super powerful, quick and stylish playable character that feels constantly fun and rewarding, you have a slow, weak and simple human that can't really do a whole lot. Luckily, you are given a legion near the end of the opening, where combat opens up slightly more. Now you have the ability to summon in an assistant who is chained to you, and control where they move. But that is it for now. You get to tell what looks like a fun character where to attack, while you're still stuck being boring. As the game goes on, you get given more and more abilities for your legion and the chain between you is used as a combat mechanic in various ways that are actually quite clever in concept, One of the most fun examples is the way you can make a chain line that acts as an elastic band to fling charging enemies back and stun them. The first time you use it, it feels pretty fun, but eventually, it just becomes a chore to keep doing. Imagine a significantly slower paced version of The Wonderful 101's mechanics. The other thing is you get legion attacks, which you can activate in certain situations or after your one button combos finish. This never seems to go beyond 'press the button' when you see a flash and only seems to add to the flashy visuals than it does to the gameplay. You can also learn parrying, which works similarly to Metal Gear Rising. The game continues like this, where instead of fleshing out your base combat, you're simply given more and more 'extras' to make it more complicated. There are a lot of clever ideas, but they felt more to me like tacked on gimmicks that got in the way of the fun, rather than enhancing it.The entire time I was playing, I was wishing that I would just play as the legion on its own, that actually looks fun. Why is the game getting to have all the fun while I have to deal with the busy work?

    The other huge negative is the camera and lock on controls, which in tight spaces, are **** atrocious. Your view is constantly getting obscured by various objects, walls or other enemies. You can't move the camera manually without locking on to another enemy and changing your camera completely, so you're left relying on the auto lock on to focus on the right thing without getting blocked - which is rare. The developers seemed to know this, so they decided to make the vast majority of the games combat take place is barren, flat and open grey and red areas, sacrificing interesting and varied level design to make the camera more bearable. This ties in to the next criticism:

    The mission and area design. The structure of a mission starts with extremely slow paced, ancient-feeling investigative sections in small and samey urban areas. There is nothing interesting about these sections at all other than a few cool little secrets to find. Other than that, they just serve as a blockade preventing you from just getting to action gameplay at a reasonable pace. Which makes the term 'action-packed' for this game feel quite insulting. Once you finally reach the actual gameplay - the levels are all indistinguishable red and grey cubey areas with very basic and slow paced platforming that feels straight out of a bad PS2 era game, mixed with lite and uninteresting puzzle solving, with a few combat encounters here and there. I honestly feel anyone who describes this game as 'action-packed' is spitefully lying to you. It's slow, awkward, clumsy and altogether all these ideas come together in a poorly executed mess.

    Hugely disappointed.    … Expand
  85. logan1087
    Sep 6, 2019
    2
    El juego es monotono y muy molesto, los colores pastel dan una apariencia extrana y tratan de ocultar la baja capacidad gráfica de la consola con movimientos de cámara extraños, es un intento desesperado por aparentar variedad en este sistema
  86. SnakeLeon
    Sep 4, 2019
    2
    LLevo ya más de 20 horas de juego, la intención es buena, pero mal ejecutada, no se siente la misma sensación frenética de otros Hack and Slash, el gameplay al estar a 30fps se siente muy poco fluído, un hack and slash siempre debe ir a 60fps, es lo que han hecho todos los buenos referentes del género. En un RPG por turnos no afecta, o en juegos de aventura, pero en juegos de este géneroLLevo ya más de 20 horas de juego, la intención es buena, pero mal ejecutada, no se siente la misma sensación frenética de otros Hack and Slash, el gameplay al estar a 30fps se siente muy poco fluído, un hack and slash siempre debe ir a 60fps, es lo que han hecho todos los buenos referentes del género. En un RPG por turnos no afecta, o en juegos de aventura, pero en juegos de este género es indispensable.
    Otra queja es que tiene mucho input lag el juego, y aunque la historia es muy buena, el gameplay defrauda bastante, ojalá mejore después con un parche o algo. Yo lo venderé y jugaré algo más por el momento.    … Expand
  87. Phuz
    Oct 7, 2021
    2
    I started this game and it was really exciting but also so forgettable. I played about am hour and then forgot about it. I do this about every 6 months. I play it and then lose any interest to put it on again.

