Axiom Verge

 Switch
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 158 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 158
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 158
  3. Negative: 8 out of 158
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  1. thryce3
    Jul 27, 2020
    7
    Solid metroidvania, heavy on the metroid. It gets tough and its easy to get lost and desperately needs fast travel. Overall, good gameplay and clever story, but loses some steam after all the backtracking. Still looking forward the sequel.
  2. chavaflyfree
    Jun 12, 2018
    7
    It's a great game, that's for sure. Great homage to the classic metroidvania style with really nice and original abilities (glitching enemies and environment is just amazing). And it was developed by a single person which is most impressive.
    Graphics are a mix bag, with great animations and effect but some weird enemies and backgrounds. But it all works.
    The main complain I have is,    It's a great game, that's for sure. Great homage to the classic metroidvania style with really nice and original abilities (glitching enemies and environment is just amazing). And it was developed by a single person which is most impressive.
    Graphics are a mix bag, with great animations and effect but some weird enemies and backgrounds. But it all works.
    The main complain I have is, though i'm not new to the metroidvania genre, it feels a bit cryptic in places and some of the hidden objects and rooms are too hard (imo) to find without a guide even with the map provided in the special edition and backtracking can get tedious. Story is a bit chaotic but it works.    … Expand
  3. nusco
    May 13, 2020
    7
    Axiom Verge is a retro-styled metroidvania with a very classic feeling, 16-bit graphics, and a few clever mechanical twists. It was developed entirely by one very talented individual, and that fact certainly makes it special–but it also comes with downsides. While Axiom Verge is fun and lovingly built, it's marred by a slightly unpolished overall feeling, including clunky controls, aAxiom Verge is a retro-styled metroidvania with a very classic feeling, 16-bit graphics, and a few clever mechanical twists. It was developed entirely by one very talented individual, and that fact certainly makes it special–but it also comes with downsides. While Axiom Verge is fun and lovingly built, it's marred by a slightly unpolished overall feeling, including clunky controls, a confusing story that attempts to mix one too many high concept, and uneven graphics that go from great to mediocre.

    If you cherish your memory of playing Super Metroid back in the days, then Axiom Verge should be on top of your list. However, this game's love for the classics seems to push it a little bit too far. It doesn't just look retro–it plays a tad retro as well. It's worth playing, and a great success as a personal project, but it doesn't necessarily stand out from the currently crowded metroidvania scene.    … Expand
  4. GameWhisperer
    Jul 6, 2018
    7
    Axiom Verge is homage a to Metriod (NES) that shows a lot of love. The Graphics are pixelated, dark and strange. The story is pretty good, mysterious, surreal. Surreal is definitely the a fitting word for it.
    This game would have been one of the greats if it came out back in the NES days, but in modern times it feel like it could have used more mechanics to really make it stand out. Still    Axiom Verge is homage a to Metriod (NES) that shows a lot of love. The Graphics are pixelated, dark and strange. The story is pretty good, mysterious, surreal. Surreal is definitely the a fitting word for it.
    This game would have been one of the greats if it came out back in the NES days, but in modern times it feel like it could have used more mechanics to really make it stand out. Still I recommend it to anyone who loves the genres. I'm definitely keeping my eyes out for future titles by Axiom Verge's creator, Tom Happ,    … Expand
  5. yertre
    Feb 28, 2021
    7
    A very passionate indie project by the developer, who's clearly very talented. Great story, solid soundtrack and neat visuals. The game does feel very dated gameplay-wise though. It's not like the gameplay is poor, just that it fails to stand out in any real way when compared to some of its contemporaries (ESA, Hollow Knight, Guacamele). Overall a good game which I'd recommend to anyoneA very passionate indie project by the developer, who's clearly very talented. Great story, solid soundtrack and neat visuals. The game does feel very dated gameplay-wise though. It's not like the gameplay is poor, just that it fails to stand out in any real way when compared to some of its contemporaries (ESA, Hollow Knight, Guacamele). Overall a good game which I'd recommend to anyone who's a fan of the genre.… Expand
  6. drlowdon
    Mar 15, 2023
    6
    Having been knocked unconscious in a lab explosion, Trace awakens on the alien world of Sudra. When he hears a voice speaking to him, he decides to fight his way to the source.

    Axiom Verge is an old school metroidvania game, but one that ultimately doesn’t live up the best in the genre. The gameplay is decent enough, and there are plenty of weapons and power ups to use, but the    Having been knocked unconscious in a lab explosion, Trace awakens on the alien world of Sudra. When he hears a voice speaking to him, he decides to fight his way to the source.

