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
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  1. RaidouF
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    Es excelente, en todo sentido, y eso que jugue al Nier Automata y DMC5 en ps4 pero este juego esta mucho mas pulido y trabajado. El sistema de combate es la mezcla perfecta de los juegos de platinum.
  2. SadMax
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    10/10
    Platinum games clearly put alot of effort into this, and it shows. Simply amazing.
  3. NegativeFifteen
    Mar 2, 2020
    1
    There's a **** ton of reasons why this game is terrible, but the main issue is that the dodging and camera systems are absolute **** Targeting happens automatically, whether or not I want it to, even if I turn off the target marker. Switching between multiple targets makes me want to put my head through a **** wall with how absolutely terrible the function is.The hitboxes and dodging feelThere's a **** ton of reasons why this game is terrible, but the main issue is that the dodging and camera systems are absolute **** Targeting happens automatically, whether or not I want it to, even if I turn off the target marker. Switching between multiple targets makes me want to put my head through a **** wall with how absolutely terrible the function is.The hitboxes and dodging feel like they asked a toddler to draw a bunch of circles in crayon around the character and then they set the hitboxes to be identical to it. It feels like they TRIED to make the hitboxes bad. On top of all this, even if you manage to acclimate to a terrible camera and a god awful dodging system, even if you manage to get "good" at the game, it still gives you that sweet, sweet C ranking because you didn't use moves and abilities that they haven't even given to you yet. It's like ranking a 2nd grader based on their college algebra skills. So now if you want to make it so that your game file isn't riddled with Cs and Ds, you get to go back and play through each individual mission with your new abilities so that it's actually possible to get a better score. Why can't I just get a good score the first time through with what I have? It's like I progress through the game just so I can go backwards. All in all, ****ty combat, uninteresting dialogue and story, and unremarkable characters that I forget almost instantly, 1/10. Also the female character model looks like someone slapped the face of a crab onto a Hershey's Kiss.… Expand
  4. chuydavid
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the best games for this year. After 10 hours of gameplay. This action and detective game is really goo.… Expand
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. RoxasIrving
    Sep 3, 2019
    6
    Positive +Gameplay +Music
    +Customization


    Negative - 30 Frames
    -Boring Investigation
    -Horrible side missions
  9. ME123
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    The game is flipping awesome. PeriodT.

    Combat, gameplay, story are all wacky and over the top ridiculousness. Just amazing.
  10. 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.
  11. MidnightWander
    Aug 31, 2019
    10
    Excellent game from Platinum, a Switch technical showcase and one of the best games of the year
  12. VSDalSheron
    Aug 31, 2019
    10
    If the only thing I have to suffer under is the 30fps, then I still say, PERFECTION ATTAINED!
    Those who criticize graphics on a Nintendo console have no understanding of what Nintendo is all about. Get bent complainers, this game is truly great!
  13. SergeSGO
    Sep 3, 2019
    10
    Fantastic... it is greate, surprised me in a very good way. necesary to play the game to confirm how good it is. forget the bad reviews from haters.
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. Rpg89
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    This game by platinum studio is something else, the visuals are stunning and the gameplay style suits the occasion. The combination of the legions and your character are brilliant. You get lost in the world of astral chain with endless combination of combos, boss fights and a decent storyline to keep things fresh. Looking for a means to pick a switch? Then this game is the answer. Pros-This game by platinum studio is something else, the visuals are stunning and the gameplay style suits the occasion. The combination of the legions and your character are brilliant. You get lost in the world of astral chain with endless combination of combos, boss fights and a decent storyline to keep things fresh. Looking for a means to pick a switch? Then this game is the answer. Pros- handheld & docked mode looks fantastic. Cons- nothing.… Expand
  17. Kilder004
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    Como casi todos los juegos de esta genial desarrolladora que es Platinum Games podemos esperar si o si 2 cosas gameplay perfecto y banda sonora de calidad superior, cabe aclarar que este tipo de juegos requiere cierto nivel de habilidad al jugar por lo que si no haces click con el gameplay se vuelve repetitivo y no conseguirás buenas notas en las misiones sin combos, claro que pocos van aComo casi todos los juegos de esta genial desarrolladora que es Platinum Games podemos esperar si o si 2 cosas gameplay perfecto y banda sonora de calidad superior, cabe aclarar que este tipo de juegos requiere cierto nivel de habilidad al jugar por lo que si no haces click con el gameplay se vuelve repetitivo y no conseguirás buenas notas en las misiones sin combos, claro que pocos van a admitir que son malos jugando y preferirán decir que el juego es aburrido.

    técnicamente se ve y siente muy bien solo corre a 30fps pero Platinum se las arregló para que las animaciones tengan movimientos al estilo comic, es decir hacen desenfoques en algunos movimientos para darles un efecto de velocidad y al mismo tiempo hacer que los 30fps compensen con animaciones pensadas para disimularlos.

    la historia es buena pero talvez no tan buena como pudo llegar a ser ya que no apuntaban a un juego clasificacion M sino T.