    It's very Hollywood. And Hollywood sucks balls.
  88. Radamanthys777
    Sep 6, 2019
    2
    -Bad story
    -Too easy
    -Bad optimization
    -Bad graphics
    -Goes at 30 fps
    -In short it is a mediocre game
  89. luouxmont
    Nov 11, 2021
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. You either keep your character's family alive and be deemed awake yet imprisoned in police jail, or you kill your family and be cursed asleep but gain access to full functionality of the game mechanics. gtfoutta here platinum games. I'm reselling this game for 15 bucks.… Expand
  90. Mr-Lecter
    Sep 10, 2021
    2
    I do not understand what is the hype around this game. Nowadays people become fanboys just because and true gaming experience is being lost. I must say that I absolutely love Nintendo and their exclusives, and Nier Automata is one of my favorite games ever and I'm a huge Bayonetta fan too, and Astral Chain, this piece of crap is SO FAR away from being half as good as previous PlatinumI do not understand what is the hype around this game. Nowadays people become fanboys just because and true gaming experience is being lost. I must say that I absolutely love Nintendo and their exclusives, and Nier Automata is one of my favorite games ever and I'm a huge Bayonetta fan too, and Astral Chain, this piece of crap is SO FAR away from being half as good as previous Platinum Games.

    PROS:
    - I personally like the combat system and gameplay, if there was enough action in the game
    - Graphically it looks very original and well presented (I just think it was a silly idea to make this around COPS, yes you are a cop)

    CONS:
    - I absolutely hated the endless and LAZY chores you have to go through, the side quests are not enjoyable or entertaining AT ALL.
    - The map system fails very often and you get to be lost very easily while doing stupid chores (not fun at all), on top of it the character cannot jump, or get through little babies obstacles, making it even more frustrating.
    - Most of the game you will be talking to NPC's and completing boring tasks and then all of the sudden you fight a boss for 3 minutes, then you start another stupid quest-chore that will take 30-60 minutes and then start another loop of silly quest, gathering clues and other stuff that really takes away the fun, to the point that it makes you regret the purchase. This game is freaking $59.99! I wouldn't even pay $5 to "play" this so called "gem"
    - I'm OK with linear games, but this one is linear and BORING, don't expect to have freedom at all.
    - Characters are not mesmerising not memorable at all, in fact, many of them are annoying, predictable and scripted.
    - You get to have limited customization but most of the items are useless, I completed perhaps half of the game, gotten all the legions and got a lot of items stored that really are not essential to fight battles like you did in Nier Automata or great games like The Witcher series. Besides the methods to use/equip items is very irritating.
    - It gets old VERY FAST, you may feel it is cool the first few days but you will get bored fast.
    - Oh boy the story is utterly predictable not memorable and 0% exciting.
    - NO REPLAYIBILITY - I came to the conclusion that I'm playing this crap just because, but definitely wouldn't play it again nor getting any expansion if there will be any.

    All in all, do yourself a favour and save $59.99, you can get like 5 better games in the Nintendo's Great Deals library. By the way, this is my first review here, to give you an idea of how much I hated it, maybe it helps someone save money and most importantly YOUR TIME. I still do not understand why and how this game gained such good scores, I would give it a generous 2 out of 10.

    Cheers!    … Expand
  91. Mogus
    Aug 30, 2022
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Starts out great but gets boring really quick. The Story is basically about the character you don’t choose and because you’re character shows no emotion whatsoever er really ruins the few good story elements this game has one time the sibling of your character gets critically injured and is just completely unfazed even though the story tells you they care about each other. The combat can be fun but most of the time it isn’t especially on higher difficulties you the only thing you can do is spam the doge button and let your legion attack. The boss fights are mostly waiting for a boss to come out of his invincibility so you can stun him. The maps all look really similar except one,the final mission even reuses the opening of the game and makes it less fun. I wouldn’t recommend buying this game for full price 60€ is way to much , if it’s on sale and costs less then 15€ I would say go for it because the early game is kind of fun… Expand
  92. julian111
    Oct 18, 2019
    1
    I am sorry but it is just not a good game. I love Platinum games and for me Nier Automata is the best game i ever played, but this....NO. It has too many mechanics, too much to control
  93. XB0
    Aug 30, 2019
    1
    ¿Qué se puede decir de Astral Chain?
    Antes de que uno lo probara puede decir muchas cosas ya que el desarrollador no es nadie más que Platinum Games.
    Comenzaré con los puntos buenos. El apartado artístico es bueno (No lo mejor que he visto, pero ahí está) Ahora los puntos malos (Si eres fanboy de Platinum o Nintendo mejor busque otra review que le haya puesto 10 sin haberlo jugado)    ¿Qué se puede decir de Astral Chain?
    Antes de que uno lo probara puede decir muchas cosas ya que el desarrollador no es nadie más que Platinum Games.
    Comenzaré con los puntos buenos.
    El apartado artístico es bueno (No lo mejor que he visto, pero ahí está)
    Ahora los puntos malos (Si eres fanboy de Platinum o Nintendo mejor busque otra review que le haya puesto 10 sin haberlo jugado)