    Axiom Verge is an old school metroidvania game, but one that ultimately doesn’t live up the best in the genre. The gameplay is decent enough, and there are plenty of weapons and power ups to use, but the repetitive design of the maps and constant backtracking means you spend far too much time wandering around just trying to figure out where to go next.    … Expand
  7. hypernewbie
    Sep 30, 2018
    6
    It's OK. Biggest problem is controls. Entire control scheme completely sucks, to a level of unacceptable professionalism. I see even seasoned players accidentally dashing when they didn't mean to all the time.
  8. MajinWamu
    Nov 9, 2017
    6
    Interesting game, and very similar to Metroid. Actually in some aspects I would say even better than Metroid with the large variety of weapons and items; however, overall it wasn't as good as I would had hoped.
    I totally agree with the other reviewers that the backtracking is what really gets annoying. The map may seem big, but it really isn't at all. It is actually quite small and can be    Interesting game, and very similar to Metroid. Actually in some aspects I would say even better than Metroid with the large variety of weapons and items; however, overall it wasn't as good as I would had hoped.
    I totally agree with the other reviewers that the backtracking is what really gets annoying. The map may seem big, but it really isn't at all. It is actually quite small and can be completely explored within a couple hours. What makes it seem larger than it is, is the fact that there really isn't a teleportation system, so you have to go back and forth, and back again.
    Another thing is the difficulty. I played it on hard, and it really wasn't that hard at all. I haven't even tried the normal difficulty, but at this point I am afraid to ever consider it.
    Other reviewers praised the music, but maybe I just don't get it, but it annoyed me. Most of the time I played through the game with the volume off. Especially with that song of a girl who sounds like she just tripped and fell down a well.
    Overall it is an interesting game, but just not one for me, I suppose. The game is a little on the short side, and beyond the beginning, the challenge doesn't get any better, but easier as you pick up more upgrades. Once you find a weapon that works for you, you are pretty much. Also I advise you to change the input scheme for a more comfortable play. For the switch, I completely changed all of the buttons, since they are all used, in order to find a format that worked for me.    … Expand
  9. Gracz
    Apr 24, 2018
    6
    I played on hard mode without music, because it's annoying after few minutes. I stop playing this game after 16h, mostly because of:
    - teleportation controls (you need to tap twice same direction to activate teleportation)
    - lots of empty, repetitive spaces/locations, backtracking is very boring - your character can't avoid certain enemies/attacks, ex. ghouls - poor map design, ex. you    I played on hard mode without music, because it's annoying after few minutes. I stop playing this game after 16h, mostly because of:
    - teleportation controls (you need to tap twice same direction to activate teleportation)
    - lots of empty, repetitive spaces/locations, backtracking is very boring
    - your character can't avoid certain enemies/attacks, ex. ghouls
    - poor map design, ex. you can land on enemies
    - most bosses are very easy, but some requires additional health, because their attach is unpredictable nor unescapable - no challenge :(

    Game at it's current state is not worth the price.    … Expand
  10. Omar-AIM
    Jun 18, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Me impresiona la nota tan alta que la gente le pone, aunque admito que la música, gráficos e historia son muy muy buenas, su jugabilidad deja mucho que desear, y lo peor sus jefes, el último es la decadencia del juego, es triste ver que solo necesité aplastar botones a lo loco para ganarle.… Expand
  11. Foxylary
    Oct 29, 2021
    6
    An over rated game again. Music are nice, graphics are greats if you like pixel art, and the gameplay is precise and efficient. The ambiance catch me. But the story is totally a boring mess without interest and the ton of weapons you can find are pretty useless. The worst for me is about boss fight. They are poor patterns and are really easy and uninteresting. The final fight is so messyAn over rated game again. Music are nice, graphics are greats if you like pixel art, and the gameplay is precise and efficient. The ambiance catch me. But the story is totally a boring mess without interest and the ton of weapons you can find are pretty useless. The worst for me is about boss fight. They are poor patterns and are really easy and uninteresting. The final fight is so messy and bad. So, the experience let me indiferent. But, I must recognize it's an awesome job for one guy, even if the story could be easily better for this universe.… Expand
  12. Pimplup
    Sep 7, 2019
    5
    Decided to buy this game due to the crazy high Metascore, but unfortunately for me it was a bit disappointing. It seems that this game has been praised for its (1) metroidvania-style gameplay, (2) 8-bit music/graphics, and (3) awesome/subversive story.
    As someone who has played through it, I believe these strengths are outclassed by Hollow Knight, Fez, and Undertale respectively.
    That    Decided to buy this game due to the crazy high Metascore, but unfortunately for me it was a bit disappointing. It seems that this game has been praised for its (1) metroidvania-style gameplay, (2) 8-bit music/graphics, and (3) awesome/subversive story.
    As someone who has played through it, I believe these strengths are outclassed by Hollow Knight, Fez, and Undertale respectively.

    That being said, I still had a fun time overall and would say it'd be worth getting on sale.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best Switch Game of 2017
40
#40 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
46
#46 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Switch Player
    Feb 13, 2018
    100
    This isn’t a game for the faint-hearted. It’s a challenging action adventure which forces you to use physical and mental dexterity in equal measure. It wields nostalgia and innovation with laser precision, creating one of the most fun and inspiring games that you will have the chance to play. If you want an excellent adventure platformer, then it would be a disservice not to own this game.
    Read full review
  2. Cubed3
    Feb 12, 2018
    90
    A lesser game would have broken away from the standard Metroidvania fare by referencing Super Metroid and playing out like a 2D Metroid would be expected to. It wouldn't be bad, but it wouldn't be particularly special, either. Axiom Verge is not a lesser game, though. It strictly pays tribute to the original NES Metroid, but not once does it do anything with its premise that feels derivative. Any instance of homage is quickly subverted and thrust down a path all of its own. Solutions to puzzles are genuinely creative and the overworld is filled with more optional weapons and upgrades than actually necessary for a normal playthrough, offering an incredibly rewarding, explorative experience. Challenging, creative, and endlessly endearing, Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition is the best take on the Metroidvania genre in years.
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  3. God is a Geek
    Feb 9, 2018
    75
    A fine game that is let down by the main character being a bit drab. This is the same version of the game, but on Switch. Make of that what you will.
    Read full review
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