    Una vez Platinum Games nos entrega un juego que va a marcar estándares de calidad en el género pese a las limitaciones que supone trabajar en Switch crearon otra obra maestra.    … Expand
  18. 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...
  19. Alefrita
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    Astral Chain is a Master Piece, it’s incredible how still find these kind of games in pleny 2019, thanks Nintendo for doing these experiences hand byhand with amazing studios like Platinum Games, I feelin in 90’s or 00’s when games like Chrono Trigger, Parasite Eve, Shadow of the Colossus, Golden Sun, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Dark Souls, Devil May Cry, Xeno Saga, Mario and Luigi Super StarAstral Chain is a Master Piece, it’s incredible how still find these kind of games in pleny 2019, thanks Nintendo for doing these experiences hand byhand with amazing studios like Platinum Games, I feelin in 90’s or 00’s when games like Chrono Trigger, Parasite Eve, Shadow of the Colossus, Golden Sun, Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Dark Souls, Devil May Cry, Xeno Saga, Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga, Dragon Quest VIII, Okami, Drakengard was totally aclaimed, but in these last years, sometimos we need like we are having horrible games being the trend and that so **** disgusting, we need more games like Astral Chain and less games like Cods, Fortnites, Free fire, and that **** even Minecraft beeing a good game it’s not healthy for industry when you think in tris as a culture.… Expand
  20. Kanek
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    Apenas llevo 2 horas dentro del juego y no deja de sorprenderme , el intro es muy frenético e interesante, pinta que astral chain me va a tener alejado de mis demás juegos por un buen rato , le pongo de calificación 10 por que me a mantenido pegado a mi switch sin sentir ni un momento de pesadez , aunque eso si hay que señalar que al fijar un enemigo la cámara sufre de algunos momentosApenas llevo 2 horas dentro del juego y no deja de sorprenderme , el intro es muy frenético e interesante, pinta que astral chain me va a tener alejado de mis demás juegos por un buen rato , le pongo de calificación 10 por que me a mantenido pegado a mi switch sin sentir ni un momento de pesadez , aunque eso si hay que señalar que al fijar un enemigo la cámara sufre de algunos momentos incómodos pero creo yo se puede arreglar con un futuro parche , por cierto el juego hasta ahora me va bien fluido sin bajones de fps lo cual es muy importante para los momentos donde hay mas acción… Expand
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. UnionJack0714
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    I was super lucky to get my copy a day early... I have played it for hours now. It is a truly amazing experience. Action games in general struggle to find a mechanic that makes it stand out from other games, this isn't one of those scenarios. Fighting with your legion makes you feel so clever and epic with the amount of potential moves. It's unique, bold and creative. It is also way slowerI was super lucky to get my copy a day early... I have played it for hours now. It is a truly amazing experience. Action games in general struggle to find a mechanic that makes it stand out from other games, this isn't one of those scenarios. Fighting with your legion makes you feel so clever and epic with the amount of potential moves. It's unique, bold and creative. It is also way slower in terms of combat pacing, compared to Bayonetta for example. But this is far from a bad thing, I actually personally prefer it. The visual design is stunning, the muisc is the birth child of a Bayonetta and Nier hybrid, there's plenty to do in terms of content, combat rarely gets boring, even outside of combat there is still a lot to enjoy such as customisation, collectables, investigations. I can't sing this games praises enough. Its probably my favourite game of 2019 so far.… Expand
  24. kare8019
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    ストーリーが面白くアクションがよく出来ています ストーリー序盤は微妙だと思ってたのですが進めていくとアクションの幅が広がりすごい楽しめます 難易度も選択でき子供も楽しめると思います
  25. AKtee
    Sep 16, 2019
    0
    i fell for the hype surrounding this game. Combat boring and repetitive. Music cheesy and not suitable to environments. Acting is garbage. Story predictable.
  26. DreamCore
    Sep 15, 2019
    7
    Cons:

    * Story is quite shallow. * Many garbage side quests like carrying boxes, delivering ice cream that don't really belong in a game like this. * The skill trees are the same for all legions, and they even have the same abilities. I mean, for real? * Combat ratings are off. Sometimes you play like a god and get ranked D while sometimes you play like **** and get ranked S+. * Too    Cons:

    * Story is quite shallow.
    * Many garbage side quests like carrying boxes, delivering ice cream that don't really belong in a game like this.
    * The skill trees are the same for all legions, and they even have the same abilities. I mean, for real?
    * Combat ratings are off. Sometimes you play like a god and get ranked D while sometimes you play like **** and get ranked S+.
    * Too easy on Standard (highest available at first). Never had too purchase any items or anything and only died once in a full playthrough. Since it was developed with Nintendo I guess they abandonded the Bayonetta style and and went toddler style instead.

    Pros:

    * Combat is really cool.
    * Nice art-style.
    * Very polished and good performance.    … Expand
  27. 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
  28. MZAr
    Aug 31, 2019
    10
    Uwuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuuwuwuwuwuw
  29. leitoga
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    Amazing game, i love it... its drve crazy!!! The gameplay, the characters... its perfect
  30. chacladmc
    Aug 30, 2019
    10
    Una obra maestra, el juego es impresionante, mi asombro es mucho, simplemente porque las mecánicas de juego son diferentes a los hack and slash habituales, el hecho de poder controlar a las Legion me recuerda un poco a la forma de como controlamos a V en devil may cry 5, la historia es atractiva cuando menos te lo esperas, cumple con todo lo que promete, éste juego te da muchas horas deUna obra maestra, el juego es impresionante, mi asombro es mucho, simplemente porque las mecánicas de juego son diferentes a los hack and slash habituales, el hecho de poder controlar a las Legion me recuerda un poco a la forma de como controlamos a V en devil may cry 5, la historia es atractiva cuando menos te lo esperas, cumple con todo lo que promete, éste juego te da muchas horas de diversión y puedes darle varias vueltas! Gracias Platinum por ésta imperdible joya… Expand
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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
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