    Prosigo
    Uno después de jugar NieR: Automata uno esperaba una historia sobresaliente, ya que al parecer se veia que cada título hecho por Platinum iba mejorando progresivamente. A mí parecer la historia peca de ser simplona y no te exige para nada el entenderla. (Para alguien casual supongo que la historia estará bien)
    Algo que hace por ejemplo muy amado a la saga Devil May Cry es el carisma de los personajes ya que estos te generan una empatía que te dan ganas de seguir jugando cosa que no pasa en Astral Chain, ya que muchos llegan a ser planos y monótonos cosa que no ayuda mucho a la rejugabilidad por espantarnos con ello.
    Los puzzles del juego tienden a ser repetitivos y muy poco interesantes. Este aspecto no contribuye mucho al gameplay, cosa que solo genera bajar la calidad del mismo.
    Siento mucho reciclaje en el uso de escenarios. Si bien reutilizar uno que otro escenario no está mal, aquí pudieron haberlo hecho mejor más que todo por el género.
    El diseño de personajes se me es muy genérico y eso es muy negativo ya que el juego no podrá ser muy memorable ni siquiera por ese apartado
    Algo muy importante en los hack & slash es la fluidez y que este juego vaya a 30fps es sin duda un gran handicap para la jugabilidad. Hay que ser muy necio para decir que los 60fps no son necesarios aquí y muy hater para decir que otros juegos (que no requieren 60fps) van a 30.

    Otras pegas:
    - La cámara
    - Las investigaciones entorpecen el ritmo del juego
    - Clichés

    Conclusión: Astral Chain llega a ser un videojuego que al final de todo no está muy seguro de qué quiere lograr. El gameplay llega a ser desordenado para los casuals a lo que me parece que el juego está más enfocado por su historia y sus pausas con mecánicas simples y aburridas. Además de no lograr los 60fps que en este género si se requieren.
    Personajes planos que solo lograran que Astral Chain sea un juego olvidable a menos que se te venga a la mente el apartado artístico, aunque en el diseño de personajes y niveles no se llega a apreciar el mismo. Una decepción para lo que puede ofrecer el equipo de Platinum.
    Este es el peor trabajo de Platinum Games después del de las tortugas ninja, ya que en este tuvieron libertad en el desarrollo cosa que no se pudo en el juego de Activision, una pena.
    Si quieres jugar un buen hack & slash ahí tienes a Devil May Cry V, Bayonetta 2 o NieR que valen 1000 veces la pena más que este juego.    … Expand
  94. xyztrainer
    Sep 1, 2019
    1
    Annoying combat features (slowing down), ugly graphics/character design looking pixelated, bland characters and predictable typical anime story. Just returned the game half-way in. Not everyone who gave this game a low rating was because it's an exclusive tbh. Just personally unenjoyable.
  95. pucp1998
    Aug 30, 2019
    1
    Astral Chain is The Little Engine That Couldn't become a Nier: Automata.
    It was a good try, though. Maybe in a better platform with not that many limitations.
  96. switchplayer
    Sep 2, 2019
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I played this game and returned it the next day for less than half of what I payed because I don't like tedious button mashing, I don't like long time to kills, and i especially don't like playing a grunting sidekick who has to kill his/her own sibling(who is the actual hero).
    What's more, I don't like professional Nintendo review sites saying people giving this game a low score are jealous because they don't have Switches. I do but that doesn't mean I have to like this game. If it weren't for the M.S.M. I never would have left this review to refute them. Good job!    … Expand
  97. Xingshouaguai
    Sep 3, 2019
    1
    The gameplay is really bad in TV mode,gameplay is worse than NieR Automata's
  98. IvanUrrego
    Sep 3, 2019
    1
    The game is short, 9 hours I finished and easy, the story is very linear, I expected something else.
  99. RpgGuru
    Sep 3, 2019
    1
    Totally dissapointed not an open world, very repetitive, 60 usd very expensive, low resolution and low frame rate on portable mode.on switch
  100. gunk91
    Sep 4, 2019
    1
    No comprendo a la gente que está tan contenta con este juego. Va completamente a tirones y me ha crasheado varias veces, la historia no tiene ningún sentido, es completamente infumable.

    A ver si tengo suerte y no borran mi review por ser negativa, ya que gastarste 50€ en esto es tirar el dinero completamente.
Page:

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Switch Game of 2019
2
#2 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019
70
#70 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 92 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 92
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 92
  3. Negative: 0 out of 92
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 28, 2020
    85
    This one is more of a crowd-pleaser than a game-changer. [Issue #42 – October 2019, p. 68]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    100
    Astral Chain consists of varied genres, but is mostly an action game, which has great ideas and interesting, relaxed humour, that doesn´t spoil its serious plot. [Issue#298]
  3. ZTGD
    Nov 7, 2019
    85
    Despite the hardware limitations and a handful of odd design choices, Astral Chain is one of the best new IPs to hit in recent years and one deserving the attention of every Switch owner.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »